15th April 2004, 9:11 PM
Honestly, gas prices are lower than the rest of the world. I'm surprised everyone here that I THOUGHT were capitalists have this huge problem with a mere fluctuation. They rise, they drop, so do milk prices, almost in concert in some weird dance. I go through milk at a ridiculous rate so I notice.
All this says is we need a superior technological solution to the outmodded combustion engine. Battery power is the solution. Obviously the previous models had their problems, being in just about every way inferior to a combustion vehicle, but those problems, all but ONE which I will get to, have been neatly eliminated. They now run an average of about 500 kilometers on a charge, or 300 miles. That's plenty for standard travel. The issue that's not resolved is that a tank refill takes just a few minutes or so, but a battery charge still takes about 4 hours. While one can easily say "hey, you can just remember to plug it in every night", that doesn't make up for the many emergency type situations where a lot of waiting will be involved, like the person who is travelling cross country and didn't notice they were running low and their battery dies in the middle of the highway. Even if they get someone to help them out, it won't be as simple as getting a portable gas tank. Also, even if they do notice and stop, rather than being able to take off again in a few minutes, time to find something to do for a few hours.
If the public is willing to accept it with this one last design flaw, I suspect two things. Gas stations will vanish. They will be replaced with big movie theaters with parking lots lined with outlets so people can watch a movie while they charge up.
If people AREN'T willing to accept this design flaw, then the hydrogen fuel cell is just around the corner. So, it's either the solution that's ALREADY available with one major flaw, or one that's almost here. Either way, no more pumps and no more complaining.
All this says is we need a superior technological solution to the outmodded combustion engine. Battery power is the solution. Obviously the previous models had their problems, being in just about every way inferior to a combustion vehicle, but those problems, all but ONE which I will get to, have been neatly eliminated. They now run an average of about 500 kilometers on a charge, or 300 miles. That's plenty for standard travel. The issue that's not resolved is that a tank refill takes just a few minutes or so, but a battery charge still takes about 4 hours. While one can easily say "hey, you can just remember to plug it in every night", that doesn't make up for the many emergency type situations where a lot of waiting will be involved, like the person who is travelling cross country and didn't notice they were running low and their battery dies in the middle of the highway. Even if they get someone to help them out, it won't be as simple as getting a portable gas tank. Also, even if they do notice and stop, rather than being able to take off again in a few minutes, time to find something to do for a few hours.
If the public is willing to accept it with this one last design flaw, I suspect two things. Gas stations will vanish. They will be replaced with big movie theaters with parking lots lined with outlets so people can watch a movie while they charge up.
If people AREN'T willing to accept this design flaw, then the hydrogen fuel cell is just around the corner. So, it's either the solution that's ALREADY available with one major flaw, or one that's almost here. Either way, no more pumps and no more complaining.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)