Wells’s Recent Comments

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  Marketing on 'cool' a mistake...

  The debate over which vehicle technology will dominate boils down to hybrid vs hydrogen fuel cell. My money is on hybrid, but this doesn't stop GM from building utterly preposterous prototypes based on the (AUTOnomy, Hywire, Sequel) 'skateboard' chassis, nor a slightly less impractical fuel cell car to be marketed next fall based on the crossover SUV Equinox.

  The fuelcell Equinox has a driving range of 200 miles, no mileage champ no matter how fueled. Even subcompact fuel cell cars have this same limitation. The 2-door Honda FCX will go only 190 miles on a tank.

  There are dozens of impracticalities with fuel cell technology, from hydrogen gas production, distribution and storage systems to vehicle manufacture and safety features, questionable energy inefficiencies, etc etc.

  Biofuels are ideally applicable in the hybrid drivetrain, but not fuel cell.

  GM hybrids also fall short of expectations. Their electric motor drive systems do not propel the vehicle as much as 'assist' a standard internal combustion engine and transmission. It is important to make this distinction between the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid and the hybrid system in GM Silverado and Saturn VUE. The Toyota/Ford hybrid can run entirely on electricity, whereas GM hybrids cannot.

  It matters not how 'cool' a fuel efficient car may be. GM is marketing their vehicles on 'cool', but are they being disengenuous? Are they purposefully failing to advance the more practical technologies in order to maintain a market dominance? The answer is, they're GM. We should expect nothing more.   On Prius makes an appearance in Last Kiss posted 3 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses

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  Even moderates use fear tactic

  This country's political divide, Right vs Left, has an artificial dividing point, republican on one side, democrat on the other. The truth is that many issues near the center of the political spectrum are shared by both and even most political persuasions.

  My political strategy for reaching obstinantly closed-minded republicans is to find those commonalities, and convince them that their leaders are not fairly representing majority interests, including their own.

  To be such a moderate is like climbing this dividing wall and becoming a target for attack from both sides.

  For exampls: When I'm trying to explain the complete futility of hydrogen fuel cell cars, those on the Left who've placed their hopes in such technofixes, will not hear it and may suspect such viewpoint as right wing propaganda. Those on the Right may be surprised to learn pertinent facts about Bush's fraudulent advocacy for hydrogen, but may be disuaded from in depth examination because the intellectually incurious on the Left matches that of their own.

  I have a small, measured amount of optimism that the industrial age can reduce its toxic impact. But, if the Left remains as closed-minded as the Right, the fear of an inappropriate technofix is a reasonable and legitimate political tactic.
  On Reason. Compassion. Forbearance. Selflessness. These are not the hallmarks or our time. posted 3 years, 2 months ago 6 Responses

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  Correction !!!!!!

  Sorry Sorry Sorry !!

  Both passengers in the Sentra died. On The future posted 3 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses

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  Hummer vs Sentra

  A few weeks back, on the 11: o'clock news, a startling video image of a traffic accident scene set off alarm bells.

  A newer Sentra had stalled and stopped on the shoulder of the ramp between I-205 north and I-84 east in East Portland. The shoulder there is narrow because it abuts a concrete wall which supports the 102nd Ave overpass. The Sentra was then slammed by a Hummer, perhaps a speeding and cutting the corner into the narrow but paved shoulder, perhaps not, I'm not sure.

  The accident scene first showed the Sentra in a state of complete demolishment, like a ball, crushed on every side and top, perhaps rolled between the support wall and the Hummer. The camera then turned to the Hummer. Not a scratch! Not a frikn scratch!

  Both passengers in the Hummer died; a husband and wife. They were on a cell phone to their son at the moment of the crash.

  Now that's an image, published alongside the child's plaything, that would be even more repulsive, but at least educational. Ya think? On The future posted 3 years, 8 months ago 3 Responses

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  Enough posturing

  Thanks for the link to Oil Drum. I will place it above Gristblog as a forum worth my time and effort. Enough with your mental masterbation posing Hybrids as futile, Roberts. Demonstrate your mental sterility about hybrid potential if you so choose, but don't try to convince readers that you're just posing an honest debate. Who's paying you to come up with this crap?    On Dilbert takes on foreign oil posted 3 years, 8 months ago 6 Responses