Why is the government so stupid sometimes?
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Joined: May 2001
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From: Nowhere
Why is the government so stupid sometimes?
Ford and EPA to Develop High-Mileage Vehicle
October 15, 2001
Ford and the Environmental Protection Agency are collaborating on a project to develop a high-mileage hybrid vehicle, The Associated Press reported.
The decade-long project will use hydraulic hybrid technology developed and patented by EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., and refined under a cooperative agreement with Ford, the story said. "This is the first-ever cooperative agreement with an automobile company targeted to develop EPA-patented automotive technology," EPA Administrator Christie Whitman said.
"Hydraulic hybrid technology holds great promise for our customers and for our society," said Gerhard Schmidt, a Ford vice president. It's likely that a large SUV probably will be the first vehicle built using the technology. It will combine a high-efficiency engine and a unique propulsion system that uses hydraulic pumps and storage tanks instead of electric motors and batteries used in electric-gas hybrid vehicles, officials told the AP.
Energy is stored as compressed hydraulic fluid, and similar to the electric-gas hybrid system, applying the brakes saves energy that can be used to power the vehicle, according to EPA and company officials. In addition, the hydraulic system produces more torque than other hybrids, an important consideration for trucks.
Costs are expected to run in the millions and the EPA and Ford will share financing and personnel. Ford will have exclusive rights to the technology and says it hopes to put a pilot fleet of vehicles on the road by the end of the decade.
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OK, if this technology is so wonderful, why not allow ALL car companies FREE access to it - competition breeds a better product, does it not? By allowing Ford a monopoly in this design, they have no reason to execute quickly or well. Any design will be viewed as acceptable since there is no other benchmark, aside from Honda and Toyota's small-car hybrid electrics. If the patented technology was made available to any company, I'd bet there would be production cars available by 2005 (MY2006 probably), rather than pilot vehicles in 2010. If the EPA wants to get a return on investment, just license the technology - anyone is free to develop on it, but every vehicle sold must have a $100 EPA surcharge in the price, or something like that.
Thoughts?
October 15, 2001
Ford and the Environmental Protection Agency are collaborating on a project to develop a high-mileage hybrid vehicle, The Associated Press reported.
The decade-long project will use hydraulic hybrid technology developed and patented by EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., and refined under a cooperative agreement with Ford, the story said. "This is the first-ever cooperative agreement with an automobile company targeted to develop EPA-patented automotive technology," EPA Administrator Christie Whitman said.
"Hydraulic hybrid technology holds great promise for our customers and for our society," said Gerhard Schmidt, a Ford vice president. It's likely that a large SUV probably will be the first vehicle built using the technology. It will combine a high-efficiency engine and a unique propulsion system that uses hydraulic pumps and storage tanks instead of electric motors and batteries used in electric-gas hybrid vehicles, officials told the AP.
Energy is stored as compressed hydraulic fluid, and similar to the electric-gas hybrid system, applying the brakes saves energy that can be used to power the vehicle, according to EPA and company officials. In addition, the hydraulic system produces more torque than other hybrids, an important consideration for trucks.
Costs are expected to run in the millions and the EPA and Ford will share financing and personnel. Ford will have exclusive rights to the technology and says it hopes to put a pilot fleet of vehicles on the road by the end of the decade.
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OK, if this technology is so wonderful, why not allow ALL car companies FREE access to it - competition breeds a better product, does it not? By allowing Ford a monopoly in this design, they have no reason to execute quickly or well. Any design will be viewed as acceptable since there is no other benchmark, aside from Honda and Toyota's small-car hybrid electrics. If the patented technology was made available to any company, I'd bet there would be production cars available by 2005 (MY2006 probably), rather than pilot vehicles in 2010. If the EPA wants to get a return on investment, just license the technology - anyone is free to develop on it, but every vehicle sold must have a $100 EPA surcharge in the price, or something like that.
Thoughts?
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From: Phoenix
It will take 10 years to develop this technology IF it actually works. In order to get someone to develop it, the EPA had to promise to partially fund the research. This tells me that the technology is a) a longshot, b) unlikely to be economically feasible. There is nothing in your post that suggests that the EPA did not try to find multiple companies; it may be that no one else thought the EPA's patent was worth the effort.
Car companies have been working on fuel cell technology for 35 years, and I don't see any fuel cell cars being sold at my local dealerships. There is no reason to think that this technology would be available in 2005 if 6 companies were working on it. As far as possible competition goes, by 2011, we may see fuel cells on the street or other exotic technologies.
Car companies have been working on fuel cell technology for 35 years, and I don't see any fuel cell cars being sold at my local dealerships. There is no reason to think that this technology would be available in 2005 if 6 companies were working on it. As far as possible competition goes, by 2011, we may see fuel cells on the street or other exotic technologies.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
[QUOTE]Originally posted by WestSideBilly
[B]
OK, if this technology is so wonderful, why not allow ALL car companies FREE access to it - competition breeds a better product, does it not?
[B]
OK, if this technology is so wonderful, why not allow ALL car companies FREE access to it - competition breeds a better product, does it not?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 93,305
Likes: 820
From: Nowhere
If there really is any promise behind this technology, from the EPA's standpoint, wouldn't they be better off allowing multiple competing companies to have access to the fundamentals of the system? In this manner, GM/Ford/Chrysler all develop competing designs - the best one probably sells well, the others don't. The others then enhance their design to meet or exceed what the leader has done - same process that the I/C engine has been undergoing for 100+ years.
By allowing only Ford access to it, they create an apathetic partnership that ultimately benefits nobody. The EPA fails in their goals (Environmental Protection Agency -> goal would be to have all vehicles be as clean and efficient as possible), Ford has little desire to usurp their VERY profitable large IC engines, the customer never sees a worthwhile product. That was my point. From Ford's perspective they're probably getting a good deal. And EPA owns the patent rights, not Ford, so if Ford does nothing they have not lost a thing, while the EPA is out all the R&D funding.
By allowing only Ford access to it, they create an apathetic partnership that ultimately benefits nobody. The EPA fails in their goals (Environmental Protection Agency -> goal would be to have all vehicles be as clean and efficient as possible), Ford has little desire to usurp their VERY profitable large IC engines, the customer never sees a worthwhile product. That was my point. From Ford's perspective they're probably getting a good deal. And EPA owns the patent rights, not Ford, so if Ford does nothing they have not lost a thing, while the EPA is out all the R&D funding.
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