From: mancus@carla.JSC.NASA.GOV (Keith Mancus/MDSSC)
Subject: Re: Electric Car summary
Organization: nasa-jsc
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1992 01:51:54 GMT

In article <1992Oct16.182650.5623@michael.apple.com>, ems@michael.apple.com (E. Michael Smith) writes:
> In article <1992Oct15.182726.29124@vexcel.com> dean@vexcel.com (Dean Alaska) writes:
> >In article <1992Oct15.080450.34@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
> >>In article <1992Oct14.154836.2290@vexcel.com> dean@vexcel.com (Dean Alaska) writes:
> >>>It seems that in the near future electric cars (ZEVs) will fit into
> >>>niche markets.  The two car family could have 1 ic car and
> >>>1 ZEV for taking the kids to school and going to the market.  I
> >>>don't think their proponents see them replacing ic cars in the
> >>>short-term.  The ZEV law in California gives a boost to research
> >>>and helps to define the niche.

> >>Of course it pretty much says "screw you" to the *1* car family.
> >>Buying a second car for a niche use is an economic hardship for
> >>many, and a waste of resources for all.

> >Where do you get his from?  Nobody will be forced to buy a ZEV so noone
> >will be screwed or subjected to unwanted hardships.

  It all depends on how they enforce the law when it turns on that less
than the minimum number of people are buying ZEV's.  When the target is 2%,
it's unlikely to be a problem.  At 10%, it's a problem.

> Just to echo the point, with amplification ...  My *family* has 4 
> vehicles.  My extended family has 6, including Grandma and my wife's
> twin & child.  That is, there are 2 *1* car families and 1 *4* car
> family in my extended family.  When we are planing trips, we frequently
> exchange vehicles to optimise for {range, comfort, cost, load, etc.}
> [long detailed explanation of car use deleted]

  Michael, you don't seem to realize that your situation is NOT average.
We are a very mobile society today.  I live about 1500 miles from the
nearest family members.  I am not married, I own one car, and I live in
an apartment.  There is no public transit from my apartment to my workplace.
  I *must* own a "long-range" car, or I can't even get into West Houston
(about 50 miles away -- Houston is very spread out).  I can't get to the
airport where I fly light planes (30+ miles), or the commercial airports to
catch a plane (about the same), without a practical car.  And I sure can't
visit my friends in Austin.  (Flying there is expensive.)
  My car is a 1981 Escort that gets about 35-40 mpg; I think I am already
conserving enough.  It would be a great hardship for me to have a ZEV
vehicle in addition to my gasoline burner.  There are a *lot* of people
like me in this area.  Do you realize what percentage of households were
single folks living alone in the last census?

> I just don't see how you can claim that buying a car for 'niche use'
> is an economic hardship or a waste of resources.  If a person's 
> driving style fits that niche, it is no more of a hardship to buy
> a ZEV than it is to buy an IC vehicle (assuming equal prices).
 
  Making ZEV's available would allow niche users to buy them.  Mandating
specific percentages is very dangerous.

> -- 
> 
> E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM
> 
> 'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has
>  genius, power and magic in it.'  -  Goethe
> 
> I am not responsible nor is anyone else.  Everything is disclaimed.

-- 
 Keith Mancus    <mancus@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov>                         |
                 N5WVR                                                  |
  "If I owned Texas and I owned Hell, I'd rent out Texas and live       |
  in Hell." -General Sheridan                                           |