To the Editor:
Ford’s new plan for an all-electric passenger vehicle ironically reflects the true tragedy of American automakers (“Detroit Goes for Gasless Cars, but Will Drivers?,” front page, Jan. 11).
Earlier this decade, William C. Ford Jr. had the future in his palm with the gasless Think car. So did General Motors with the EV1. But greed trumped innovation, as Ford and G.M. canceled those electric car programs in favor of S.U.V.’s and similarly inefficient vehicles.
I was proud to drive the Think for three years, until forced to return it in 2004. My neighbors often inquire sorrowfully about that car, recognizing that with last summer’s high gas prices and the current economic climate, the time for electric cars is now. The notion that American drivers will not buy gasless cars is a myth that government and automakers must jointly debunk.
Rather than exerting leadership, Ford now is playing catch-up to Nissan-Renault, which partnered with Shai Agassi’s Project Better Place, one of a growing list of start-ups and foreign automakers determined to manufacture affordable, quality cars that will help reduce our unhealthy dependence on foreign oil and contribute to a cleaner environment. I’m one consumer eager to drive the electric again.
Kenneth Bandler
White Plains, Jan. 11, 2009
Note from KBJ: American drivers will not buy gasless cars.
