Posted on 01/30/2013 10:50:40 AM PST by MichCapCon
Though electric vehicles may not be attracting much hype at the Detroit Auto Show, their owners do enjoy privileged status in the city of Ann Arbor.
While parking downtown, electric vehicle owners can charge their cars for free. The charging stations are typically located at the front of parking garages, and are reserved for electric vehicles only.
On a busy weekend, electric vehicle owners can enjoy reserved, easy access downtown parking with a free "fill up." Drivers of conventional vehicles receive no such benefit.
Pictured nearby is a Chevy Volt, a vehicle already infamous for costing taxpayers up to $3 billion in production and sales incentives, being charged at a downtown Ann Arbor parking garage. The owner really did get a free ride, because the photo was taken on a Sunday, when city parking fees are waived.
Heritage Newspapers reports that there are 18 electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Ann Arbor, and that the city's Downtown Development Authority is paying for the cost of the electricity.
The American Enterprise Institute reported in 2012 that, since 2008, taxpayers had spent or guaranteed loans of $6.8 billion for electric vehicles. Much of that money has gone to failed companies and projects. About $1 billion of that total comes from a $7,500 tax credit the federal government provides to many electric car owners.
No argument can be made that electric car owners are somehow in need of a subsidy. A 2012 survey of electric vehicle drivers found that the vast majority come from households earning more than $100,000 per year, and are predominantly, in the words of the study, "...very well-educated, upper-middle class, white men in their early 50’s..."
The primary cost of the Ann Arbor charging stations likely comes from installation (paid for by U.S. taxpayers), and the parking territory they occupy, instead of the electricity provided. According to data posted by the city, few people appear to be using the charging stations.
On Jan. 16, at 9:20 a.m., the city reported that 11 of its 18 charging stations were unoccupied. According to the city, 9,807 kilowatt hours so far have been provided to electric vehicle owners, enough to charge 1,225 electric vehicles. Since the charging stations were installed in June, this amounts to each charging station receiving an average of just a single car visit every other day.
Surely, Ann Arbor has better things to spend its money on than this. City resources would be better spent providing essential services to Ann Arbor residents, instead of funding pet projects that only the favored few can take advantage of.
IOW, METROSEXUALS.........................
It is the allure and lure of the new public, supposedly-beneficial transport genre...in the 70s, 80s and 90s it was rapid rail, metro-rail, and other rail services in areas where subways weren’t possible and highways were choked.
We got that too, in Atlanta, MARTA (I won’t explain the acronym which is variable). They wouldn’t run the lines where the ridership was - first ‘extension of it’ it went to Perry Homes (government welfare projects) so the peoples could get to their jobs! Yeah, right.
It took decades for it to eke its way toward heavy (working) ridership, and the costs up up up....ALL POLITICAL WITH NO ‘THERE’ there. Never was, never will be.
It will be the same with this.
Yup. A bunch of manginas’..
Yea, but they white, man! We cain’t haz this! Mo’ elekrik rides for the ‘working’ po....
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$40,000 - the new “Baby Lincoln”
$41,000 - the exploding &/or burning Chevy VOLT
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The college I work for has those “green” parking spaces and free electric charging pumps for electric vehicles. They have yet to be used, and only touched by school maintenance for cleaning.
And we are not a super-liberal school....we actually say the Pledge of Allegiance with “under God” at school events
How much energy is used charging the batteries????
Wow...that's generous. I wonder where they get the money for that?
Somebody shoot me. I'm tired of this bullshit.
FMCDH(BITS)
I wonder if that would allow her the free parking?
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