Some years ago, I heard of a GM technology that I have since referred to as an “electro-sled”. It was a chassis containing a complete, gasoline-powered electric drive system onto which any number of automobile frames could be bolted, welded, or whatever. Allegedly, it operated by drawing the electrons out of gasoline, or some such notion (fuel cell?), allegedly resulting in tremendous, daresay insane fuel efficiency. They spent billions developing it, and I remember hearing, maybe a decade ago, and seeing on television news, that GM was celebrating some sort of milestone. A bunch of executives standing around one of these electro-sleds, popping champagne corks while the press took pictures. At that point, it should have been only several years before we started seeing cars in production. And I haven’t heard a word about the thing since. And now GM is teetering over the abyss, and we’re never going to see what should have started the migration away from the combustion engine.

Was this a dream? If not, what the hell happened?

I mean, I feel foolish for even asking, because it seems to me these last several years would have been the time to bring it out, so obviously I’m recalling a hallucination, right?