President Obama boasted at a United Auto Workers conference last week that General Motors was back in business, producing cutting-edge vehicles like the plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt. He even promised to buy one when his time in office ends “five years from now.”
Whoops! Just three days later, GM announced that it would suspend Volt production for five weeks this spring, idling 1,300 workers at a Hamtramck, Mich., factory.
Alas, Obama’s endorsements notwithstanding, there’s not much of a market for this little bitty car, at least not at the price of almost $32,000 — after a $7,500 federal tax rebate.
GM fell 2,300 units short of its sales target (10,000) for 2011. It is not on pace to hit 2012’s goal of 45,000 units.
So much for Obama’s goal of 1 million all-electrics and plug-ins on the road by 2015.
A123 Systems, a maker of electric-car batteries that has received $374 million in state and federal loans, announced 125 layoffs last fall. The cause: problems at its main customer, Fisker Automotive, which builds expensive plug-in electric cars. Fisker got a half-billion in loans from the Energy Department, though the money was recently frozen because of the company’s failure to meet production targets.
These events confirm the wasteful folly of allocating capital according to the dictates of politicians, such as when Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared in November 2008: “A business model based on gas — a gas-guzzling past — is unacceptable. We need a business model based on cars of the future, and we already know what that future is: the plug-in hybrid electric car.”
The electric vehicle flop also illuminates a point about science — or the politics of science.
Democrats and liberals are fond of calling their conservative and Republican adversaries “anti-science.” To the extent that the right espouses “creation science,” or disputes established facts about environmental degradation, it’s an appropriate label.
But progressives’ fascination with electric cars and other alternative-energy schemes reflects their own refusal to face the practical limitations of alternative energy — limitations that themselves reflect stubborn scientific facts.
Didn’t Obama’s DOE or EPA just force the closure of five coal-powered electric power plants?
And more closures to come?
Where does Obama think those garage plugs get their juice from?
He’s an idiot!
No wonder folks won’t buy one.
I only drive to shop and day spa and run errands BUT I wouldn’t rely on one.
Nan you are correct on all points. 5 Plants in PA are shutting down. Obama is a delusional idiot.
Electric cars suck and won’t work for those of us that have to drive any significant distance. More electric cars will place a heavier burden on a shrinking (thanks to the dems) power grid.
I called an electric car dealer and told him I live in South Florida and need air conditioning. He said yes it is available but I would have to run the AC in my garage to cool the car before going out. I can imagine how AC would affect the range. Also, what about a heater for my friends up North? Or headlights, radio, etc, etc. I haven’t even started to wonder about my towing my boat or using my camper. WTF!!??
The “greens” aren’t really being realistic in regards to electric cars and their other demands.
From the OWS list of “demands”;
They wish to end our reliance on fossil fuels, to include oil,coal and natural gas. It can be assumed that this means a giant leap in the numbers of electric vehicles on the road.
At the same time, they want to overhaul the electric power grid. It can be assumed that this means a move, coupled with their 5th demand, to an electric power grid comprised almost entirely on solar and wind energy.
And, to add on to the trouble of doing those two things, they wish to remove all of America’s operating nuclear power plants from operation, and therefore, from the electric power grid.
Now, it this could be accomplished, with little overall impact to all other sectors of a nation’s economy and society, then great. However, I’d like to see the data that suggests it could be accomplished by government directive, rather than private industry(which takes time). They aren’t being realistic at all when it comes to those demands.
As well, there are many areas within society and a nation’s economy that would be affected by such radical moves, and hence, become unintended consequences.
-Vacations anyone? Many regional and local economies derive a large, and even majority, of their economic activity due to people going on vacation, ofttimes with long driving distances.
-Transportation of goods anyone? Sure they have the Volt, and a handful of other electric vehicles. However, no one yet has come out with a long distance hauler able to haul the weight of a typical semi-truck. Given the meager ranges of the current electric vehicles, I don’t see this possibility anytime soon. Railroads? Explain to me how an entirely electric rail system could be implemented, in a short period of time, and not overload the grids on systems that are already operating at, or near, capacity.
Some blogs were citing the inclusion of a few bags of marshmallows when one purchases a Chevy Volt. It gives you something to do while waiting for the fire department.
Yeah ‘liberals don’t accept science,’ lol! Wanna talk Climate Change, deniers?
Electric cars will be the norm in five years, dominate in 10.
@liberalmann:
And we will all get high on fairy dust and ride our unicorns in our backyard, right?
But go right ahead and try to discuss climate change here. We would welcome the discussion, especially if you give links, sources and hard facts, liberalmann.
BTW, do you have that apology ready yet?
http://floppingaces.net/most_wanted/leaked-bin-laden-not-buried-at-sea-body-moved-on-cia-plane-to-us/#comment-363005
Lib-mann: hows that job going with Soros Resource Management? You don’t need to relocate here to NYC so you can stay commenting in your underwear working for him while noshing on grannie’s cookies in her basement. They’ll set you up with a cloud based inter-office VoIP phone connect right at your computer. Then you can talk about “fossil fuels” and stone age technologiers from a position of authority.
@liberalmann: My goodness! you really are the epitome of the eternal BOHICA man.