Should the government give incentives for car companies to make more ecological cars?

Karl Samiec: Do you realize how much money the gov. makes in oil revenues taxes and contributions? That should answer your question.As soon as oil dwindles to dangerous levels they may and may not, Australia is 80% selfsufficient on fuel derived from plants we should think of all alternatives gov. backed or not.

Silvia Stclair: No, the free market should determine it.When people felt the effects of the so-called energy crisis in the 70s, people started buying cars with higher fuel economy, and so auto makers made more of them. They make a ton of SUVs now because people buy them.If you want an argument on the other side, providing incentives *will* cause auto makers to make more fuel efficient cars. The problem with that argument is that is as far as it goes. You can't make people buy them unless you impose disincentives for that, and then you are talking about living under tyranny....Show more

Hans Sachetti: The government already gives incentives for developi! ng more ecological cars, but they shouldn't. The free market should determine what is available and how much it should cost.It simple. If the people stop buying gas hogs, the car companies will stop making them. It is up tho the public, not the government.

Mario Stricklan: I think the car companies will give the public what they want and are therefore willing to pay for. I don't think the incentives will matter that much. I think the mass public interest will make more of a difference.

Sammie Bocanegra: On the other hand, if the car makers made green vehicles that appealed to consumers and were affordable, consumers would buy them. It may take incentives or at least a coalition to get the ball rolling because depending on the fuel source, it isn't just about one link in the value chain. Alternative fuels need to be researched, there need to be suppliers of alternative fuels, there need to be distributors, there need to be vehicles that use the fuel, and th! ere needs to be a market.If I lived in an area that did not ha! ve any E85 gas stations, am I likely to buy a car that only runs on E85? Then again, if I am an owner of a gas station, am I going to stock E85 when no one in the area buys vehicles that run on it? Just an example.If the government really wanted to spur it, they should offer incentives to consumers of these vehicles, because there would be a chain reaction in the market from there....Show more