Price Keeps the Electric Car from Production

Rapidly falling oil prices can make one soon forget the gas prices once paid at the pump. Fortunately, the big 3 automakers pursuit for government bailout money will help remind people of the financial hardship experienced when the gas prices soared to over $4 a gallon. The Government's demand for reduced dependency on fossil fuel will inspire an electric car concept. The $40,000 sticker price, however, may keep it from production. Watching these discussions will be a reminder to everyone and will hopefully influence the next new car purchase.

Today, fuel efficiency will be at the top of every new car shopper's list and will probably override comfort. The taller and heavier drivers who now can get an automobile that fits their physique will become secondary since a bumpy fuel efficient ride beats a dressed up walk. The big 3 automakers will have to conform and produce smaller more energy efficient cars. After all, the lots filled with thousands of gas guzzling low mileage vehicles that aren't selling fast enough hurts their bottom line - profit.

Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself. Chrysler experienced this problem 10 years ago and nearly went bankrupt when it produced unsellable fleets of gas guzzling automobiles and trucks. Today, Chrysler continues to compete with the other American manufactures and all 3 automakers produced fleets of vehicles that can't be sold. Neither of these companies felt compelled to compete with Toyota and Nissan and produce an affordable energy efficient car even though the American consumer was purchasing more energy efficient cars from foreign auto makers.

In general, the American people will respond the same way Chrysler did. Car consumers will conform for a while and continue thrifty economical fuel usage. But, they will return to their big gas guzzling automobiles and resume their old habits.

Real change can occur if the automakers commit to goals similar to Ireland and Germany. For example, Germany wants one million electric cars on the road by 2020 and Ireland is requiring that ten percent of all vehicles be electric cars by 2020.

General Motors electric car idea was scraped 10 years ago and is now being returned to the drawing table for a hefty price tag of $40,000. This is not a solution for the average consumer. The cost and the 40 mile recharging requirement are actually motives to keep this product from being feasible for the average consumer.

The big 3 American automakers will have to adopt a philosophy the same as Henry Ford did in 1908. They must have a desire to create America's first affordable car that doesn't depend on fossil fuel. Sure, they may not get the perfect design and model right the first time and maybe it will take 20 attempts like it took Henry Ford before he produced the Model T car in 1908. Henry Ford had an objective to build a car for the great multitude. The car would be low in price and no man making a good salary would be unable to own one and enjoy it with his family.

When America is no longer dependent on oil:

· Companies like Exxon will miss their 10 billion dollar quarterly profits.

· OPEC will no longer have to stop production and claim an oil shortage so that gas prices can be increased.

· The big 3 American automakers can become financially solvent and consumers will buy energy efficient and electric cars from them instead of supporting foreign automakers.