Nathan Scandella (personal)

It's (All-)Electric!

Well, Ford is entering the electric car fray. Good for them.

The electric Focus, recently announced, already looks like it'll provide stiff competition for the Chevy Volt, that is if the Volt ever makes it to market. Will GM be around in two years? Will they shed their history as the company that killed the electric car and actually deliver this product? Or is it just more hollow GM marketing to make it look like they're trying to offset all the environmental destruction caused by the other 95% of their models?

Ford isn't really developing this car, so I can't give them supreme kudos. But if they find a way to make it happen, via Canadian automaker Magna, it's still a win for the environment. Why is it that Ford can enter this game late, and potentially catch up with GM with a car that can go 60 miles further on a charge? Is it the same reason that Ford only asked for a government line of credit, while GM has basically requested permission to become a state-sponsored welfare program? Pay us enough money, and we'll let overpaid autoworkers spend all day in our factories, doing nothing. At least they'll be off the streets (which is where they voluntarily congregate every time a contract negotiation is ongoing). Can GM do anything right, or have they faded into complete incompetence? My gut tells me it's the latter.

Here's hoping that Ford isn't similarly afflicted. If they actually make this car, I'll line up to buy one.

Posted at 07:43PM Mar 20, 2009 by Nathan in Environment  |  Comments[0]