Hybrid
vehicles dissed by the energy bill?
Thursday, December 05, 2007
$100
million per year for hybrids and electrics?
At first glance one might thing the proposed energy bill
coming out of Congress includes some great incentives for
advanced technologies, such as hybrid cars, plug-in
hybrid vehicles and electric cars, but if compared to
corn-based ethanol, the numbers are pathetically low.
About $100 million will per year will be invested into
battery research that will power the next generation of hybrid
cars, plug-in hybrid and other electrically-driven
vehicles. Additionally, the bill offers another $993
million in consumer incentives for the same technologies
over 10 years, which also equals about $100 million per
year.
So, $2 billion dollars for the next 10 years to develop
the next generation of automobiles, automobiles that could
easily end foreign oil dependency - something that would
save the country and tax payers more than $100 BILLION
dollars per year. Yet, corn-based ethanol receives
billions EVERY year, even though corn-based ethanol almost
certainly causes more harm than good.
According to Congress, if the new CAFE plan works
perfectly - no loopholes (hah!), we could cut our Persian
Gulf foreign oil dependency in half by 2020 - at TODAY's
levels of consumption. Considering that America increases
consumption, on average, a few percent per year, what is
really being accomplished?
Isn't America ready for a vision that rises above
maintaining the status quo?
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