Would you buy a Chevy Volt, and how much would you pay?

This entry was posted in cars electric environment Hybrid technology on by (updated 3933 days ago)

volt revealI’ve put a new poll in the right sidebar about the Chevy Volt. I’ve written a lot about the Volt recently which if you haven’t checked out AutoBlogGreen is an electric car with an on-board gasoline powered battery charger. The articles on ABG have generated a lot of comments, and I’m curious about how much people might be willing to pay for such a car. Such a car has the potential to dramatically reduce fuel use and carbon emissions. None of the EVs built up until now have appealed to me personally, but this is definitely one that I’d buy.

To busy to write here lately

This entry was posted in cars work on by

I haven’t posted much here lately because I’ve been pretty busy writing over on AutoBlogGreen and now also AutoBlog. Last week I covered the Detroit Auto Show and we got some unbelievable traffic. There were seven of us writing up all the stories from all over the show, and posting hundreds of photos. It was interesting getting such a close up look at how car makers deal with the media. GM really took a shine to the blogosphere this year, even inviting about twenty bloggers from various web sites to attend the show on their dime. They did encourage everyone to provide full disclosure that GM was paying for the trips, and given that most wouldn’t have the financial resources to cover something like this on their own, I can see why they would accept the offer. Fortunately, WeblogsInc (parent company of AutoBlog and ABG) covers our expenses and we have a policy of not accepting any paid junkets.

All in all the money and time that GM spent on bloggers this year was peanuts compared to what they and all the other companies spent on their displays in Cobo Hall, their hospitality areas and the parties they held all over town. There were over 6600 registered media at the show and all were welcome at the Firehouse after the show hours. The Firehouse is a bar across the street from Cobo, where for several years Chrysler has been hosting a party for media with free food and drinks served up by the likes of Dieter Zetsche and Emmitt Smith.

I got to meet and talk to a lot of interesting people and it was clear that in spite of all the problems of the domestic auto industry, there is still a hell of a lot of talent and enthusiasm, especially at GM. I’ve never been know as a fan of GM, but they really seem to be on the upswing right now. The production cars they unveiled here, the Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS are truly impressive, and the Volt concept is something truly special. When this car goes into production, it will be hugely important.

Ford showed some interesting cars but they don’t seem to be committed to actually building them. They still seem to be kind overwhelmed by the financial problems they’re having. Hopefully within the next few months Alan Mullaly will give the company some real direction and put the emphasis on creating great products. Chrysler, has some interesting stuff technically, but they seem to have lost their way lately with their styling. I think that next year will actually have some more interesting introductions from Chrysler.

Overall, it was a really good time and I’m glad I had the chance to do it. I did a lot of writing and photography and I have great hope for the future. From an environmental standpoint, there are some great developments coming. If you’re interested in reading more of the stuff I wrote at the show, just click on the AutoBlogGreen link on the sidebar.

My story on GM’s new electric car, the Chevy Volt

This entry was posted in cars electric Hybrid technology on by (updated 3933 days ago)

Chevy VoltI wrote a series of stories that went live today on the new GM electric car, the Chevy Volt and it actually made it to the front page of Digg this morning. Go check out the articles here, here and here and their’s more coming later today. Don’t forget to hit the Digg this button on the story. This is a very cool car and a great example of what’s coming to the road in the next few years.

Stacey on “Braves” 2

This entry was posted in Ypsilanti on by

Our friend Stacey has a new blog of her own now, over on MySpace. She has a wonderful letter today to Ypsi School superintendent James Hawkins on the “Braves” issue. As a native American, Stacey provides a wonderfully detailed, heartfelt and articulate statement on what the name means to her and other native Americans. Everyone, no matter what majority group they may nominally belong to, is also probably also a member of a minority group in some aspect of their life or will be at some point. As such, we must remember, that especially in a democracy, the majority must also remain cognizant of the feelings and rights of minorities. As a society it is our responsibility to do what is best for both the few and the many.

Adios 2006

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As we pass yet another arbitrary day in time, I don’t want to dwell on what’s done. Let’s focus on now and moving forward. We now a slightly more sane congress that will hopefully gut the military commissions act, prevent an attack on Iran and acknowledge that global heating is real and we need to do something about it now. We have a new mayor in Ypsi who will hopefully articulate some new ideas for moving the city forward. We also have some wonderfully active people in the community who will stay involved and continue to make this a better place to live regardless of what any politicians may do. The traditional corporate media continues to prove it’s irrelevance, as an independent replacement rises up to take over. I intend to stay involved in my community, and continue to provide people with information about what’s going on here and elsewhere. I’ll also continue writing at AutoBlogGreen about cars and alternative fuels. Hopefully all this stuff will make a little bit of a difference, and with any luck I can leave this world a slightly better place than I found it. Now let’s get to work.

War profiteers

This entry was posted in constitution politics war on by

We were watching the documetary Iraq for Sale the other day, and it just never ceases to amaze me how corrupt everything associated with this war and the Bush administration is. One thing that the new congress should do is pass a law on war profiteering. Better yet, a constitutional amendment. If someone is found to be a war profiteer, they should be forced to pay back all money received from the government, and all officers of the company should receive a lifetime ban from ever doing business with the government in any way, shape or form. Furthermore, any company doing business with the government should be prohibited from any association with any individuals or companies who have been found to have been war profiteers.

Also all the tasks that were formerly done by military personnel such as maintaining equipment, security, feeding troops, etc, should be brought back into the military. A proper accounting system also needs to be established for the military. Past accounts are so screwed up that they can never be fixed, but all future expenditures need to be accounted for properly. Cost plus contracts also need to be eliminated, since they are a breeding ground for corruption. Past administrations from both sides of the aisle are to blame for this mess, but clearly the republicans will not take responsibility for cleaning it up, so the democrats must.

Green yule

This entry was posted in global heating on by (updated 7080 days ago)

It’s the 24th of December and the sun is shining. The last time we had any snow was a month ago and it didn’t stick around long. The temperature is about 41 degrees right now and at least it’s not raining for a change. At least we’re on the far side of the winter solstice and the days will be getting longer now.

Infantile behavior 2

This entry was posted in schools Ypsilanti on by

During last Monday’s school board meeting to discuss the issue of the Braves nickname, several people who made public comments, really struck a chord with me. Unfortunately it wasn’t in a good way. Essentially, they kept referring back to Eastern dropping the Hurons name and how donations fell off after that. The implication was that by changing the nickname, people would stop supporting Ypsilanti High School, as if it suddenly ceased to exist. The fact that people are so attached to a nickname that it means more to them than the people behind it is disturbing. Do you support a football team because of the name of that team? or is it because your kids go there and it’s a part of your community.

The reason people who graduated from Ypsilanti High School have been successes in life has nothing whatsoever to do with the Braves name. It’s because of the teachers they had, the relationships they built and the lessons they learned. If someone is so attached to team nickname that they would stop supporting a school when the name changes, then I say good riddance to them, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. As my friend Eric put it best, the way we treat the least among us says much more about us than the way we treat the majority. Just because the native Americans are relatively few in number, that does not excuse our appropriating their identity for a cheer.

The junior student who spoke of coming into Ypsi High with no connection to the name, but then becoming attached to his identity as an Ypsi High student spoke the truth without even realizing it. Students who come in next year will have no connection to a new name. But over the time they spend there, they will build their own identity, based on their own experiences. Only those who refuse to let go of what is already gone will have a problem. We must learn the lessons of the past but live in the present as we move into the future. If I see one more person crying about what a nickname means to them or their parent, I think I’ll scream. Get a life people! Move on.