Well Thank God It Wasn't a Hydrogen Car Then!

Often I am concerned when I find that government bureaucrats, academics, and politicians assume that they are so wise, that they can create a business, which will automatically make money. Indeed, I find this fascinating because, more often than not they have no-experience in business. As a taxpayer, I worry when politicians and such think they can borrow the power of the free-market, modify regulations, put forth subsidies, and then march ahead with their pet projects.

Oh it's always in the name of a good cause, just as the "road to hell is always paved with the greatest intentions." I have an acquaintance who tells me the way to innovate is through government-private sector-academia-corporate partnerships, he swears by them. And yet, every time he gives me an example, all I see is waste, inefficiency, and silly mistakes that entrepreneurs using their own money would have seen coming a mile away.

There was an interesting article in the New York Times titled; "Batteries in Electric Cars Examined After Chevy Volt Fire," by Nick Bunkley on November 11, 2011. The article stated that;

"The US has put billions of dollars into programs aimed at promoting battery and electric-car manufacturing. The large, high-voltage batteries used in plug-in vehicles can be more easily damaged in a crash than traditional car batteries and create more potential to electrically shock occupants and rescuers. The Volt's 400-pound, T-shaped battery extends under the middle of the car and between the back seats rather than fitting under the hood with the engine of a gas-powered vehicle."

The article also noted the spontaneous fires in laptops with ion-lithium batteries as well. Okay so, my comments here as an automotive industry consultant is best summarized with a joke;

"Well Thank God It Wasn't a Hydrogen Car Then!"

"Sounds like a rolling Hindenburg Disaster to me!"

Look anytime you have new technology you are going to have challenges, for instance the Boeing 787 carbon composite airliner, it was delayed for 3-years as they worked though the bugs to make it perfectly safe, see that point? But still, I want to remind folks on this Chevy Volt, that we should have expected it to "flop" because anytime the government gets involved, subsidizes an industry, company, or their products, you can bet there will be problems; Solyndra for instance.

Okay so, let this be a lesson to all. And let's get government out of business, and out of the game of crony capitalism using our taxpayer's money. We don't need any more spontaneous combustions in the free-market place, we are dealing with enough blow-back from previous such mistakes as it is. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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