"The market potential for the F3DM might be much bigger in the United States because of the country's better sense of social responsibility and environmental protection. And electrical charging might be less of a problem in the US because many car owners have their own garages," Wang said in a recent interview with sina.com's auto website.

This should be interesting to watch.

Question: How quickly can electric utilities expand capacity to meet growing demand from increasing electric car ownership, given broad political opposition to building new power plants? Does this imply an upsurge in co-generation, with a rapid increase in natural gas demand, and does that mean the advantage of owning an electric car will be mooted by a sharp increase in home heating costs?

And what does increased overnight demand on the power grid imply for industrial users who run heavy demand processes at night to take advantage of lower rates, and/or to avoid stressing the grid during peak hours?

I maintain that the direct and hidden costs of owning any kind of automobile, whether electric or gasoline, will become so prohibitive in the years ahead that the cry for mass transit solutions will become a deafening roar. Something to think about as a long-term investment theme - that is, if anyone is still thinking long-term.

ebear