And yet, American auto manufacturers still continue to support the terrorist regimes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela. Who are the patriots?

It remains to be seen if the geniuses who are pushing this don't kill the company. I wouldn't want to be a stockholder.

Ray, I had that much figured out when they bought controlling interest in Chrysler.

Cooler heads will prevail, though. Even at Daimler.

RR

Yes I had Chrysler in the back of my mind.

I love my Toyota. I hope they go nowhere near the American companies.

I was wondering what Benz would put out. We love our M350, and if Merc comes out with a tree hugging car, I would buy it..

Yep, the car would be a technological marvel. The Germans love to tweak, and I applaud the courage of a major auto manufacturer to take a radical turn and go green, in a sense.

If we have a lot more electric cars on the road, we will need a lot more ELECTRICITY!!! The quickest way to do this is to add to our existing COAL and NATURAL GAS GENERATING plants.

What about wind, hydro and solar power? Are there ways to burn coal cleanly? How about Nuclear power, too?

I wouldn't want to be a stockholder.

Posted by Ray

Really, this is making actually think about buying stock. If this works, this could take off like crazy.

Merc is only playing catch-up.

Look up "Tesla motors" and then watch them on YouTube as well.

Great idea. If only GM and Ford decided to make such a commitment to building cars that the public would swarm to.

What about wind, hydro and solar power? Are there ways to burn coal cleanly? How about Nuclear power, too?

Posted by Scrumplet at 2008-07-06 11:47 PM | Reply

A wind powered car? I think that's called a "sailboat" and a coal powered car is called a "locomotive"

I like the idea of a nuclear car, though

If this works, this could take off like crazy.

Posted by TFDNihilist at 2008-07-07 02:50 AM | Reply

It already works. Some cars can run on straight ethanol right now (BIOFUEL) and diesels can already run on biodiesel. A hybrid with a diesel engine would also be feasible right now

Mercedes is pulling a marketing scam, and fools like you are falling for it. Just because they mention fuel cells your panties get all wet and juicy.

They'll just retune their engines to burn biofuels and claim success

the difference tosser

is that no one buys tesla

they aren't readily available for sale

while merc dealers are EVERYWHERE

The electric car's time has come, for short distance commuting. We still need gasoline for long trips, especially vacations.

Fuel Cells and BioFuels will continue to struggle. They will remain a huge risk because there isn't enough biomass in the country to make up for our gasoline consumption in BTUs. As our economy continues its Wall Street fueled collapse, the price of gasoline (and housing) will come down. Don't you wish you Made the Market (which is anything but free).

"I wouldn't want to be a stockholder."

No, far better to have your investments in the forward thinking GM who's stock is doing so well.

"Ray, I had that much figured out when they bought controlling interest in Chrysler."

Which they also managed to sell too though probably at a loss.

"I like the idea of a nuclear car, though"

Posted by vernon

How would a "nuclear" car work?

"I like the idea of a nuclear car, though"

Really? Lets think this through... You're driving in your fancy nuclear car down the road at 45 mph and proceed through an intersection due to the green light. Then, out of nowhere a car blows through their red light and crosses your path at the insersection. You t-bone the idiot. Both cars are destroyed. Question...

Who do you call first--the police, fire station or the nuclear disposal team due to the nuclear material blasted all over the intersection?

Merc is only playing catch-up.

Look up "Tesla motors" and then watch them on YouTube as well.

Posted by Tosser at 2008-07-07 04:55 AM

how fucking stupid can you get? M-B is just jealous of Tesla's remarkable succes in the Auto Industry... Good Lord.

Anyway, fwiw and to the best of my knowledge, NOBODY here in Germany has mentioned this yet.

If we have a lot more electric cars on the road, we will need a lot more ELECTRICITY!!! The quickest way to do this is to add to our existing COAL and NATURAL GAS GENERATING plants.

Posted by fwthom at 2008-07-06 10:29 PM

What about wind, hydro and solar power? Are there ways to burn coal cleanly? How about Nuclear power, too?

Posted by Scrumplet at 2008-07-06 11:47 PM

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure this was referring to the CENTRALIZED generation of electricity or power...

What's going to be better on the environment? Millions of fossil fuel burning cars on the road, or centralized coal, natural gas or nuclear plants creating the energy they use?

I'm sure it's going to be much easier to migrate our vehicles first, and then create new 'green' power plants to replace existing 'dirty' ones. The migration to 'green' or 'clean' energy is not going to happen overnight, but we do need some kind of national strategy.

Which would require thinking.

Which our current president doesn't seem to be terribly fond of.

"Which our current president doesn't seem to be terribly fond of."

Because they believe in the invariably intelligent choices made by free markets. Too bad the vast majority can't even anticipate tomorrow much less five years from now. My neighbor just bought a brand new Cadillac Escalade. Why is Cadillac even still building such a needless gas guzzler??? GM deserves to go belly up, unfortunately their employees don't deserve to lose their jobs so I hope for the best for GM but their management should be collectively fired with zero benefits.

2:1 says the fuel burned will be a renewable resource-whiny jews.

The krauts have years of experience with it.

And fwthom-natural gas prices are about to go through the roof.

"Why is Cadillac even still building such a needless gas guzzler?"

There are still people that don't wish to have every aspect of their lives governed.

My neighbor just bought a brand new Cadillac Escalade. Why is Cadillac even still building such a needless gas guzzler???

Posted by danni

Why not? It is your neighbor's money to do with as he/she desires. What may be needless to you is quite desirable by other people's standards. They are Cadillac style and luxury after all.

Nobody needs a Cadillac, or a Viper, or a Corvette, or a Ferrari, or a Dodge Ram pick-up with a 24-inch lift and 50-inch wheels that will never see a day of work. What are you going to do, start advocating laws defining what a person can and can't buy? The market will determine the product.

(Personally, I think the entire Cadillac SUV/Truck line is an abomination; but that is merely my opinion.)

I love the snob-appeal of high end "green" vehicles. As if some guy who lives in a trailer and drives a truck that rarely leaves his town is doing more damage than the average high end hybrid driver.

"The market will determine the product."

Yes, I know that theory, unfortunately it's what got us in the trouble we are in right now. Had we raised CAFE standards and conserved gas we might not even be importing ME oil now. I think the myth of the free market being the best determination of what products should be sold is nonsense when it comes to cars. It's his money but instead of big discounts on Escalades there should be big penalties. We need to get stupid people to stop buying inefficient cars. I really don't care if that means I opt out of laissez faire capitalism because I never believed in it anyway.

Too bad the vast majority can't even anticipate tomorrow much less five years from now. My neighbor just bought a brand new Cadillac Escalade.

I can't speak for the Escalade (I think luxury cars are a waste of money) but it's pretty much a buyers market in terms of trucks and SUVs. Between factory incentives and dealers trying to get rid of inventory, I've seen dealers offering trucks/SUVs for $10,000+ under sticker.

My spouse and I only have one car and we typically either walk, bike, or take the bus everywhere. Our car is pretty much only for vacation/trips and shopping, so gas prices aren't really big concern to us. Our car is pretty new (and gets around 28 mpg) but if we were to buy a new car, and had a choice of buying a heavily discounted full size sedan with a decent engine vs a Korean econobox for the same price, we'd go with the sedan.

Though, in all reality our next vehicle purchase will probably be either a Yamaha or Honda scooter for those destinations out of bicycle range.

It's his money but instead of big discounts on Escalades there should be big penalties.

Translation.......let us increase the size of the govt MORE because that will solve our problems.

When you consider that we have lost 4000 soldiers thus far in our war for oil it seems a bit unpatriotic to me to cruise around in a gas hog.

How about flying an airplane?

mowing my lawn?

Can I still take my daughter to school in our van?

How would a "nuclear" car work?

Posted by ZOT at 2008-07-07 09:06 AM | Reply

You'd have to ask Scrumpy. He proposed it

"Between factory incentives and dealers trying to get rid of inventory, I've seen dealers offering trucks/SUVs for $10,000+ under sticker."

I was thinking this is going to happen. And rich people who consume an absurd amount of resources but who bought a hybrid because its cool will look down their noses at someone who can only afford a discounted SUV. Now just regular rich people can get in on the hypocritical indignation of the super-rich charter jet environmentalist.

Although I have to admit that I've hated SUVs ever since I saw that alot of my city-dwelling classmates in college were driving around in Pathfinders.

Nobody needs a Cadillac, or a Viper, or a Corvette, or a Ferrari, or a Dodge Ram pick-up with a 24-inch lift and 50-inch wheels that will never see a day of work. What are you going to do, start advocating laws defining what a person can and can't buy? The market will determine the product.

Posted by ZOT at 2008-07-07 10:50 AM | Reply |

Nobdy NEEDS a Cooper Mini, either. But some people buy them for their prissy snob appeal.

Go figure.

Had we raised CAFE standards and conserved gas we might not even be importing ME oil now. I think the myth of the free market being the best determination of what products should be sold is nonsense when it comes to cars.

Posted by danni at 2008-07-07 11:09 AM | Reply

Higher CAFE standards have led to two things:

1. lighter, less safe cars
2. More driving

Danni, despite your longing for a command economy (where the government tells you how much orange juice you are permitted each week)that pain-in-the-ass free market always matters.

When you make it cheaper to drive, people drive more: they may buy a house farther from work, make more trips instead of consolidating, or add a third car to the family fleet.

Rising CAFE rules over the years have always caused this.

You should be thrilled now. The cost of gasoline is so high that people are driving a lot less. Damnable free market comes back to bite you in the ass again.

Danni, you cannot simply regulate people into submission. If that were so, then there would be no problems with illicit drugs or handguns.

"Nobdy NEEDS a Cooper Mini, either. But some people buy them for their prissy snob appeal.

Go figure."

Posted by vernon

True. They're cute, good mpg. But for the same money (or less), there are far better, more capable choices, such as the Subie Impreza AWD hatch or the Toyo Matrix AWD wagon.

how fucking stupid can you get? M-B is just jealous of Tesla's remarkable succes in the Auto Industry... Good Lord.

How fucking stupid can YOU get?

A working product is a working product and it would be silly for anyone to disregard it. But Merc is too big to be "jealous" of Tesla.... when did I ever say they were "jealous"??? Learn to read, Amreekan.

If Merc is afraid of anyone making hybrid and electric cars, it's the Chinese. They have announced something in that direction for 2010.

I love the idea of two nuclear cars colliding. (or as Shrub would say "nucular")

Rather than atom smashing, we'd have a dirty bomb.

"You should be thrilled now. The cost of gasoline is so high that people are driving a lot less. Damnable free market comes back to bite you in the ass again."

Just too bad America wasn't as smart as Europe, we could have raised the gas prices years ago with taxes which would have not only caused Americans to switch to smaller vehicles but paid for fixing all the roads and bridges they drive on too. Today, we'd have great roads, great small cars, a successful auto industry and no need to import oil for the ME. Sometimes it is necessary to prod stupid Americans into doing what is best for themselves. If that happens to conflict with philosophical purists tough nookie.

Why does Danni hate America?

JAMES DEAN you should ad...."so much" to your post.
You might not get it but most of us old time Drudgies will.

JAMES DEAN you should ad...."so much" to your post.
You might not get it but most of us old time Drudgies will.

Posted by danni
------------------------------
-

Ad? Add? Oh gotchya..

Why does Danni hate America so much????

Why Does James Dean's Brain Hate Itself?

On Topic.

Germany is leading the world in Solar Powered initiatives because their government has shown more foresight than others in the west.

Now, apparently the rest of the world will be playing catch up as they set the pace fer the transitional race to alternative fuel transport.

Meanwhile the dinosaurs of Detroit continue to make gas guzzling tanks that are rapidly losing their resale value as gas goes through the roof.

Not hard to see where all this is going.

/Unless yer an R-tard like JD (aka Juvie Delinqent)

Be Well.

"James Dean" IS one of the old time Drudgies, laughing his ass off as he continues to skate by under the radar with another new incarnation.

So Mercedes is trying a radical new strategy in the auto industry, they are actually going to try to anticipate what products will be needed and desired a few years into the future. Amazing, what a concept.
Why not just do as GM, Ford and Chrysler, keep building the same thing until a crisis presents itself and bankrupts your company because its products are ridiculously obsolete when they are brand new?

"Why does Danni hate America so much????"

Much better.

""James Dean" IS one of the old time Drudgies"

True.

"with another new incarnation."

True.

"laughing his ass off"

True, qualified. (It is true that JD is laughing his ass off, but it's because he is bat-shit crazy, and not for any other reason.)

So if JD is one of our older posters who is he???
What did he do that was so awful he had to change his ID????

So if JD is one of our older posters who is he???
What did he do that was so awful he had to change his ID????

------------------------------
------------------

Why does the left need to believe in conspiracies???

FACT!!!

So if JD is one of our older posters who is he???
What did he do that was so awful he had to change his ID????

Posted by danni at 2008-07-07 01:27 PM | Reply

Shut the hell up Danni!
Sincerely,
Redneckvile, 726, Moneywar, Boyd, Snark, and Jomama

"Why does the left need to believe in conspiracies???"

It's because we keep catching the right involved in them. It's getting so that we sort of expect the worst and then are surprised when it is much worse than we expected.

"Sincerely,
Redneckvile, 726, Moneywar, Boyd, Snark, and Jomama"

I must have missed that post 101.

So who is he??? So who were you JD??
I've always just used one name, why do you need more than one??

I have a friend who is an expert on China's economy. He says that China cannot afford to subsidize gasoline or diesel as it grows. The next move for China will be alternative energy (wind, solar and hydro) and coal energy for electric power and PHEVs (plug-in hybred electric vehicles) may be the next thing for autos. This could blow away all other auto-makers, because if China decided to commit itself to selling only PHEVs in its cities, they could likely roll out 100,000,000 (that's 100M) PHEV's by 2015. It could establish the technology on a grand scale and give the Chinese a tested technology that would make them #1 in global automobile sales.

If the "War on Terror" is real then the argument about the "Free Market" isn't a real consideration. During our other wars our factories have been ordered to produce the equipment our military needed, our citizens were orders to use less fuel, in fact it was even rationed. Therefore, if the "War on Terror" is real then it is strategically ridiculous not to raise the CAFE standards and do other conservation measures to reduce or eliminate our need for ME oil.
Had Bush had the courage to ask the American people to make such a sacrifice right after 9-11 we would be well on our way to energy independence today. WE simply cannot allow the backwards thinking right prevent or slow down a shift in energy policy. Their whining about "free markets" should be met with echos of their own accusations about their lack of patriotism.

This could blow away all other auto-makers,

They have said they will.

Starting in 2010.

"They have said they will.

Starting in 2010."

The sacrosanct "free market" is going to be losing lots and lots of believers.

Danni -- Of course, if Dubya bit the hands of his Saudi friends, who then would finance the construction of the "Bush Library"? Donation time is coming up soon, you know.

A nuclear car seems like a great idea, just don't go over 88 MPH or you may just run over your teenage parents.

On a more serious note than the one posted above, I fully support alternative fuel sources, especially for our transportation needs. However, I think that it goes beyond bold and brave for Merc. to try to phase out all fossil fuels by 2015. Of course I anxiously await comment from KUMA on this subject. Has someone opened his cage yet to let him come out and speak his mind?

Vaperware - I can predict anything and you folks will forget my predictions in seven years. Sort of like Democrats promising lower fuel prices if elected in the fall of 2006.

"Vaper"

More pathetically stupid, idiotic, and basically shi9t-for-brains than Ray flag.

(Yes, I left it that way.)

Except for "nanc."

"nanc" hasn't even found the shift key and should be killed immediately on sight on account of utter stupidity.

Better yet, snuff 'em, all, Virginia is a joke.

I dropped into Huntington West Virginia for gas years ago.

Those stupid goobers made Texas look great.

Sad.

More pathetically stupid, idiotic, and basically shi9t-for-brains than Ray flag.

Posted by Zatoichi

Watch your blood pressure now. You look one step away from a heart attack.

When they made Back to the Future they thought we'd have flying cars by 2015. Same odds that Merc will be petrol free by then... none.

I will not get rid of my truck. For one, I would hate asking people to use their truck when I need one. I dont care if gas gets to 15 a gallon, it will sit until I need it. Plus, I have kids, and the size of my Tundra is nice. Plus Eco cars are just ugly. When Benz gets an Eco car, I will buy it because I know it will have styling and possibly have the size I need.

Just too bad America wasn't as smart as Europe

Once again, why dont you libs just fucking move there, leave america to the true patriots.

"Once again, why dont you libs just fucking move there, leave america to the true patriots."

Posted by boaz at 2008-07-07 10:28 PM

Thanks for that, Sully, er, Boaz.

I HATE SUVS! I don't hate them because they are gas guzzlers per se, I hate them because when I am parked next to one in my nice little five seater Kia Sephia I can't see a damn thing when pulling out of the parking spot, you can't see over them, you can't see through them, you can't see behind them, it is a game of "inch out, strain neck to see, inch out, strain neck to see" it is HORRIBLE! Oh and I also hate that the majority of SUVs I see have one person in them, not a herd of kids etc., nope just one person driving to work. Oh and I also hate that SUVs and Trucks sit so high that if some dickhead who doesn't know what a red light means goes through an intersection and hits me in my car they will probably decapitate me. The only bright side is when it snows around here and the people in SUVs think they don't have to slow down because of course they have an SUV. Watching them spinning off the road is cause for great amusement!

PS) Was listening to the radio the other day and a "good ole boy" came on (they were talking about gas prices) he said he was normally the driver of a Ford F250 Pick Up Truck. It has been parked in the driveway since he picked up his Smartcar three months ago (which he had been on a waiting list for), he said he LOVES IT. He said that the best part was laughing at folks at the gas station standing there in horror as they filled up their SUVs and trucks. He claims he is NEVER going back to the pick up unless he absolutely HAS to haul something (in other words he is not going to sell it cause he would get peanuts for it, he is just not going to drive it anymore)

Smartcar

Time to install some backup cameras on the underside of Your back bumper. One pointed straight back and the other two pointed at an angle on each edge of Your bumper.

Larry

To each his own - if you want to throw your money away by owning a Kia or letting a new truck rust in your driveway then more power to you. Just quit your fucking bitching about everybody else already would you? Your little clown cars annoy me and I intend on squashing all of you whiney fuckers with my carbon footprint.

2slow4shit is still driving his mom's 1976 AMC Pacer. The only thing he has squashed recently is the wayward Twinky sandwiched between his buttcheeks.

Brit, re your 2243 from yesterday:

As far as the SmartCar goes, I'd give it a bit of time before you acquire one. I'm in a position to see that the design appears a bit buggy yet, transmission problems. Now, this might be due to the shifting mechanism isn't what the average citizen of this country is used to (paddle shifting if memory serves), but there've been more than a few repair requests that I've seen mainly due to the transmission. So, though I like the idea myself, best to give it some time to let the bugs settle out.

And then as to the general "style vs. substance" argument that seems to be prevalent here:

Hell, I'll buy an ugly car if it gets me where I need to go more efficiently. Hell, I'll go out of my way to buy an ugly car because people would be less likely to break into the damn thing looking for the radio.

a co-worker lives 55 miles from work, his 45 min drive has been no problem the past ten years. now a problem has risen, it costs him $120.00 per week to commute, he bought a Cooper, his gas bill now $56.00 per week (120 X 4 was his per month)

so the price of gas changed his life style a bit. he didn't know about the samrt car but now says he will order one.

commuting is becoming very costly, got to cut out the movies !

"if you want to throw your money away by owning a Kia" How so?

I bought my 2000 Kia in 2001 (December), I have driven it virtually every day since then. It has a tad over 90K miles on it. Other than new tires, oil changes, new brake pads, new belts and a new battery it has required zero maintenance. I have a regular mechanic that I use and trust and whenever I take it in for an oil change and tire rotation he tells me if something else needs done. Other than those things mentioned there has been nothing. It has broken down once (ie refused to start) because of the battery (and started right up as soon as the battery was replaced). Other than that it is paid for, it is totally reliable and I absolutely love it. If being able to drive a car for seven years with NO problems other than routine maintenance is considered throwing your money away then so be it.

Your car is a deathtrap and should be removed from the road - people that are driving this car in an accident are causing a strain on the healthcare system - you would get a safer car if you loved your kids.

Sickening isn't it - listening to somebody else badmouth your choice. I'm glad you enjoy your little POS, seriously, just quit your whining about everybody else and learn to back out of a parking space...

Axe, don't let your envy for my pacer (AMC ruled!) get the best of you - I told you that I'd sell it to you although littlebrit might need it more when her little korean clown car breaks down.