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Israel To Produce Electric Cars
By Paul Midler | January 21, 2008
On Dec 27, TheChinaGame.com reported on a deal between Israel and China, and there was some speculation that the deal had to do with efforts in Israel to promote the widespread use of electric cars. Looks like we were correct.
The New York Times and others are reporting a major deal involving Renault and Nissan. No word on how China fits into the picture, but my guess is that it will.
The most interesting thing about today’s news is that these cars will be sold to consumers in a way that resembles the way cell phone carriers sell their phones. The company subsidizes the cost of the initial hardware, and then the consumer takes it up the tail pipe (so to speak) for the duration of the contract period.
I have a great idea, by the way: Patent a device that broadcasts an artificial motor noise so that pedestrians can hear these electric things coming.
Can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve been walking down the street in a Chinese city and had one of those electric bikes whip past without warning and at close proximity. It’s a shocker. About the only downside I can see in an electric world is traffic that produces no sound.
By the way, if such a device were to be patented, volume and pitch could be programmed to increase with speed so that a pedestrian with normal hearing would get some idea of the extent to which a threat is imminent.
Topics: China |
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:44 am
Great idea! though there will be those who complain about noise pollution.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Was thinking of a George Jetson type of sound. A slight electronic purr would be nice, nothing above a whisper. Better than nothing at all. Again, talking about being useful in areas where there is pedestrian traffic.
One big obstacle for alternative vehicles is that they don’t feel very strong. I rented a Prius on several occasions, and it feels like a toy. I could imagine a car company offering a “faux motor feel”, a sense of something going on at idle. Who the hell wants to drive a golf cart, even if it can do 60mpH?
January 29th, 2008 at 9:03 am
It may be an urban myth, but I’m told at least one organization representing deaf people is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers/distributors, based on the inherent safety issues which arise due to their inability to hear the vehicles.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
JB - Didn’t know that…