This Green Energy Thing Just Isn’t Working

On Friday, John Hinderaker posted an article at Power Line Blog about the current state of green energy.

The article reports:

Wind and solar are both terrible methods of generating electricity, both expensive and unreliable. The one thing that can make the situation worse is the drive to electrify everything, including motor vehicles. The impracticality of this “green” vision has become blindingly obvious, and the “green” movement has begun to fall apart.

The article cites a few recent articles on the subject.

From the Telegraph: “Electricity prices ‘must rise by 70pc to pay for more wind farms.’”

No new wind farms will be built off Britain’s shores unless the Government lets operators earn more money from the electricity they produce, the chief of the nation’s biggest generator has said.

Tom Glover, country chair of RWE’s UK arm, said the price offered by the Government to wind farm operators must rise by as much as 70pc to entice companies to build.
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His warning follows the disastrous result of the last offshore wind allocation round in September, which ended in a humiliation for ministers with not one company offering to build new offshore wind farms.

From Robert Bryce: “Ford Lost $62,016 For Every EV It Sold In 3Q.”

The bloodbath in Ford Motor Company’s EV division continues. On Thursday, Ford reported an operating loss of $1.3 billion in its EV division during the third quarter. That translates into a loss of $62,016 for each of the 20,962 EVs it sold during the period.

That’s a smaller loss than the company recorded in the second quarter, when it lost $72,762 for each EV and the $66,446 it lost per EV during the first quarter.
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In its October 26 press release, Ford provided an additional comment on the EV losses, saying, “According to the company, many North America customers interested in buying EVs are unwilling to pay premiums for them over gas or hybrid vehicles, sharply compressing EV prices and profitability.” …

That’s a truth bomb of the first order, one to which veteran observers of the EV hype should rightly reply, “ya think?” Consumers, that is, consumers who aren’t part of the Benz and Beemer crowd, have been unwilling to pay premiums for EVs throughout the century-long history of the EV business. The question that Ford shareholders should be asking the company’s management, and CEO Jim Farley in particular, is obvious: “What the hell took you so long to recognize that customers aren’t willing to pay high prices for EVs?”

I don’t know if I can ever forgive Ford for what it did to the Mustang!

This is what happens when the government interferes in the free market.

For Those Of You With Some Extra Spending Money…

From The Mustang Source:

Only ’67 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Ever Built Heads to Auction

The article reports:

We often bat around the term rare a lot. But what truly constitutes the term? Is it a car with a production number of 1,000, or maybe 100? Nobody really knows. But when you’re discussing a car that is a real one-of-one, the word rare takes on an entirely new meaning.

Especially when you’re talking about something touched by the magical hands of Carroll Shelby. And that, friends, is this truly special 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake – the only one ever built. And now, it’s headed to Mecum’s Kissimmee auction, Jan. 3-13.

Today, the term Super Snake constitutes the ultimate in Shelby performance. And that was also true from the beginning. Not content with the range-topping Shelby GT500, Shelby America wanted to build something even more sinister. So they yanked Shelby GT500 No. 544 and blessed it with what was essentially the same engine used in Ford’s GT40 MKII racer. It even produced the same exact output of 600 hp.

Shelby American Sales Manager Don McCain called this special engine “the mother of all 427s” at that time. “Aluminum heads, aluminum water pump, forged crank, Le Mans rods, just basically everything inside the engine was built to run sustained 6,000 RPM—to race at Le Mans.”

This special Mustang proceeded to rip off some demo laps for journalists, where it hit a top speed of 170 mph. Then, it covered 500 miles with a reported average speed of 142 mph. But then Shelby shipped the ultimate Shelby GT500 to Mel Burns Ford in California. There, it sat on display in an attempt to drum up interest in a limited run of 50 cars.

There was just one problem with the Shelby GT500 Super Snake, however. And that was cost. With a price tag of more than double a regular GT500 and even more than the Shelby 427 Cobra, the crew deemed it nonviable.

The one-of-one supercar has changed hands a few times over the years, as well as configurations. But now, it’s been restored to its original condition. Right down to those family car whitewall Thunderbolt tires. And it’s new mission isn’t to test tire technology or consumer interest. Now, this special car simply exists as a fascinating piece of Shelby history.

Wow. Just wow.

Happy Birthday, Mustang

This week Mustang turns 50. She looks pretty good for her age:

Yes, I know that’s a 2010, but that’s the picture I like!

Steven Hayward posted an article at Power Line about Mustang’s birthday (with a few comments on her history).

The article included the question, “Which gives off more air pollution, a 1969 Mustang parked in a driveway with the motor off or a  2013 Mustang, roaring down the road at 60 mph?”

The answer is surprising:

If you’re very clever (or keep up with Matt Ridley), you’ll know the answer is that the parked 1969 Mustang gives off more air pollution, in the form of unburned hydrocarbons evaporating through the old-school carbuerator and unsealed gas tank caps (among other places).  A good object lesson in the advancement of engine technology.  And the fact that the real heroes of environmental improvement were engineers with pocket protectors more than hippie environmentalists.

Amazing.

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What Are They Doing To My Car ?

When I bought my latest Mustang convertible two years ago, I planned on keeping it forever. I added a number of accessories that I normally would not put on a car. Detroit has just convinced me that I made the right decision.

Yesterday the American Spectator posted an article about what Detroit is about to do to the Mustang. It’s not pretty.

The article reports:

Ford‘s new “Evos” concept features gull-wing doors, a rounded, aerodynamic body, and a smaller design clearly inspired by Europe. When Ford officially unveils its new Mustang in 2014, company insiders insist it will embrace this visual transformation.

More pertinent than its changing look will be its changing feel. Rumors abound, to the chagrin of drag racers, regarding the introduction of independent rear suspension. The five-liter engine supposedly morphs into a two-liter one. There is even talk of a hybrid Mustang.

This is the rendering of the new Mustang from their Facebook page. It took me a few years to get used to the look of the 2010 Mustang, but at least it looked like a traditional Mustang. This just doesn’t look right. And just for the record–my convertible is a six-cylinder. On the open road, it gets about 24 miles per gallon. If America would develop her own energy resources and stop cowtowing to OPEC, that wouldn’t be a problem.

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On A Personal Note

2010 Ford Mustang photographed in Fort Washing...

Image via Wikipedia

For anyone who has been reading this blog for a while, I would like to update you on the rear window defogger on my Mustang Convertible. As you recall, the Mustang is a 2010 and had less than 14,000 miles on it when the defogger stopped working. The dealer told me that it was not covered by warranty and that I would have to spend $2000 out of pocket to replace the top. I was not happy with that answer and wrote to Ford. Initially Ford was not particularly helpful, so I wrote to the state Attorney General Consumer Affairs division and the Better Business Bureau. I did contact Ford again before I filled out the paperwork for the Better Business Bureau. The customer service person I got was very helpful, but the problem was still unsolved. After I contacted the Better Business Bureau, Ford called me to schedule an appointment with a “Ford Engineer” at the dealership. The rear window defogger is now working. The total cost to me was $7 (I put gas in the loaner car).

What have I learned from this? All future work on the car will be done at a different dealership–had I not pursued this, I would have spent $2000 that I don’t have and didn’t need to spend. The Better Business Bureau is there for a reason–don’t be afraid to contact them if you have a legitimate problem with a business. The Consumer Affairs division of the Attorney General’s office was also extremely helpful. As consumers, we do have certain rights, but we need to be willing to exercise them.

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