As as fuel prices skyrocket, drivers demand: “I want my EV!”

Electric car activists are shifting their campaign to persuade Detroit to go electric into high gear. Plug In America, a nonprofit group that advocates “clean air and energy independence” this morning demanded that “automakers manufacture Electric Vehicles (EV) so that they can dump the pump.”

Their timing couldn’t be better. The average price of a gallon of gas hit $4 over the weekend.

Linda Nicholes, president of Plug In America, says it’s time for America’s car manufacturers to respond.

Call Toyota, call GM, call Ford, call them all and tell them that you won’t buy another car until it can be plugged in and charged with electricity. Americans must demand the choice to drive cars that run on cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity.

If you’ve ever seen the film Who Killed The Electric Car?, you know that there’s a lot more to this issue than meets the eye. Auto manufacturers have some powerful incentives to keep making gas-powered engines — even when customers would rather buy an electric vehicle.

That may be changing.

GM is talking about — and testing — an electric car called the Volt. In a recent blog posting, GM’s vice chairman, Bob Lutz, reported on his test drive of a prototype Volt. He sounded cautiously optimistic about the future of EVs.

Now, don’t run to the Chevy dealer and order your Volt yet: The “test mule” I drove – a previous-generation Malibu – wasn’t calibrated properly, and there are an awful lot of tests that this battery must pass before it’s cleared for production.

I think the time for talk is long past. If GM and others don’t follow Renault’s lead to produce zero-emissions vehicles in the next five years, American car manufacturers — and American motorists — will be the losers.

Comments

4 Responses to “As as fuel prices skyrocket, drivers demand: “I want my EV!””

  1. On June 9th, 2008 at 11:12 am Beverly Cornell said

    I couldn’t agree with you more. The documentary “Who killed the electric car” really does shed light onto this issue in a very sad way. GM could have had this market cornered and gave in to oil interests. As a Detroiter - it not only disappointed me but made me furious. I have let the powers that be know that I will not purchase another car unless it is better for the planet and my pocketbook. Dare I say, that may be a Renaults or a Toyota…oh no!

  2. On June 10th, 2008 at 6:03 am erica said

    Best article to read. It’s pointing towards skyrocket values of fuel.

  3. On June 10th, 2008 at 11:44 pm dottie said

    Look into NEV’s (Neiborhood Electric Vehicles.) Saved me 3/4 tank of gas this very first week, and only cost $6,000 . The manufacturer is STAR and they are street legal here in Florida, with restrictions that I can live with. Basically it is a souped up golf cart .

  4. On July 7th, 2008 at 2:57 am michael said

    Very much informative.

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