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Google Spends Money to Jump-Start Hybrid Car Development

Posted by Zonk on from the to-the-googmobile dept.

slugo writes "Internet search giant Google (GOOG) hopes to speed the development of plug-in hybrid cars by giving away millions of dollars to people and companies that have what appear to be practical ways to get plug-in hybrid automobiles to market faster. 'While many people don't associate Google with energy, analysts say the fit isn't all that unnatural. Renewable energy, unlike coal or nuclear, will likely come from thousands or tens of thousands of different locations. Analysts have long said that one of the big challenges will be managing that flow into and out of the nation's electric grid, and that companies that manage the flow of information are well placed to handle that task.'"

3 of 352 comments (clear)

  1. Why hybrids? by Gordonjcp · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    They're slow, inefficient, and thirsty. Manufacturing the batteries and disposing of them when they wear out after five years or so is an ecological nightmare. They're costly and complex to build and repair. Why are people so hung up on hybrids?

    The battle for more efficient cars has been fought already, and diesels won. Forget hybrids, they're an evolutionary dead end.

    1. Re:Why hybrids? by timmarhy · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      lead smelting doesn't vapourise? what are you smoking (probably lead ha ha)? simply melting lead produces highly toxic fumes.

      and how do you propose we dispose of this sulfur contaminated waste? remmeber if many more people used banks of batteries to drive their cars we would have many times more waste to dispose of, it'd end up an environment disaster.

      --
      If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
  2. Google and energy by Khashishi · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    People don't associate Google with energy? I thought they need their server farm could black out a small city.