There’s nothing I enjoy more than wasting money on crap other people consider really cool.

And in case you are urged to say “give it some time” or “it just needs a little fertilizer”………I’ve already given it 120 years. Time’s up.

The ‘business model’ I’m most familiar with is big losses up front as capital outlay never goes as planned, and is always more than expected as an enterprise finds it’s way into profitability. technology is never right coming off the assembly line, distribution is always as kinked as a colon and sideline quarterbacks are always sniping at the people actually doing the job. It’s tough to make a buck, stay ahead of trends and the competition and even tougher to integrate legacy systems with innovations. At least that’s my experience.

The Prius was a dandy car. Not every one will be. The one I drove was a damn fine car. I enjoyed it. As contrasted to a Ferrari 512 I once drove which was a pain in the ass. Beautiful and sexy as hell but pretty much useless and hideously uncomfortable. But there’s a market for it. Ferrari perpetually runs in the red, no pun intended, which is pretty much a failed business model but they’re still around. There’s any number of ways to discuss this, but flagellating the first model off the line is rarely sensible …. give the Volt a chance. Give the market segment for electric power a chance. Smart people are working all over the world on this and breakthroughs are going to happen. And I’m damned glad. I loves me the feel and sound and raw brutish Visigoth power of a Lingenfelter crate at full song, but I can’t manufacture petroleum fuels independently. I can … however … make my own hydrogen, and I can make my own electricity which makes those two power sources very very very attractive to this All American White Guy with a Jones For Independence and Freedom.

Big Oil makes me dependent. I don’t like that, even if I do like V8s.

It’s simply the fact that, like everything else the liberal mind comes up with, is to push people to the wall and MAKE them “see the light”. If an electric car is ideal for someone, then great, I’m all for it. But I live away from the city because in the United States, I have the right to do that. I also have the right to drive what I choose, not what the government would choose for me.

This is inline with the Department of Education picking the textbooks that kids have in school which give their idea of the “facts” and is resulting in kids growing up feelnig guilty to be Americans. To see how that works, talk to a German national who was taught from day one of kindergarten that “Being German is evil” because of the Nazis. Quite frankly, they’re sick of hearing it.

Oddly, at the same time, the current administration is flaming the coal industry that supplies over 80% of our energy needs. So…having an electric car is a good thing?

And, remember 1969 when the anti-nuclear activists did their thing and caused GovCo to stop building nuclear plants….and then the argument over global warming…and how that has come full circle? The globalwarmingtards are now IN FAVOR of nuclear energy vs coal.

Meanwhile…the current administration says out of one side of its face that “We must stop global warming!” while out of the other side of their face, they are saying “buy electric cars and it’ll be good for the environment!” While also saying simultaneously, “We must not allow any more coal-burning powerplants and shut down the existing ones”.

It’s all a great big game show to them. All hyperbole, all the time. Keep the public agitated, make sure those who are passionate about a left-wing idea remain that way to the degree of failing to see the obvious.

Not one single member of this administration has offered a logical, well-processed thought about anything regarding energy, fuel consumption or the economics thereof. We didn’t jump into millions of cars overnight and it’s not going to be changed overnight. But this current government is ignoring that and will push the buying public to the breaking point. They will continue to force you to do their bidding by making gas cost 6 bucks a gallon. Then, they will levy heavy taxes on imported vehicles that burn gasoline….based on that “carbon footprint” BS. Then, they will limit the number of foreign vehicles that can come in under some equally lame excuse. They will attack it from all sides so that you, the consumer, will be FORCED into buying one of their POS ideas and then they will claim that they managed to show the public the “right way to think”.

Look for a great deal of help from the MSM. Look for it to show up in your favorite TV shows…where car chases have the Volt in them. Plus news pieces on “how great they are”.

America is being sold down the river. I never buy into any sales pitch. But a huge majority loves to hear it….thinks it’s correct and cannot think for itself. We are now dealing with a large segment of the population that helped Budweiser’s sales numbers to skyrocket all because of some stupid talking frogs.

And, those same people may be responsible for administering your healthcare in the future. Think about THAT.

Thanks for my sign slogan for the 04/15 Tea Party!

EDIT: Oops SJ I didn’t see that you were using it for your sign. So if you don’t mind terribly, I’ll take my inspiration from you and revise it slightly for mine:

Hope and change
That was the joke
Now here’s the punch line
We’re all going broke!

Fact is, they don’t know what they’re talking about! (Do Tell!)

The Volt is a generation behind the Prius. It’s a generation ahead. It uses Lithium ion battery technology & it’s a plug in. The Prius is neither. Who put into their wooden heads this crap. Wait! I know, their wives – sorry – partners, uh significant others – OK, the voices in their heads brought on by their self loathing American Spirit.

When government can’t deliver your mail, pick up your garbage, educate your kid, OR EVEN RUN A GAMBLING OPERATION AT A PROFIT (OTB & State Lotto schemes), what makes anyone think they know anything about cars.

- batteries run down and no infrastructure of replacement stations exists
- batteries are an additional cost that is never discussed
- old batteries are a problem to dispose of
- electricity isn’t free anymore than gasoline is free
- gas vehicles have 100 years of testing behind them. Maybe you don’t care about it, but lots of people do.
- if you are worried about carbon, electric cars aren’t the solution
- there is a multi-trillion dollar investment in place to build gasoline cars. hardly any investment in place for electric cars
- millions of mechanics have decades of experience repairing gasoline-powered cars. dozens have experience with electric cars
- you can drive a car even if the electric grid goes out
- gasoline cars have already pushed electic cars out of the marketplace many times. Usually, things happen for a reason.

If there was a true shortage of oil rather than a hyped-up shortage, electric cars would be worth exploring. But the oil shortage is a myth. There is a century’s worth of oil offshore and in shale rock.

Electric cars are only alive because of politics. The market has spoken many times and the verdict has always been the same.

Next it could be meat, or booze, or guns, or private education, or freedom of expression, or books, or stand-alone houses, or dogs or a million other things that the nutters want to force down your throat.

They want to control your life and they don’t care whether you give a flip or not.

Now factor in the R&D net, net loss to create the Volt – and guess what you have – a failed business model, the issue at hand for not only GM – but also Toyota – who had their first loss ever in 2008.

Additionally – the Prius was a “luxury” during “good times”, yet as an alternative vehicle today, for a bankrupt company, who’s own makers claim it will be “really expensive to make” is bad business.

“Alternative” isn’t always a bad thing, in fact a driver of R&D – but at what expense?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NvIv.....d+2008.JPG

http://hybridreview.blogspot.c.....sales.html

http://www.treehugger.com/file.....s-most.php

Here are a few opinions, charts, etc of Prius sales. All things considered – the price of gas fuels demand, hence the “rerise” of SUV’s and pick up trucks. But to compare an electric car to a hybrid is apples to oranges.

People bad mouthed the Prius like it was the coming of Satan, but I rented one for a drive from Eastern Utah to Denver Airport and that’s 365 miles of curves, twists, turns, a dangerous canyon in winter and the two highest passes in North America …. in December. That little car was (a) rock solid (b) handled with aplomb (c) very balanced (d) MORE than powerful enough to climb straight up and over both Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel grade (14 miles of 7%) and never once lost traction, skidded or felt squirrely in any way. It never lagged or felt under powered like almost every other car I’ve flogged up Eisenhower and Vail. It Is A Great Little Car. And I’m further to the Right than Ghengis Khan, baby. I make Gordon Liddy look like a nanny-state bureaucrat. But I am not going to piss on technology just because it’s the darling of New Age Buffoonery. The Prius was top drawer and what a pleasure to average 82 mpg for nearly a thousand miles of hard winter driving. Course, I didn’t have seven kids, two dogs and a load of luggage either, but for me and the missus and an overnight bag, it was delightful.

Now, as to the Volt. Get a grip. Try the thing out. Don’t pass judgement until you’ve had hands on it. Or watch the movie WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR. You won’t find any guy more willing than me to turn a wrench or customize a 1967 GTO ragtop in to a hell-breathing earth stomping custom rod, but … but … if it’s performance we want, the Volt is a stepping stone on the way to silent clean energy generated at each wheel with instant torque and no rev limitiation, no radiators, no fuel pumps … I mean c’mon. Get your Can Do attitude in gear. We’re on the verge of a Great New Era in cars and nay-sating just to piss on the Left is not only childish but counter-productive.

‘Cause … things change, baby. Things change. Why not get out front and change them to your liking instead of bitching and moaning?

Give the Volt a chance.

Yeah, where is the change?

A Ford guy shouild be transferred to GM.

Geepers peepers.

With that kind of leadership, Obamy has proven he has everything well under control.

The Volt is just one example.

http://sweetness-light.com/arc.....m#comments

or this article posted yesterday?

http://sweetness-light.com/arc.....e#comments

Henry Ford must be rolling over in his grave! Do these idiots at the WH belive what they are saying?

Might be time to buy some stock in Ford, GM gonna suck as long as the Guber is in charge!