"Maximum Bob" Lutz (Vice Chair of GM) on automotive technology.
Hint : an insider's point of view.
From Autoweek 5/23 online
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With fuel economy as a top issue, how do you feel about all the alternative powertrain ideas?
Long-term, there's no single solution. There are large petroleum reserves; and the internal-combustion engine, as we know it, I don't think is going to go away any time soon. But it will be supplemented by renewable fuels, which we believe in greatly.
There's some benefit to the environment for ethanol, but the number one reason it should be a national priority is that it's the fastest and easiest way to reduce the dependence on imported oil.
All of those biofuels are now technically within everyone's grasp. We have the hybrid program. In the longer term, we have the hybrid and fuel-cell programs.
The various forms of gasoline-electric hybrids will continue to prosper, and what we see as a really good possibility is E85 hybrids.
Any chance of a pure electric vehicle?
Yes and no. We are getting close to battery technology using nickel-metal hydride. We're getting close to a generation of batteries which may provide that elusive combination of range, recharge time, safety and cycle life; to where the pure electric vehicle, in about eight or 10 years, becomes a feasible alternative.
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