Why can't an alternative fuel be legislated?
Legislation passed by the Senate requires broadcasters to end their traditional analog transmissions by Feb. 17, 2009, and send their signals digitally.
What is going on with the American government when they are willing to legislate digital tv signal transmission and not an alternative fuel system?
What is wrong with this picture?
I would select hydrogen power and invest the money invested in legislating digital cable (or going to the moon again) into large contracts to an american tech company to deliver a hydrogen fuel cell with mpg and energy to produce requirements to be delivered within 2010. I’d then give a major tax credit to the american auto makers for every unit sold AND another credit to any american consumer. Thus, giving the tech companies, auto makers, and the consumer reason to develop the tech. What’s wrong with the philosophy?
How will "alternative fuel vehicles" affect the American economy?
The American economy is very dependent on the automobile indutry. We usie vehicles for transportaion of both people and cargo, for recreation (racing, "road trips", country drives, etc.), as well as for many specialized applications, like ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
With glass, rubber, metal, paint, textiles, fuels, and many other materials needed to make a modern car, I have heard some eatimate that as many as 27,000 people are needed to make one car (with jobs ranging from tapping rubber trees and mining ore to final assembly of the vehicle).
Partially due to enironmental concern and partially due to governemnt mandates, the auto industry is slowly moving toward "alternative fuel vehicles". These include gas/electric hybrids, "flex fuel" vehciles that can run on ethanol, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and one company will soon sell (in France) a small vehicle that is powered by compressed air.
What do you think will be the effects of this move
toward "alternative fuel vehicles"? Will this affect our economy in a positive manner (or negative or neutral)? Will the effects be long-term or only shoirt-term?
As a car salesman, I am curios as to where you stand.
How will these vehicles affect our economy?
As most answers will be largely based on opinion and/or news articles (since most of us, myself included, don’t have advanced degrees in economics), Best Answer will be awarded to the answer I find most convincing and most believable.
Also, please excuse any typos.
GABY, you are correct that some poeple don’t care about fuel economy. I sellfor a Ford Lincoln-Mercury dealership. We are in a rural area with a lot of farm land (peanuts, cotton, pecans, corn, are some of the bigger crops), so we sell a lot of big vehicles that are actually used for work. We do sell a lot of big vehicles for persoanl use, too, though. Some people are downgrading to get better fuel economy, but just as many want to either keep the same fuel economy or do not care about fuel economy.
I eventually want a larger vehicle (2nd child is on the way), but for the time being,. my 4 cylinder regular cab Ranger and my wife’s Ford Focus work just fine. I am 6’3" and I can drive either one of our vehicles, so I don’t buy the excuse of "I’m big, so I need a big vehicle" that I hear on a regular basis.
I am personally in favor of vehicles with more fuel economy, or an alternative source (like compressed air). I would persoanlly like to see this is a car at least midesize
(such as Ford Fusion), as well as in a truck large enough to fit myself, my wife, and both kids. (Ranger doesn’t do this)
Is EV or Fuel Cell technology a viable alternative for Semi-Trucks?
Within 20 years, large amounts of oil will be hard to come by and very expensive. Most people are saying that EV and hydrogen fuel cell technology will replace our gasoline engines in are cars, but, what about Semi-Trucks? They are much more important to our current society than personal transportation.
Too me, it seems you would need MASSIVE batteries to pull trailers, not counting refrigeration. I don’t know if fuel cells could produce the power needed, but you would also need very large amounts of compressed hydrogen.
What do you guys think?
Research the types of alternative fuel vehicles that are currently under development?
examine the advantages and disadvantages of each, and which would have the least environmental impact
*Electric
*Natural
*Hydrogen
*Fuel Cell