Test Driving Linc-Volt with Neil Young

Last week, we posted LINC VOLT and The Archives: What Matters? The post was prompted by the comment "Linc Volt is more important to planet earth then the Archives are and ever will be."

Well, judging by the reaction, as far as Thrasher's Wheat readers are concerned, The Archives matters.

But there is some fascinating stuff going on here on the Neil front, as well as, something that is potentially revolutionary.

Take a look at this video of Neil's visit to Wichita, Kansas last week to test drive the Linc-Volt.



(Also, see this link which plays higher quality.)

And there's a great story from the Wichita Eagle from Kansas.com where Neil discusses the project.

He loves cars, "big roomy, American cars." He has collected classics all his adult life.

"But I decided that it was stupid to own cars that just sit around and then pollute when I drive them."

Eight months ago, he decided to convert his beige 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible to something eco-friendly.

At first, all he wanted was a biodiesel conversion.

Young searched the Internet, looking for some "out-of-the-way revolutionary who did not have anything to do with corporations and pre-conceived notions."

He found interviews and an MTV show, "Pimp My Ride," that featured a skinny, articulate Wichita mechanic: Goodwin, who has a national reputation for re-engineering the power units of big cars to get more horsepower for less fuel. Goodwin was working on a Hummer for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Young called Goodwin.

Goodwin said what he and the others are creating is nothing new.

"The technology to make a practical and affordable electric car has been around for a long time," he said. "There are all sorts of ways of doing it and all sorts of ways to work out how to make it work on a national scale. But what Neil has done is provide the backing to do it -- he's put up about $120,000 so far to change his car -- and he's provided a focus. Neil has been incredible, interested and helpful, and if I asked him tomorrow to let me make the car fly and put a flux capacitor in, he'd just shrug and say 'Sure, let's do it.' "

Young nodded.

"He's the brains," he said, nodding at Goodwin. "I'm just the cattle prod."

He walked to his car, put a hand on her hood.

"You know, I thought long ago you could change the world by writing songs.

"But you can't change the world by writing songs.

"Oh, you can inspire a few people, get some of them to change their thinking about something. But you can't change the world by writing songs.

"But we could change it with this car."

An interesting progression in Neil's thinking on his "Music Can't Change World" comment tha generated so much reaction.

And Neil himself narrates a new, brief video on LINC VOLT - Repowering The American Dream (upper left).

So back to our original question: Is Linc Volt more important to planet earth then the Archives are and ever will be? Discuss.

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