These idiots will do anything to keep electric cars off the road. They prefer hybrids because hybrids have SOME gas in them, and create pollution.

When people see the alternative electric cars which are CLEAN, and virtually POLLUTION-FREE, it kinda kills the whole incentive for a hybrid. It just ruins the spin, seeing a pollution and gas-free car actually in service.

Remember, the car companies and their allies the oil companies want you buying that nice expensive gas, in a big expensive car.

They are fine with regulation as long as it puts money in their pockets. Republicans gotta feed their key constituent groups: millionaires and suckers.

Electric cars are cool, love the torque potential, but they are not pollution free. They re-locate their pollution, in the case of the Republik of Kalifornia it is re-located to other states, where the power plants are. Then you have the massive battery, which will have to be disposed of someday. Some places have problems with their electric grid now, if a large number switch to electric cars we could have some major problems.

@ktek01: You're 100% right. annoyed_at[sic]_idiots has too many conspiracy theories and misinformation to address in one comment.

About conspiracy theories, I noticed that 6m of sea level increase will erase East Palo Alto. Makes you wonder if that hybrid is worth it.

@annoyed_at_idiots: So I take it you are driving an electric car right now?

Why is everyone so quick to regulate the production of cars that people aren't buying?

@ktek01: That is EXACTLY my concern with electric cars and plug-in hybrids in California. We don't produce enough electricity as it is. Why the hell would we intentionally put our transportation system on the same grid that already has supply issues?

@TheTooth: Not nearly as much of a problem now that Enron's out of the picture - the 2000/2001 crisis was brought on by deregulation & energy companies gaming the system.

California has more than a couple power plants... [www.energy.ca.gov]

Also consider the pollution and damage caused to towns that mine the nickel used in the chemical reaction to create power in most rechargeable batteries. Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV) actually produce less pollution than it would take to provide power to charge an electrical vehicle and many automakers make these types of vehicles. The only alternative I see is to build huge solar or wind farms to provide power.

@TheTooth: Brush up on your facts. The automakers weren't selling the cars. Not the other way around.

@takeshi: Brush up on your facts. Electric cars have been offered many times over the history of the automobile, yet they have never truly been embraced by the buying public. If the demand was truly there, the auto makers would produce them... they are in the business of making money. It'll be interesting to see how the latest foray into that market from Tesla works out.

@bd_juju: Here is where my facts are a bit light. I take it we have enough power plants to supply our energy needs now, so we are no longer buying it from out-of-state providers to supplement our shortages?

I need to look into this further...

"Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles" - WTF?

I've never understood this - last I checked, half of 0 is still 0.

Personally I want to drive an air car [www.theaircar.com]

You people are right. I'm too full of conspiracy theories.
Like... global warming.

Forget electric cars, we should keep driving gas cars.

Everything will be fine with the environment. Especially if we don't regulate our massively succesful car companies.

Remember: when people talk about clean electic vehicles, remind them of the pollution from the power plants or batteries.

That way, we can keep driving our gas cars, and if people talk about global warming, just stick your head in the sand. Dumb hippies.

@TheTooth:
Comment on Electric-car vote turns even noted Republicans pro-regulation LOL, that's a joke. Electric cars have never been mass produced and SOLD to the public. Seems your facts are simple generalizations. Do you remember the EV-1 from GM? Those were never sold, only leased, and every single one was accounted for. Furthermore, EV-1 owners wanted to buy their cars from GM, which refused, pulled them out of circulation and destroyed them. I love it when people talk about conspiracy theories, and disregard what people say because it is only a "conspiracy theory". That's just sheer ignorance and stupidity...it just so happens that there are HUGE interests in keeping cars mostly as is. Hmmm, so you don't think oil giants and automotive giants have any common interests? Also, do you think oil is refined and turned into gasoline without the need for a huge amount of energy to produce it? Anyhow, you obviously don't know very much about cars or the manufacturers who make them, let alone the oil companies who make fuel for them. You also obviously know nothing about marketing or product design and why electric cars aren't being mass produced, or why average consumers know nothing about them. Hmm, also funny how electric cars use way fewer chemicals, almost never break down, don't emit CO2 and other toxic fumes, and are much quiter and more effecient than gas cars....but no one wants that! LOL

In other news, those cocksuckers at CARB still won't let me drive my project car, since every little hose clamp was not approved by them. But its OK for me to buy a new car that pollutes much more.

Paul, you're right; I hate it here too.