Eddie C and I were talking the other day about a clip from last week’s episode of <a onclick=“javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/’);” rel=“nofollow” href=“http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/” href=http://www.topgear.com/” rel=“_external”>Top Gear, where James May and Jay Leno review the Honda Clarity. It’s the world’s first production (well, right now only a very limited number of them are available to lease only in the LA area) hydrogen fuel cell car, and Jay Leno says it is the “savior” of the gas car while James May calls it “the most important car in the next 100 years.”
Leno makes a really good point about how some (gas) car enthusiasts are saying that fuel cell cars and electric cars will be the death of the gas car, but that’s not true. He makes the comparison of when the modern car was first introduced, it freed the horse from manual labor, and horses became a hobby for enthusiasts. Though there are less horses around and they are most expensive, they are generally of better quality and are better treated than horses of old. People can just enjoy horses for recreation and aesthetics now.
The same thing happens with every out-dated technology. There are still people who enjoy vinyl records and 8-tracks; not many are many are made anymore, so they increase in value as collectibles, and people still listen to them. Despite IKEA’s success, there are people who still value antique furnishings. And in spite of our world of mass-produced clothing, knitting and crocheting are gaining popularity again as hobbies. No one still needs to knit their own clothing, but people enjoy the activity.
And the same thing will happen with gas cars. Both gas and gas cars will be more expensive in the future, but they will also have a niche market. And since not everyone will NEED a gas car, manufacturers can stop making shitty Geo Metros and instead focus on beautiful performance cars. They will innovate unique cars instead of simply re-branding and cannibalizing product lines.
Progress will save the car, not kill it.