Choosing the right technology : a framework for success

This race is particularly visible in the automotive field. Companies around the globe are vying to build a new, less polluting automobile engine that does not run on gasoline. In the US, for instance, General Motors (GM) spent over US$1 billion on developing an electric car that runs on a hydrogen fuel cell. It originally chose hydrogen fuel as the basis for the engine. Yet mass production of an electric car for sales to the public is not expected until 2013. In contrast, Tesla Motors, spent about US$105 million on developing a new electric automobile. Its electric motor uses a radical configuration of 6831 lithium-ion batteries. The car can be recharged at home from a regular electric socket. This is a much simpler solution than the one originally developed by GM, which required the costly storage and transportation of corrosive hydrogen fuel. A new Tesla car was launched in early 2008.