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I correct myself:
Hi folks,
I incorrectly stated, in post 58 that GM had sold the NiMH battery technology to Amoco. Actually, it was Texaco. GM had a 60% controlling interest in the technology, and announced their sellout of world wide patent rights to Texaco on October 10, 2000. Six days later, Chevron bought out Texaco in a 100 billion dollar merger. Cobasys is Chevron's subsidiary, which effectively killed further development of the NiMH batteries for all-electric cars. Panasonic had developed a "E-95" NiMH battery that was powerful enough to energize an all-electric car at speeds to 80 mph, and with a range of 120 miles. The expected battery life was longer than the life expectancy of the vehicle, and in fact more than 1,000 of Toyota's RAV4 EV units have already surpassed the 100,000 mile mark. Cobasys successfully sued Panasonic for the sum of 30 million dollars, thus killing any further sales of EV-95 batteries. The batteries cannot be sold, or imported, into the US. Cobasys refuses to grant any other company the license to manufacture the EV-95 batteries, and will not even think of producing the EV-95 themselves, unless guaranteed a massive order by an OEM. The only currently available alternative to a EV-95 NiMH battery is a lithium-ion battery pack, but these typically cost around $14,000, which is about 6 times as expensive as an EV-95, and haven't been around long enough to establish a proven track record.
To me, the EV technology is a story of two crimes against humanity. The first occurred when GM failed to develop the RV and sold the worldwide patent rights to an oil company, which GM obviously realized would have no interest in the technology other than to suppress it. The second crime against humanity is how Chevron very effectively stifled any efforts to utilize or advance the NiMH technology.
What we really need is a reform of patent laws to allow for criminal prosecution and penalties against any patent holder who participates in any activity that results in suppression of a technology which would otherwise hold great promise for the benefit of mankind. The reform laws should include all past, present, and future patents. This is the only way to free up the thousands of existing patent rights that are currently being suppressed. Current patent laws only serve to protect the criminal actions and behavior of corporations and special interest groups who wish to advance their own agenda at the expense of all other peoples and groups.
If you haven't already done so, please contact your legislative representatives and demand that they initiate patent law reform that fully addresses the changes that need to occur.
Best regards,
Rick
Hi folks,
I incorrectly stated, in post 58 that GM had sold the NiMH battery technology to Amoco. Actually, it was Texaco. GM had a 60% controlling interest in the technology, and announced their sellout of world wide patent rights to Texaco on October 10, 2000. Six days later, Chevron bought out Texaco in a 100 billion dollar merger. Cobasys is Chevron's subsidiary, which effectively killed further development of the NiMH batteries for all-electric cars. Panasonic had developed a "E-95" NiMH battery that was powerful enough to energize an all-electric car at speeds to 80 mph, and with a range of 120 miles. The expected battery life was longer than the life expectancy of the vehicle, and in fact more than 1,000 of Toyota's RAV4 EV units have already surpassed the 100,000 mile mark. Cobasys successfully sued Panasonic for the sum of 30 million dollars, thus killing any further sales of EV-95 batteries. The batteries cannot be sold, or imported, into the US. Cobasys refuses to grant any other company the license to manufacture the EV-95 batteries, and will not even think of producing the EV-95 themselves, unless guaranteed a massive order by an OEM. The only currently available alternative to a EV-95 NiMH battery is a lithium-ion battery pack, but these typically cost around $14,000, which is about 6 times as expensive as an EV-95, and haven't been around long enough to establish a proven track record.
To me, the EV technology is a story of two crimes against humanity. The first occurred when GM failed to develop the RV and sold the worldwide patent rights to an oil company, which GM obviously realized would have no interest in the technology other than to suppress it. The second crime against humanity is how Chevron very effectively stifled any efforts to utilize or advance the NiMH technology.
What we really need is a reform of patent laws to allow for criminal prosecution and penalties against any patent holder who participates in any activity that results in suppression of a technology which would otherwise hold great promise for the benefit of mankind. The reform laws should include all past, present, and future patents. This is the only way to free up the thousands of existing patent rights that are currently being suppressed. Current patent laws only serve to protect the criminal actions and behavior of corporations and special interest groups who wish to advance their own agenda at the expense of all other peoples and groups.
If you haven't already done so, please contact your legislative representatives and demand that they initiate patent law reform that fully addresses the changes that need to occur.
Best regards,
Rick
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