I am just wondering how fast is this field growing at this economy status of today…any thoughts?
It looks like Silicon Valley California might be taking over the automotive torch since the big three didn’t want to face reality.
If we can get investor confidence in companies such as this one, there will eventually be a 20K sedan that will give reasonable range.
So to answer your question, in my opinion yes. The industry is growing (especially battery research and development) but it is no longer simply being an assembly worker. Now at days the equivalent worker will need to know how to upload firmware, check diagnostics and even maybe know some troubleshooting.
My other .02:
GM needs to dump all their overhead through Chapter 11 in order to focus on the Volt project so it can be profitable.
Yes… electric vehicles are growing due many global issues … you can browse tthroguh http://www.coolingtheglobe.org for more information…
this is the need of the hour these days
Here goes nothin’. Hopefully I won’t establish myself as a pariah for mentioning - but I am not convinced the case for this technology can be made over the next two decades based upon the theory of man-made global warming (mmgw). It could be exactly true, but I well remember the “science” of global cooling in the 70’s and recognize the fact that pop culture and politics favors the mmgw camp, while there is a significant, equally qualified body within the scientific communities that are not buying it.
More text than I wanted to use about mmgw, since my main point is that if we bet on a particular popular sentiment that may wither in a few years, we’re not going to successfully advance this amazing technology. I see it as just a really good idea whose time has come. In fact I think that the case can be advanced solely on the merits of efficiencies. Let’s say we can achieve 75% or better efficiency with [U]existing[/U] technologies versus the abyssmal - what? 20%? - efficiency of a gasoline ICE, a little more for diesel. I’m tossing numbers a bit heuristically, I know, but I’m pretty sure I’m in the ballpark. A little help anybody?
The rest of the sale is based on price, practicality, and environmental impact of (mostly battery) production. Those three elements cannot compete yet with ICE technologies.
I think that the major importance of electric cars is that they simplify car production. The car is going the way of the computer. Anyone can build a computer by putting the components together. Anyone can build an EV by putting the components together. Sure there are better builders but that is what made Dell–Dell. They manufacture nothing but a skin. Automobiles have become open source. I just read a great article and a movie about how Ford is doing it already with their global platform. Working on EV will be like changing boxes testing to the module level. You can read the article tell me what you think. Automobile2.0 Open Source! | Electric and Hybrid Cars But this whole thing has been dumbed down.
Global warming is really a non-sequitur, its national security that is the big push; a terrorist in the Mideast setting off a nuke or dirty bomb in the oil field would have oil at over $150.00 a barrel. There is a study out of a conservative think tank (CERA) that says oil at $150 will cause military action to seize and control it.
That’s my two cents I have always been in love with the EV and hybrid because I am a tree hugger but you got to follow the money.