Volvo Set to Jump on the Hybrid Bandwagon in 2012
According to a recent article, the people at Volvo are working on a concept car that combines a plug-in charged lithium battery with a diesel motor, technology which will supposedly be available by 2012.
According to a speech that was given by Volvo Cars chief executive Stephen Odell:
This is a significant leap compared to our earlier plans of offering a regular full-hybrid on the market by 2012..
The perks of this new vehicle will include such things as being able to run for up to 50 km (approximately 31 miles) on a single battery and emissions would be below 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, (about half the emissions of the best hybrids on the market). But, as with anything that sounds too good to be true, there’s always a catch. What Odell later admitted was the fact such a fantastic car will more than likely come with a fantastic pricetag.
I’m confused. So, auto manufacturers are starting to really get into manufacturing all of these hybrid cars for people who are a) trying to save money and b) trying to save the environment by reducing our dependency on foreign oil…But then why would auto manufacturers produce hybrid vehicles that so few of us are going to realistically be able to afford? I guess it’s like anything that’s good for you: it’s expensive.
I’m frankly skeptical that any significant action will be taken on global warming until every drop of oil has been burned up. I mean, the industrialized countries are arguing over drilling rights in the arctic ocean as the ice cap melts away to make more drilling possible.
As a species, we just don’t care about generations that will come after us. One’s own kids and grandkids – that seems as far sighted as the average human’s caring goes.
Hopefully we’ll learn to do better but if we do looks to me like it will be the hard way. Just hard to imagine the leaders of the US, China, and India joining hands for a permanent committment to counter global warming, which is what it would take.