Yesterday,
I went off on the over-used statement, hybrid
hype. Aside from what I discussed yesterday,
hybrid vehicles are breeding much needed innovation in
the automotive world.
Recently I've blogged that Ford has announced the
Reflex diesel hybrid vehicle and Mitsubishi has
promoted the In-wheel Electric Vehicle (MIEV) hybrid
powertrain (more).
In the past I've discussed experimental hybrids such
as the Engima
hybrid vehicle, an 80 mpg hybrid that goes from 0
to 60 in 4.3 seconds.
Hybrid
cars have spawned massive exploration and
innovation all across the automotive world. Every
major automobile manufacturer is developing hybrid
technologies, but so too are many smaller companies.
Yesterday, I came across another hybrid startup, Accelerated
Composites, which is developing a 3-wheel parallel
hybrid designed to achieve 330 mpg and cost under
$20,000 (more).
In reality, technology, such as hybrid vehicles,
demonstrates that automotive technology has so many
more possibilities than what Detroit has explored. In
fact, the complete lack of innovation coming out of
Detroit is an embarrassment to the idea of American
innovation.
Let's face it. Detroit has not been focused on
innovation, but only on profit. Of course capitalistic
corporations need to make money, but they need to make
that money by creating products that make the world a
better place, not products that simply maintain the
status quo at a profit.
Not only are hybrid cars no longer hype, but their
development will forever change the automotive world.
Isn't it about time?
 |
|
