Obama's Electric Vehicles Plan: $2.4B In New Grants

Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced $2.4 billion in new grants for electric vehicle developments, which will come from the $787 billion in stimulus funds.

"We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad or we can create them here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity," Obama said on the second day of a campaign-style swing in California.

He set a target of putting a million of the environmentally friendly vehicles on US roads by 2015.

SLIDESHOW: Obama tours the Southern California Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center

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But that doesn't compare favorably to plans by some other, smaller countries. Here at HuffPost Green, we marveled at Spain's electric vehicle program just yesterday -- that country, whose population isn't quite one-sixth the size of ours -- is shooting for a million electric vehicles by 2012, in addition to pilot infrastructure programs in three major cities.

Obama further detailed the United States' lack of leadership in new technologies:

"Germany is leading the world in solar power," he said.

"Spain generates almost 30 percent of its power by harnessing the wind, while we manage less than one percent and Japan is producing the batteries that currently power American hybrid cars."

What do you think?

Quick Poll

$2.4 billion in new grants for electric cars is...

too much!

about right.

too little!

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Comments

[steelmill]

I don't get it,this government gives money for electric cars,then imports electric cars from China for it's own use,bought with American tax dollars,so much for new green jobs.

[The Ghost]

If you don't get it now, you never will.

[MyTake]

Americans are led around by the nose by their allied corporate media.

There was Bush, in his 2nd State of the Union Speech, saying that a CHILD BORN TODAY WOULD BE DRIVING A POLLUTION FREE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE IN TWENTY YEARS! Well, that child is just 7 years old and JAMIE LEE CURTIS is driving her HONDA FCX hydrogen fuel cell vehicle today. But the problem is that THE OIL CARTEL WILL NOT BUILD HYDROGEN GAS PUMPS ON THEIR SERVICE STATION LOTS so Curtis can drive up and down California emitting NO POLLUTION.

I guess OBAMA missed that FUEL CELL speech because he has never uttered the words of this TECHNOLOGY since. ELECTRIC VEHICLES, CLEAN COAL, SOLAR...Yeah. Some technology team he has!

Someone should show him that when you take the water molecule apart, capture the hydrogen atoms, compress the hydrogen gas, flow it against a fuel cell membrane with ambient oxygen on the other side, a magical thing happens when the water molecule reforms. It snaps back together releasing a sub-atomic spark. Do that a zillion times in on a square nanometer surface and an electrical current forms from which you run an electric motor.

Heck, I am looking at Exxon commercials that are talking about the CLEAN ENERGY of HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS and poor OBAMA cannot utter this phrase, go figure!

[The Ghost]

Hydrogen is a pipe dream. It takes more energy to make clean hydrogen than hydrogen produces.

[MyTake]

You think!

Then how come every facet of industry from the Space Shuttle to locomotives are developing hydrogen fuel cell technology if IT IS A PIPE DREAM.

Here is what Verizon Communications did in Garden City with their building. Yes, you count-em, six hydrogen fuel cell electrical generators providing primary power to this facility: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/06/10/verizon-call-switching-center-powered-by-fuel-cells/ .

And here is a train locomotive fuel cell : http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2009/03/9305/bnsf_explores_the_fuel_cell.html .

So you just keep breathing your diesel and gasoline exhaust and in that way you will never figure out the energy release when the water molecule snaps back together!

[linton]

As a country we can choose to move in these directions or wake up one day like the dinosaur.
I hope more money is given to those in that industry. The computer age is killing the Print or Newspaper Industry and the Post Office slowly. One day, it will shrink the Banking Industry.
We have the choice to start planning and set sail with the future in mind or start sinking now and never ever catch up.

[rf dude]

No,no,no - the future is all " Key " technology. Hottest new thing

going on the green front! No batteries, no gas - very little

oil or water either. We just have to give that big key

sticking out the back a good wind-up before

driving the thing!
--

[dgscol]

With the immanent downturn in the economy approaching, what the people need are simple vehicles they can maintain themselves that cost a lot less.

[KillTheMessenger]

Get a bicycle.

[The Ghost]

An electric engine has less moving parts than a bicycle.

[jer9848]

PLEASE VISIT MY SITE AT justin.tv.ITS CALLED green.tv.Great vids and your welcome to leave comments in my chatroom.TY

[blimie]

I think the auto industry already has a lot of the technology to produce electric cars. Because we are still so tied to the oil industry, other countries are probably going to get these cars out faster and create a better product than the U.S.

[slithers]

Its got nothing to do with the oil industry and everything to do with creating a cost effective viable superior substitution product.

Government funding does not create progress... It hinders progress. Billions and billions are going to large dying corporation to keep them alive, instead of letting companies with ideas rise up.

Capitalism works.... corporatism doesn't.

[hlhicks]

Please stop with the silly polling.

[slithers]

I agree.

We already know what the vast majority of HuffPo reads believe on such issues. What's the point of hearing what sound returns in an echo chamber?

[slithers]

Awesome $2.4B going towards new coal burning vehicles.

[kristycu]

did you even read the article. it specificaly said electric vehicle development. OMG. learn to read

[valkyrie607]

Well, then the question becomes, where does the electricity come from? Since most Americans get somewhere between 30-50% of their electricity from coal-burning plants, Slithers has a good point.

[slithers]

hahahahaha Right over your head.

Read the other response.

[SPQR1052]

President Obama, I support your energy initiatives 100%!!

Off topic:
Someday, I wanna play you in a game of Chess. (Not basketball.)

[valkyrie607]

Where's the fourth option? I.e. "It's a distraction from the more pressing environmental planning issues we are facing."

Electric cars are fine and good, but the automobile infrastructure that dominates the landscape here in the US is unsustainable. There's no way we will be able to continue our current lifestyle of easy, cheap motoring indefinitely. People will be walking, biking, taking the bus and the train more in the future. Suburbs must die. Cities will be built around a vibrant pedestrian core. The countryside will revert to a pastoral, agricultural economy instead of being an extended suburb for the well-to-do.

Putting money into electric cars step in the right direction, but it's a very very small step.

[KillTheMessenger]

Clinton gave them a billion. They punted and Toyota developed the Prius with their own money.

Ten years from now we will be looking at this and ask ourselves why we let them fool us for the 14th time...

:-)

[gjohntheterrible]

We'll see.

[TJCole]

Good then Nationalize all major energy and provide it not for profit, or cut costs by 33% and then send tens of billions to the development of alternative energy and renewable energy and new technologies and create an economic boom..!

[forpeace]

*

Finally ........... a President who has plan to solve our energy problem.

This is just great!

*

[jacobomorales]

A president that thinks, super great!!

[gjohntheterrible]

Let's hope we don't follow up by electing a president with the foresight of Ronald Regan.

[gjohntheterrible]

He's right, solve the energy problem and that will take care of the economy for a long long time.

[forpeace]

gjohntheterrible
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Amen!