NPR's interview with Ford CEO Alan Mulally this morning painted the titillating vision where captains of industry coalesce around an electric car future. The wrap up to this morning's session with an American automaker was unfathomable even less than a year ago. Alan said this: [go to the "Continue reading >" link below the ratings section]
"NPR: Does the gasoline-powered vehicle have an expiration date? Is it on its way out?
Mulally: No, I don't think so. There a lot of improvement first of all on being able to improve the internal combustion engine. That's why in the Ford plan, you see us moving toward technologies like direct fuel injection and turbocharging, where we can improve the fuel efficiency for all of our vehicles no matter what size by over 20 percent.
Following that, I think we'll see more hybrids. The tough issue about that is that you are carrying around two power plants so it is very tough on the cost side, which we are continuing to make progress on.
But one of the real positive things to look forward to is that we move to full electrical vehicles. The key to that is the enabling technology on the batteries. The other part of it is the infrastructure. That's where we've got some great work going on with the electric companies around the United States and around the world, where you actually generate the electricity clean. You use batteries to store the electricity, and now the electricity is moving around where you need it and when you need it. And then, we will really have made progress to move all of us away from our dependence on fossil fuels.
NPR: But it sounds like you think that's a good ways away?
Mulally: I think it's going to take time for it to happen because it is going to take the governments of the world to work together, the power companies to work together. But clearly right now most people believe that the movement toward electric vehicles and electric systems solutions looks very appealing."
Photo: Ford Motor Company on flickr
Tags: Alternative Fuels, Alternative Power Sources, Electricity, Energy, Energy Efficiency,
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