Electric Vehicles

On Feb 19, 3:27*pm, "E. Meyer" > wrote:
> On 2/19/11 12:46 PM, in article
>
> , "hls" > wrote:
>
> > "Bret Cahill" > wrote in message >
> >> TVA currently has 6 GW available at night for 7 cents/kW-hr.
>
> >> Bret Cahill
>
> > Makes me wonder why, then, we had rolling blackouts during the
> > cold weather in Texas a couple of weeks ago. *Every major city
> > in the state, I believe, went into this mode.
>
> <rant on>
> Simple answer: deregulated electricity with the grid managed by a
> "non-profit" that is populated with electric company cronies. *The rolling
> blackouts were coupled with huge spikes in the spot electricity markets that
> are going to gouge everyone in the state who has a floating rate plan. *This
> same deregulation is why we Texans pay more for electric than almost
> everyone else in the country.
>
> I simply don't understand how anyone can think that deregulating basic
> infrastructure can ever benefit anyone. *Textbook example of government
> failing to provide the very thing for which it exists.
> <rant off>

another regulatory obstacle is car insurance.

no one is going to buy and use a "commuter car" (of any technology) to
go to work and leave the SUV in the driveway, if they have to pay full
insurance on both vehicles even when it;'s not used. The gas savings
won't come close to covering the insurance cost.

We have this problem already with motorcycles. In summer, I'll use
the 75 MPG motorcycle to go to work just cause it's fun to ride. It
ends up costing me money for insurance that I don't make back on gas
savings, but I do it because I enjoy riding.

My insurance cost for the car should go down for the days I ride the
bike, but the system doesn't work that way.

If we are going to encourage folks to use commuter vehicles, we need
to fix the insurance system.


Mark

On Feb 20, 4:56*pm, Mark > wrote:
> On Feb 19, 3:27*pm, "E. Meyer" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 2/19/11 12:46 PM, in article
>
> > , "hls" > wrote:
>
> > > "Bret Cahill" > wrote in message >
> > >> TVA currently has 6 GW available at night for 7 cents/kW-hr.
>
> > >> Bret Cahill
>
> > > Makes me wonder why, then, we had rolling blackouts during the
> > > cold weather in Texas a couple of weeks ago. *Every major city
> > > in the state, I believe, went into this mode.
>
> > <rant on>
> > Simple answer: deregulated electricity with the grid managed by a
> > "non-profit" that is populated with electric company cronies. *The rolling
> > blackouts were coupled with huge spikes in the spot electricity markets that
> > are going to gouge everyone in the state who has a floating rate plan. *This
> > same deregulation is why we Texans pay more for electric than almost
> > everyone else in the country.
>
> > I simply don't understand how anyone can think that deregulating basic
> > infrastructure can ever benefit anyone. *Textbook example of government
> > failing to provide the very thing for which it exists.
> > <rant off>
>
> another regulatory obstacle is car insurance.
>
> no one is going to buy and use a "commuter car" (of any technology) to
> go to work and leave the SUV in the driveway, if they have to pay full
> insurance on both vehicles even when it;'s not used. *The gas savings
> won't come close to covering the insurance cost.
>
> We have this problem already with motorcycles. *In summer, I'll use
> the 75 MPG motorcycle to go to work just cause it's fun to ride. * It
> ends up costing me money for insurance that I don't make back on gas
> savings, but I do it because I enjoy riding.
>
> My insurance cost for the car should go down for the days I ride the
> bike, but the system doesn't work that way.
>
> If we are going to encourage folks to use commuter vehicles, we need
> to fix the insurance system.
>
> Mark

That sounds like something you could convince the insurance agency of.

There should be good money in your idea.