Hocus Pocus

[Aknauta]

techcentralstation.c om


Hocus Pocus
By Brock Yates 01/09/2003



As we pitch and yaw into another new year there comes the inevitable spate of optimism about new automotive breakthroughs that will break our bonds with the hated internal combustion engine. Last year we had the slap-stick Segway upright Hoover that fascinated every journalist and environmental looney except those who actually had to ride one of the little hyper-tech scooters.

This year's entry into the chimera sweepstakes comes from Honda in the form of its new FCX fuel cell vehicle, touted as the first real-world, full-size passenger vehicle to actually grace our highways and to bring salvation to the environment and the economy. On December 2nd the city of Los Angeles took delivery of the first of five FCX mini-sedans that will be used in normal government duty - presumably to help collect taxes in a state that is already $30 billion in debt, sapping its citizens of income as fast as any in the union.

Cost? $40,000 a tankful. (http://www.techcentralstati on.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID= 1051-250&CID=1051-010903B)

[Charie]

A fuel cell that costs that much is worthless. Granted, new technology costs more initially and becomes cheaper later on, but this seems to me, astronomical.
I have a question. Not too long into his administration, Pres. Bush announced that a committee was being formed to study and (hopefully) come up with some solutions to the problem of energy.

Has anyone heard anything of that committee since?

I DO think that this is important to our country and the world in general. Evolving technology is polluting. All the left-over pollutants from all the early mills is evidence of this.

We have dealt quite efficiently with a lot of this. Years ago there were a lot of rivers and lakes that used to have signs warning swimmers away because the pollution was so bad. Just about all of the sites that I know of, are now clear for swimming. This is a big step up.

If we can do this, we should be able to find a better, and cheaper, source of power.
http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Der Alte]

The quick and easy way to break our dependence on foreign oil is to go diesel. *Before you choke, I drive a diesel Volkswagen that gets 34mpg in town and 44mpg on the highway and kicks out 20% less co2 than a comparable gas engine. *In addition there is bio-diesel that is made from crops such as soy bean. *Its much cleaner than petroleum based diesel and is a re-newable resource. *We will be building a Bio-diesel manufacturing facility here in eastern NC. *It will also greatly enhance our economy by increasing farm income and keeping the money in circulation in the US.

In the vane of fuel cell cars - Mercedes just completed a cross country jaunt in their Necar 5 - hydrogen fuel cell car. *Fuel cells will be the fuel of the future, but in the mean time, if you wish to help with the weaning - buy a diesel.

[Aknauta]

Good advice Der Alte...