"If cars don’t crash, vehicle mass can be safely reduced." Duuhhhhhhh. I'm sorry - I can't think of any transportation system where the vehicles haven't crashed. Americans are also too individualistic to surrender control of their vehicles to some kind of centralized big brother supercomputer that will manage the driving or some part of it (I know I will never do it unless forced by law, and will never support legislators are for it in some way shape or form either). The goal should ultimately be to convert big semi-trucks, pickups & SUV's, and everything else to 100% electric (and/or fuel cell) drive. I'd love to have the size, safety and power of my 350+ HP 4X4 Quad Cab Dodge Ram with an all electric or fuel cell powertrain. ...ejj...

I forgot to mention, in addition to size, safety and power of my 350+ HP 4X4 Quad Cab Dodge Ram with an all electric or fuel cell powertrain - the same road presence! Awwww-yea-yeah!

Duhhhhhh, they didn't say cars don't crash they said "IF". Connectivity is a major part of autonomous vehicles (built affordably).

I say the heck with paying for parking in advance by connectivity. My car drops me off at my destination and then I program it to drive itself to a park & ride lot outside of the city where I don't have to pay for parking. I can call it by cell phone or pre-program it to swing by and pick me up later...$0.30 in electricity to avoid $15 in parking fees!

I might be old school as there seem many supporters of connected cars.
One would assume that this system is more applicable to ailiners.
But then we know that the (highly trained) pilot can and do analyse anomolies beyond the reach of the program.
I suspect this concept would be laughed out of hand.

I also believe we have many more pressing requirements for V2G, and charging infrastructure.
Also in this day of CPU - everything on the auto, program and hardware has a lot of development work coming its way without this diversion.
My big brother conspiracy guess is not balanced by the lack of driver education and smart route eficciency savings in part because while current situation regarding traffic flow control is not good, there are local fix possibilities using smarter traffic flow that will be just as applicable with connectivity and that there is a lot of road that is "less travelled."

Also Big brother already has / ?GPS that informs base of times speeds infringments or effectively a first level of implementation of the connect system.
This could develop without a "push"
Traffic probationers could have this applied to their 'Bracelet' already.

Sorry this sounds a big brother diversion more applicable to some other world given up to snooping paranoid control freaks.

Interesting ideas from a previously unheard of player. The private/public structure is troubling as few of these systems ever turn out well. They've tried many times in Canada to make these partnerships work but end up with failures from both sides. Government can continue to regulate for safety and environment but leave design and implementation to market sectors. This guarantees more jobs unbound by the confines of government.

This grand vision will reach the public but it should not be done at the expense of innovation. Toyota has proved that fuel efficient cars are profitable and green. Other manufacturers are following suit. The components of electrification are none too mysterious. There are already huge government expenditures into battery technology - the only real variable in EV design. So why need a big program to do what is already being done by market?

As to connectivity. All this monitoring/sensing technology is driven by an underlying psychosis - fear of the unknown. Big brother technology is built to ally the fears of those with enormous control issues. Once elevated beyond the need to control others' lives - the fear of the unknown collapses. And society (re: government) accepts individuals along with the communal.

Sure we need the radar controlled cruise function to help vehicle separation. And route planning. And data links to home and office. But do we have to file a drive-plan before leaving for a Sunday picnic? Bureaucrats need to get comfortable with the idea that they're never going to know what everybody is doing. It's called, live and let live. It's a way of life built on mutual respect. The other side of that is a gaggle of snoopers, hell-bent on knowing what their neighbors are doing - for which the expression, "Get a Life!" - was invented.

Its exactly what I said back a few years. To get cars smaller you HAVE to make the drive safer and less stressful and you can only do that by making SURE those smaller cars actualy get to work and back with the driver intact far far FAR more often then now.

To do that you need a draconian big brother control over every car. Specialy any car bigger then a clown car.. and even them too as we all hate clowns.

ejj... grow up!
No one is going to threaten your pathetic individualism. How 'original' is it to own a '350+ HP 4X4 Quad Cab Dodge Ram - and brag about it'? You're actually more susceptible to brain washing than most. The idea is that with electric drive as opposed to mechanical a car can have some automated safety. Systems like ABS and stability control are basically mandatory and they don't harm American individualism. The Germans have made some mechanical versions that using radar can take the brain-numbing task of avoiding smashing into the car ahead of you in heavy traffic off your hands. The same can be applied at expressway speed, which will lower the stress of having to react to the low brain cells count of other drivers with erratic driving patterns. And being 'connected' - as they are in japan - will mean instead of having to listen to talk back radio to get traffic reports that are hours out of date, you'll be able to 'see' ahead on your route in real time to avoid 'real' blockages. Bring it on!!!

Put them on rails, call it PRT, and you have a mostly accident free environment. Check out the number of accidents/injuries on trains if you don't believe it.

ejj, I almost believe what you say -- drive a tank and be safe. Ha.

This is GM just public relations(BS). Remember the EV-1
and "Who Killed the Electric Car".

What annoys me is that GM had a dozen year head start with the EV-1 and then crushed the cars to sell wasteful SUVs and keep America addicked to oil. Now, taxpayers should bailout these hacks, who will do it again when they get a chance. Watch the "Who Killed the Electric Car" trailer or the ten part movie:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/movie_natters/archive/2009/01/irony_and_the_e.shtml

Larry Burns is an over-paid carnival barker.

April 08, Larry Burns says H2 cars are ready, calls on government and energy industry to provide hydrogen supply

You think $1.30 a gallon gas in 1996 had anything to do with that?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What annoys me is that GM had a dozen year head start with the EV-1 and then crushed the cars to sell wasteful SUVs and keep America addicted to oil.
Posted by: kelly | January 14, 2009 at 06:12 PM

Stepping back, it does seem incredible that we let millions of minimally screened drivers, each day, approach each other at closing speeds of 50 to 150 mph separated by as little as a thin white line.
Sounds like stunt driving. And I am one of these drivers and some neurotic, druggy or drunk is often the other.
I don’t see this related to EVs, but no matter.
I don’t know which type people need to “grow” our language by using such terms as “DNA of the automobile” but, since mention is made of “ the transition from horses to horsepower”, maybe it is a carryover. But again, no matter.
Since there seems to be no way to eliminate autos and transition to truly effective and responsive mass transit, this may be a way to morph cars to achieve the same efficiency. Small, fragile, closely packed, fast moving (we can hope) cars always free to follow whatever route you like, whenever you like but always prevented from obstructing (YES) or endangering adjacent or merging vehicles. Of course a driver would be unnecessary.
Plus door-to-door, not bus stop to bus stop, no empty 500hp train cars, no muggers, no freaks, no designated driver, no traffic tickets, privacy, cargo, free to change plans half way there, read while you "drive", no missed stops, no G** D*** rail cars or busses screwing up traffic - etc.
I guess Burns sees the smarts, GPS sensors, radar and etc in each car – Fine I guess, only the smarts could be centrally located anyway and smarts are cheap and getting cheaper by the day.
kelly - you really must quit believing everything you see in the movies.

You have to stretch a little to make the relate to EVs with connectivity and autonomous vehicles but it is a reasonable stretch:

Autonomous vehicles only work well when all of the subsystems are electric/electronic. To have all of the subsystems become electric/electronic takes quite a large amount of power which the average alternator (on a non-hybrid ICE) would be incapable of efficiently supplying.

5 million accidents causing incredible amounts of financial hardship, an entire industry with a government back "monopoly (collusion?)" and around 45,000 deaths a year [not sure on injury numbers...].

Let the cars turn into mini- buses driving themselves so I can read a newspaper or not worry about fighting children distracting me. How about we remove all the cops devoted to chasing down drunk drivers and put cops to work in the neighborhoods and off the highways writing speeding tickets.

Get rid of auto insurance, remove much of the causes for traffic jams (accidents, disabled vehicles), and virtually eliminate road rage.

Oh, gee, big brother is watching! Yeah, you might want to look on the street corners. Most cities of 100,000+ people have cameras on every major intersection and you can even go on the internet and view the cameras in near realtime! I'm watching you!

I am not convinced that there is a 'passion' for connectedness out there. Small conveniences such as GPS, digital road sign traffic info, radio-based traffic reports, cel phones, have all increased our ability to make choices about traffic conditions and the way we choose to drive. There may even be a small amount of desire for "brake and speed monitoring systems - maybe", but beyond that I can't visualize an 'overwhelmingly wonderful' infrastructure of convenience that this connected system would bring us.

The public-private relationship is appealing if you don't get too deeply into it. The private sector will insist on a level of control and rate-of-return that may make some of our best potential ideas go undeveloped. The current state of the economy may make things unpredictable - though with the government being the main source of credit funding, that may provide a level of leverage that wouldn't be available if this was left up to venture capitalists. Likely the government will simply run out of bail-out money (or credit) - and then we're stuck.

I think one of the big issues that continues to goes somewhat undiscussed and unreported is the ability of the homeowner (or condo holder within their building) to have control over the refueling of their car, whether it be plug-in or hydrogen (through home reformer, grid hook-up - its in Japan and Scandinavia, people). I sense that the private sector does not want to relinquish control of the 'fueling areas' - be they stations or side-of-the-road recharging stands. This is the point. Fuel up at home and then the need out-there for stations becomes unpredictable. Current business models are based on the usage of gas stations and that is how energy companies are viewing their future income streams. Take it home and what will they do? The government needs to set up the home fueling rebates and/or legal protection and/or home equipment developer loan system to get that 'home' infrastructure out there. If 30+% of homes have PHEV chargers (just to throw a number out there) then the PHEV-car industry will find a way to get the cars out there (practically tripping over themselves), rather than the dilly-dallying that they are currently doing. There is nothing causing the companies to be aggressive. The next few years will dictate how the PHEV infrastructure develops (if at all).

Kelly,

You are proof that there really are Conspiracy fruits and nuts out there.

The EV1 and its equivalents ALL failed as the they were government mandated Tour De Force projects built well ahead of the state of the art of technology.

Pb-acid batteries were three generations of batteries too primitive,heavy short-lived and low powered to survive. They were replaced by Ni-Cad and the NiMH batteries before settling on a third generation chemistry which (barely) makes EVs possible.

We all await a second and improved semi-generation of the Li-Ion battery, before small and mid-size cars will be come truly practical. There is still no battery technology yet available for larger vehicles.

If you really want to return to the EV-1 you can go out and buy the new (antiquated) Honda IMF mild-hybrid Insight. It truly rates as a 2010 competitor to the 1996 EV-1. If it sweeps all before it, it is proof your hoary ideas were true. (It won't) But even so, it still does NOT utilize a extremely primitive, Pb-acid battery.

You would do well to broaden your places where you obtain information from slanted, ideological, left-wing, movies with an axe to grind. Their attachment to Reality is very limited.

Kelly. EV1 is over. We've moved on. Try it - it lowers stress.

Is this GM just trying to figure out how to make money off their northstar technology?

But ya gotta love GM talking about replacing the ICE with electric motors.

GM seems to be trying to walk a tightrope between trying to seize the clean energy/green/clean tech day vs. pushing what happens after the ICE is dead. However, they're a follower here with even Ford among the Big 3 Detroit automakers far ahead of GM. Perhaps I'm too experienced or jaded, but the argument from Larry Burns doesn't convince me.

Anyway, the public/private business model never cuts the mustard. Connected cars? Range finding controllers don't need anything other than short distance radar.

@Jer:

"If 30+% of homes have PHEV chargers (just to throw a number out there) then the PHEV-car industry will find a way to get the cars out there..."

I'd hazard to guess that 30% homes have a 220V 60-100A line near their garage or parking space. Many are already wired with 220V outlets for washer/dryer/freezers. Most people will charge at home/work - that's the only infrastructure needed in the first five years of EV sales. Then quick-charge pedestals at malls, convenience stores, or the car wash that used to be a "gas station."

Lack of AC outlets is NOT holding up EVs.

Stan ..,

"You are proof that there really are Conspiracy fruits and nuts out there."

If you think the 90-yr GM corporate philosophy that sued CARB and crushed EV-1's is now the 100-yr one that embraces EV's - your one of the "fruits and nuts out there" and you are very welcome to bail GM out of bankruptcy with your personal funds.

Many of the 1997-2001 Toyota NiMH RAV4's sold have over 100,000 miles and are still running without gasoline, besides the millions of hybrids using NiMH batteries.

Personal computers were legitimized and advanced by the IBM PC. GM went the opposite way, crushing the EV threat to their status quo ICE cars and setting EV/transportation progress back by many years.

Most important, 100's of millions of people use electric bicycles as their daily transportation. BYD PHEVs are on sale and Warren Buffett spent 230 million USD, agreeing with electrical engineers like me.

Concidering how nasty it can be many places I wouldnt want to have a power cord going to my car all night long unless it was locked up in my garage..

kelly..,
The reason conspiracy fruits and nuts are so worrisome is their numbers seem to be growing and they show an increasing inability to apply the scientific method to science, i.e. they are unable to be objective or process even the most obvious data rationally.
This is when national policy is increasingly shaped by Hollywood, journalists, fundamentalists, conspiracy fruits and people with even less technical ability.
GM did NOT kill the Electric car – look at YOUR OWN evidence:
1. the many 1997-2001 Toyota NiMH RAV4's with over 100,000 miles
2. the millions of hybrids using NiMH batteries
3. 100's of millions of people using electric bicycles
4. BYD PHEVs
And how can GM crushing a mere 1117 GM EV1s, crush the threat to the ICE or set the EV back many years?
IBM quit making PCs. Does this mean they tried to kill the PC?
The conspiracy fruits are either very simple or psychologically incapable of accepting the fact that it is THE PEOPLE who are responsible for all the big cars and the few EVs. We all have free will and do not buy very many EVs. Hybrids have never been more than 6% of the US market and Toyota projects US sales of the Prius II at about 2% in 2009 (180,000 units, http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/01/toyota-reveals.html ). This is a painful fact for all of us. But avoiding it risks mental illness.

GM is bankrupt and they earned it. But ten years ago they were the largest auto firm on earth. Start-up EV auto firms WATCHED(no movie years later needed) in horror as the car industry 'leader' unleashed hords of lawyers against California law(CARB), crushed EV's, and fought/continues fighting CAFE. Suddenly, after years on the road, customer EV-1's couldn't be bought, couldn't be insured? When did GM (anyone sane) refuse full payment for product before? NEVER!!

To GM's surprise, EV's had a market(customers paying the asking price). BUT, EV power doesn't need gasoline, oil changes, tuneups, and has 1/4th the part count. If ICE is replaced - so is most of GM, big oil, Jiffy Lube, Auto Zone...

GH could have sold/continued selling EV-1s, continued R&D, developed the BYD PHEV technology we both acknowledge, and already be selling that as the EV-2 - instead they are bankrupt.

ToppaTom - your ongoing concerns about mental illness are quite revealing.

Why should anyone's tax dollars go to bailing out GM? You're welcome to help bail GM out of bankruptcy with personal funds. Scan a copy of your certified bailout check to the web - simple..

Kelly,
What do my concerns about mental illness reveal?
I give up on your rambling, ever changing paranoid claims.
Up until now I have refuted each, while you do not defend them but follow with more irrelevant, senseless, or baseless claims.
GM is only responsible for the fact that there are no EV1s on the road.
WE are responsible for there being few EVs, of any kind, 10 years after the EV1.
This is a VERY simple concept.