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June 2008 Posts
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Update: LG Chem has not been awarded the contract for GM Volt batteries as of yet. The press release referred to in the podcast was dated June 5, 2007 (not 2008), and referred to a generic exploratory arrangement the two companies engaged in over a year ago. This was confirmed via voice by the Media contact, Dick Pacini, from The Millerschin Group.
quote comment
Hey guys -
I'll try to get a reference for the 1 million fuel cell vehicles bit, and post it here when I have something.
** added. Looks like 2012 for that million cars is more accurate. Cost parity with gas cars by 2010. That cost parity bit is still an order of magnitude away here in 2008. Back-yard mechanics build EVs for themselves. Ever seen one build a FCV?
Here are the links I found with a quick search. There are ones that more closely match my comments... I just haven't found them yet. GM spokespersons have also mentioned the 2010 million FCV's verbally, but that's harder to verify.
http://www.fuelcellstocks.com/Articles/hydrogencars/110607gmfuelcellcars.dwt
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSSHA9988820071114
Best title for my rant? Welll, it was meant to be topical to the Cast 18 comments: How is technology hype keeping real ZEV tech off the street? My point was that the promise of Fuel Cells effectively ended the BEV/ZEV program for several years. And you really don't need press releases. Those are all but meaningless. What you need to do is read the auto maker's testimony from the CARB hearings starting in 2003.
You can read my written comments to the then Chairman of CARB after the 2003 hearing that brought us "fuel cells instead of BEVs). Followed by comments of others.
http://evnut.com/03_carb_ruling.htm
Oh, and I fully realize that all car makers are continuing research into Fuel Cells. When I said "jumped ship" I meant that none of the makers beyond Honda are still saying that FCV's are THE green tech that they'll have on the road "any day now." Go back a few years, and nobody was going to build plug-ins. Every car maker was going to build FCV's to save us. Today - except for Honda - they're all going to build plug-ins. Because when the poop hits the fan, and suddenly something has to be built... it comes back to batteries. Just like it did in the mid 90's.
I live just eight miles from the CA Fuel Cell Partnership. The place is like a ghost town now. Everybody has packed up and gone home...except for Honda.
So... if GM has all of their best people furiously working on the Volt... who's watching the Fuel Cell program that is to be viable that same year the Volt will be for sale?
Sorry if the information is in error.
I was reading this blog posting...
http://gm-volt.com/2008/06/06/breaking-has-lg-chemcompact-power-been-chosen-to-supply-the-chevy-volt-battery-pack/
...which quotes Bob Lutz saying
“we feel that at this point we have a lower risk with the one company.”
combined with
But in the newest bombshell, Patil let it slip that a CPI pack is powering the mule that Lutz just drove.
suggested that CPI (LG) was the clear front-runner.
However, a closer reading might show that this is still speculation.
But in any case, Lutz seems to feel he has the answer on the battery company, even if he is wisely not sharing it at this time.
Amped
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=amped
From:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amped
amp[2,transitive verb]
Batteries are really a mind invesment. Oil is more of a natural resource. Furthermore, we have had batteries companies for the EV1 in the USA and the oil companies bought them. Thus a little kid is going to die of lung disease in Los Angeles this year.
JohnBriggs & PaulCummings: Thanks to you both for the vocabularial edification! I should've trusted my initial instincts, and searched wider for my vindication!
Yeah I agree to Billbegren that EVs are really a mind investment. EVs isn't fad because nowadays with this kind of crisis we really need to save a lot of money. Buying EVs can help the environment plus EVs have low emission and its parts were cheap compare to normal cars like ford explorer parts.
