to the first clever American who demonstrably increases battery/electric practicality for automobiles.

   I guess the good Senator is unaware of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car” where it was shown that a viable and already improved upon battery powered car “leased” by General Motors to the general public was systematically legislated and tax incentive’d into the scrap heap over a decade ago.
Toyota and Nissan also manufactured all-electric alternatives during the EV-1’s run, and a couple of the Toyotas actually sneaked out of the dealerships as a “purchase” rather than a NON refinance-able 3 year “lease”.

  The technology already exists. It is (was) the oil industry along with the automotive repair and parts industry that overturned California’s Zero emissions legislation, took out all the then recently constructed recharging stations, and then legislated a $50,000 agricultural tax rebate for vehicles over 6000lbs (hello Chevy Suburban, Ford Expedition, and Hummer2)

 Perhaps if the poor little EV-1 and its electric cousins had received similar tax incentives, had their recharging infrastructure proliferated instead of dismantled, and not have gasoline/diesel prices artificially lowered during their tenure the impetus for the automakers to find/develop longer range batteries would have already yielded McCain’s disingenuous contest winner.    

I'm no McCain (or republican / christian taliban) supporter, and I agree with everything you said.  Nonetheless, the problem of oil dependence still exists and, disingenuous or not, I like the idea of a publicly funded reward for a technology leap.

Why don't the people who invented the battery rush to McCain's house and claim the $300 million? If it is already invented and better than or just as good as gas why hasn't the media been trumpeting the story of a lifetime that the car makers, oil companies, the chimp in the White House, BushCheneyHalliburton, the TriLateral Commission, Elders of Zion, Jack Ruby, Lee H(Hussein!) Oswald,are all conspiring to keep Big Oil (BO? hmm) rich? And, if you tske "E", the 5th letter of the alpphabet, and "V" the 22nd, then add 1, you get ............................23, if you subtract 5. Which is how many virgins Cheney sacrificed at Halliburton! I think.

The answer to your "why" is that only the self proclaimed mega brains, (better known as the pseudo liberal gaggle) know the answer and they want to keep the secret to themselves (the chosen few). It is not information to be distributed to the peasants.

GM along with the other manufactures quickly discovered that by eliminating the reciprocating internal combustion engine from the automotive formula; mechanical service needs were reduced to basic wear items such as tires, brakes, shocks and light bulbs.
40 or more percent of a dealership's income is made through the parts/service department. An all electric car has so many fewer moving parts and required ancillary systems in addition to the total lack of "tune up" needs that these departments could/would suffer a dramatic loss in revenue.


-- Modified on 6/25/2008 7:21:24 AM

You certainly have it all fingered out. Why don't a gaggle of you pseudos just pool your resources and get this thing going. You could make mega bucks, give it all to Hussein who will in turn use it to add to your utopia.

I'm not a republican, but I like the idea of a publicly funded reward for a better (longer-lasting) battery.

Anyone who pays a dealer to service their car is an imbecile, or very rich, so, if they build their business around those two demographics, too bad about them.

Why not call the guys with the battery and see if they know about McCain's offer? Maybe they don't and they'll throw a few bucks your way so you can keep getting your car serviced at the dealer, at least until The Illuminati find you and beat you up and break your eyeglasses so you won't be able to see well enough to post conspiracy theories and possibly expose their fiendish plan? Or did you already think of that?

can solve our dependence on foreign oil (60% that is) please raise your hands.

How many millions do you think it will take for federal government to solve the energy dependance?

Those who think private sector can solve the foreign oil dependence by inventing leading technologies, raise your hands

Does anyone think the feds can invent a long-life car battery for 300 million?

Obama has a 10 year 150 million tax payer financed solution. I think he meant 150 Billion, just slip of the tongue.

Let the Cubans and Chinese take all the oil out of Florida coast (they are already drilling) while left wing morons debate offshore drilling.

It is a brain dead argument as far as global warming is concerned and beaches. China puts more carbon in the atmosphere than us while we are sending billions to middle east. Not sure how many people can actually see drilling platforms few hundred or thousand miles from the shore. It will probably look like an a ship approaching from afar.

Nut cases in California is concerned about oil spills because it happened 30 or years ago. Technology has improved a lot since then. Only country in the world to drill offshore, every other country with offshore reserve is drilling or planning to drill including Brazil in the Atlantic.

Brain dead argument all the way around!

That upsideDown face even hatched this ridiculous "plan" is assinine. Think about it...it's soooo dumb...This is what's on the ticket...Men who come up with stuff like this. Is this suppose to equate with a turkey in every kettle? Pffftt...lol

How Better peOple Once THought so stupid/dumb/fool.

Boog-

The aforementioned drop in service department revenues would also extend into the “independent” automotive repair and parts industry.

 Obviously even a 300+ mile range would not serve certain segments of the American motorist; but the collusion demonstrated by the total disassembling of the 1990’s effort to create a viable and practical all electric automobile vindicates my assertion that McCain’s “incentive” is either out of pure naivety or artful pandering.