Alternative energies, reduction of crude usage (and especially dependence on foreign oil) and a continuous quest for technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions as well as the environmental footprint are among the most important items on the “to do” list for companies.

Crude prices have dropped more than US$20 in the past month and most experts (while others have differing views) expect it to go down a bit more and level off for awhile; although the new U.S. administration will determine how well these forecasts play out.

The refining industry has suffered with high crude prices and is expected to reduce new refinery production because of the cost, but refiners and their technology providers are conducting research and development to see what products are cleaner and greener and are looking to alternative fuels and energies to help.

Gas prices and the heavy dependence on crude to operate vehicles have led to some interesting developments in the automobile industry and thus a move away from convention fuel. This industry is moving at a fast pace as car manufacturers continue to crank out the latest fuel-efficient, compact vehicles running on various alternative fuels and with alternative technologies.

The international community is coming together (designed by a German, made with American parts and scheduled for assembly in Finland) to produce a vehicle with an advertised capacity to travel 100 miles (on the open road) without recharging.

With an $80,000 price tag and limited initial production to begin next year, the sleek Fisker Karma is touted as environmentally friendly.

But it doesn’t appear to be the family wagon you’d want to jump in with the kids and dog and go on a road trip. It’s a practical vehicle to toodle around town in, but taking it out on a real drive is tough without a practical place to plug in — and 100 miles is not far at all.

How many of you would (given no fund restrictions as the price may knock some people out of the buying arena) purchase this vehicle, and does your lifestyle match the limitations of the Fisker Karma?

This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 9:48 pm and is filed under Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.