Rainforest Action Network is prodding Toyota to add plugs to their hybrids. Google is spending oodles doing it to their cars, but the rest of us need the carmakers to produce the plug-in hybrids and electric cars we want. Add your voice to the campaign by clicking here.Of course, Toyota could do it today with larger NiMH battery packs. I'd wager there is more than one plug-in Prius hidden away at Toyota's skunkworks in Japan. Both GM and Toyota are disingenuously pushing the nonsensical notion that plug-ins need to wait for Lithium batteries to prove themselves. Of course they both already produced electric cars with over 100 mile range using the same NiMH chemistry in every hybrid , but they don't talk about that. Toyota's recent announcement postponing the switch from NiMH to Lithium batteries is meant to convince us we'll just have to wait. Tell them you won't buy a new car without a plug. A hybrid without a plug is just a gasoline car by another name.
1 comment:
Marc, Marc, Marc. When are you going to start publicizing, LOUDLY, the fact that Toyota CAN'T get larger NiMH because of Chevron's monopoly of the patent? Same is true for GM, Ford, Honda and all the others who have produced very practical and desirable EVs.
I recently sent letters to more than a dozen politicians regarding this monopoly and, of course, received zero response. I'm now in the process of sending similar letters to every newspaper and magazine columnist I can find. We need to make a lot of noise about the fact that an oil company is blocking the path to the electrification of automobiles. Chris Paine touched briefly on the issue in WKTEC but that segment goes by so quickly as to be hardly noticable. Perhaps Chris might undertake another project, a film exposing the Chevron monopoly and the damage they are doing to the environment and our budget (huge military costs for secure cheap oil).
There are plenty of vehicles around with NiMH batteres, all built before the end of 2002 and all of them still operating to the satisfaction of their owners.
Other than this issue, you're doing a great job.
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