ORIGINAL: DamnSkippy
These were initially being proposed at $60K. That's 33% more than a top of the line challenger. Between the two, I have made my decision.
I'm buying the SRT Chally for all the wrong reasons and that's a large part of the purchase decision. Again though if it weren't there, I'd delight in dusting conventional muscle cars while being some twisted throttle happy, tree hugger type.
I'm not about saving the planet, man.....(though that's an admirable objective)
but hey, if you can get your kicks for relatively cheap (when you add up the TCO) and not fund the enemies of western civilization, then why not? It's does not have to be about some Ralph Nader/Al Gore eco/ego trip. (Read State of Fear, by Mike Creighton)
If I can go fast w/o emboldening and empowering America's enemies, aren't I obligated to do such? And being that Electricity is largely produced by American energy resources (Coal, thank you great State of WV and go Mountaineers! Hydroelectric Plants Thank you Nevada/NY/Washington/PA and all others) this money gets pumped back into our own economy. It's a politically responsible and patriotic endeavor as well.
W/ all this delineated, I'm still getting the Gas guzzler, paying the penalty taxes and enjoying every minute of it. But I would certainly not knock anyone who took the next bold step and purchased the next gen in automobile (yes I know they had electric cars at the turn of the 20th century) but this incarnation. I would liken this to purchasing an internal combustion engine over a Stanley Steamer back in the early 1900s.
Have to admit, not sure how the battery packs are crash proofed and that's another valid point.
I knew they were going for at least $30K but I never heard $60K. That is why I referred to the SMART as the STUPID. Way too much for a golf cart. I would like it if we could come up with an alternative to importing fuel, but I don't think that electricity is the route. So many areas already have trouble keeping up with their power supplies as it is and this would only make things worse. Also the simple fact is crude oil is needed for more than just powering engines. What I would like to see is our country lowering some of the regulations and allowing us to build new refineries, drill for more oil off the west coast (where hurricanes are not as troublesome as the Gulf of Mexico) and in other places they are not allowed to drill currently, investing further into biofuels that work better than Ethanol (Butanol and Biodiesel), and performing further research into making engines, transmissions, and other components more fuel efficient without sacrificing safety or power.
Southern IL used to be on that list for the Coal but they stopped that thanks to the emissions laws. Up where I currently live, they starting to build those huge 3 bladed windmills.
About saving the planet, I think that is over exaggerated. I don't think we have that much control over our planet, and it seems to me that many of the steps they suggest on how to "save the planet" actually cause more pollution, so I don't buy into all of that personally.