Editor:
I submit this for a My Word guest editorial. Sentinel Automotive
Editor Steven Cole Smith belittled me in a commentary, and has invited
my reply. He will not correct his errors, so I will.
Thank you.
HEW
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GM Says Wait for Volt Batteries; Scientists, Top GM Engineer Says
Batteries Ready Now
Hugh E Webber
Winter Park
Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith recently
wrote a commentary entitled: Electric vibes for a car that cant be
built. It appeared on the front of the Drive section on Saturday,
January 20th, 2007. His commentary begins with a letter to the editor
printed on Thursday, January 11th, asking why the Sentinel hadn't
reported on General Motors's Chevrolet Volt concept car. The unveiling
of GMs electrically-driven Volt was hugely popular and widely
reported in coverage of the recent Detroit auto show.
Smiths soon names me as the letter writer and contradicts my
letters central point. Smith denies that the debut of the Chevy Volt
plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) concept car was news. To wit:
sensational, revolutionary car = not news.
Smith makes this curious claim because General Motors, at the
debut of the Volt, declared that it required certain batteries to
power a production model. Mass-producing its driveable concept PHEV,
said GM, requires a technological breakthrough in making large
lithium batteries. GM claims that it will take until 2010 or 2012 to
build the Volt.
Smith goes on to report that some experts claim that such
batteries wont be ready for three to five years. He continues by
noting that some other experts predict that such technology may be
ten or more years in the future.
Battery-industry journals reported this battery breakthrough
(that GM awaits) in 2004.
A week before Smith's commentary appeared, GMs top automotive
engineer was interviewed by MITs Tech Review, saying that Volt-ready
batteries already exist. At least one makers highway-capable electric
vehicle (EV) is powered by such lithium batteries. Please check my
facts: EVWorld.com supplies links to this and other EV news.
I wrote to the GM functionary who was responsible for the Volt
press release; his reply yielded GMs battery requirements. These can
be met by existing, safe, large-format lithium batteries. The GM
gentlemans reply did not repeat GM's persistent statements that large-
format lithium batteries do not exist.
Smith takes his semi-breathless media colleagues to task for
doubting General Motors pronouncement that it cannot build a PHEV,
though GM built EVs a decade ago.
Smith advises readers not to get carried away by hyperbole. He
thereby belittles statements supported by Argonne National Laboratory
and other respected scientific reports, that EVs can greatly reduce US
air pollution and eliminate Americas addiction to Mid-east oil.
On the next page appears a photo of Michigan's Governor with the
Volt. It bears a caption that denies the existence of batteries to
power a production Volt.
Under the photo, Smith continues, mentioning GMs sudden change
of heart about EVs and last years well-received documentary film on
GMs crushing of its EV1s. Then he belittles any effect of EV
activists' ten-year struggle: Not so much
Ed Begley, Jr.-type
environmentalists.
Finally, Smith, unsurprisingly, repeats the corporate spin:
technology that, at present, does not exist, no matter how much we
wish it did.
GMs statement contemporary with the Volt unveiling denies the
existence of large-format lithium batteries once. Mr. Smith does it
four times in his commentary, and repeatedly attacks me -and anyone
else who thinks differently (or knows better.)
I dont appreciate having my reputation wilfully damaged by
Smith's commentary, which held me up by name for public ridicule. Mr.
Smith has no evidence for his assertions but GM corporate spin. The
statements in my letter are supported by documented studies.
Smith repeats GMs unsupported claim that, absent suitable
batteries, it cannot produce the Volt in less than three to five
years. GMs chief automotive engineer, on the other hand, says that
the required batteries are ready and only need to be integrated into a
vehicle.
A week of correspondence between Mr. Smith and myself has not
resulted in any promise of investigation by Sentinel reporters into
the controversy surrounding GMs only stated reason for delaying
production of the Volt, a similar PHEV or another EV.
Many people doubt General Motors' word regarding EVs. Why? A
little history:
In 1990, GM debuted the Impact concept car (later renamed EV1) at
a major auto show and promised to sell EVs to Americans. Californias
Air Board later required them to do it.
Starting in 1995, GM built a total of 1150 EV1s, which it refused
to offer for sale: drivers could have EV1s only on closed-end leases.
Having leased every EV1 that it had made available, GM began
complaining that there was not enough demand for them. GM closed down
EV1 production in 2000, stranding thousands on waiting lists.
In 2002, Chrysler, GM and some state GM dealers sued to void
Californias mandate to mass-produce and sell EVs; when their cause
succeeded, GM abandoned thousands of customers on EV1 waiting lists
and refused lease renewals. Beginning in 2004, GM repossessed all
lease-end EV1s and crushed virtually all of them.
In 2007, GM promises about the Volt come up short of the GM EV
pledges in 1990. We in the EV activist community place little faith in
the sudden conversion evidenced by recent GM talk about electric
propulsion.
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Hugh E Webber is past Secretary of the Florida chapter of the
North American Electric Auto Association. He will continue to fact-
check and correct GM spin in media, demanding true vehicle choice for
Americans, until the day that he can walk into a GM dealership and buy
a highway-capable EV.
_______________________________________________________________________
Not for publication:
Hugh E Webber
1920 Azalea Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32792
407 673-4077
Breathe free,
Hugh E Webber
Florida Electric Auto Association
Electric Vehicles: zero emissions and energy independence
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