Max Boot says 500 mpg cars are feasble right now. I'm usually against higher taxes, but I favor an increase in the federal gasoline tax to help move this along

Comments

[Stephen M. St. Onge]

Boot doesn't know what he's talking about.

Per mile of travel, methanol and ethanol cost more than gasoline. Cars that use will be more expensive to drive than petroleum burners.

As for plugging them in, where do you think the electricity comes from? Answer, from power plants that burn fuel, mostly.

If we want to stop importing oil from the Mid-East, we either put heavy taxes on imported oil, to make shale oil and tar sands economically viable. Or we dig a lot of coal and burn it in power plants. Or we build nuclear power plants.

I favor nukes, you may not. But coal, nukes, expensive domestic oil, or imported oil are the only real choices. Choose with you eyes wide open.

THE SAUDS MUST BE DESTROYED!

[Jake]

"Coming soon are hybrids that can be plugged into a 120-volt outlet to recharge like a cellphone."

There is not enough electrical power in the US to support these types of vehicles. And it is wishful thinking as the environmentalists will not allow any major new powerplants to be built.

France gets 75% of its electricity from nuclear power plants. If the US was allowed to do the same, the pipe dreams in this article might become a reality.

More proof that the worst thing for the environment is environmentalists.

[mark]

I think this article was supposed to be sent out on April 1, as a April Fools Joke. His accounting for 500 mpg is silly. A lightweight series hybrid electric car could possibly get 100 mpg.

[Tony]

Oh yeah, and don't forget that all we need to do to achieve this miracle is raise taxes (but it'll just be a little bit). Where have we heard this before?

How about lowering taxes drastically on these miraculous new wonder vehicles? If the demand is there, the money (private money) will soon follow. And if they still don't sell, then we can assume that nobody wanted them in the first place, right? And that way I'm not forced to pay for your experiment.