General Motors is building two electric cars, Volt for the US, and Beat. Beat is lower priced than the Volt and GM says its for the rest of the world, they will not offer it in the US. Taking a lesson from drug companies who sell us the highest priced drugs, holding the others off market, "for our own good". At the same time they laud their advances in helping the environment, their lobbyist in Washington are fighting MPG and emission standards proposed by Obama and EPA.
I've always wondered if they deliberately make the high fuel efficiency cars ugly or if there is some factor that I'm not considering. Aerodynamics? Indy cars are aerodynamically "perfect" and look cool.
ReplyDeleteWhat up?
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ReplyDeleteKev,
ReplyDeleteAerodynamics is one thing, perception of beauty, or cool, that's something else. Aerodynamics of a car is unimportant below 35 or 40 mile per hour. the economy is more impacted by the weight and it's importance on the cost in energy for acceleration. If it has regenerative braking it might capture 50% of the energy for reuse. Once moving, at these low speeds,the requirement (assuming somewhat level path) in energy to maintain the motion is small. At higher speeds, aerodynamics and rolling resistance/road surfaces/ are important. The main aerodynamic issue is not the shape, but the cross section. This car looks extremely low, and I guess it is narrow, so most the aerodynamic fight is won already, it has clean flowing lines and a slick surface, the only thing I wonder about is the near flat rear surface.
As to ugly, this is philosophy, what is beauty, what is truth?
What is beauty? I had my eye-balls scorched today by one of the most hediously ugly Hooter girls I have ever seen - this thing can make a frieght train take a gravel road on a rainy day in April.
ReplyDeleteXandia counter-balanced that with a truly magnificant ass...
Oh, and I had iced tea..
Sarge
Sarge,
ReplyDeleteSorry your eyes settled on something unsettling, I'll bet she has a wonderful sense of humor and a charming personality though. Well, lets not judge everything. Good to hear you did tea.
I was at the train station in New Haven two weeks ago and noticed they have special parking spaces for cars that need to plug in. I guess it's the wave of the future, just wish they could make one to pack my 2 (almost 3) kids into, and the dog, and the wife, and the groceries.
ReplyDelete"this thing can make a freight train take a gravel road on a rainy day in April. "
ReplyDeleteLOL... that was a classic.
I don't know why anyone would buy a volt. Overpriced. Leaf or Prius instead.
Red Mosquito,
ReplyDeletePlug in spaces, interesting, it's coming for sure.
Skinny, Sarge can turn a phrase.
ReplyDelete