Posted on 04/11/2013 10:11:49 AM PDT by jazusamo
It appears that the Mainstream Media folks may finally be starting to expose one of the worst cases of taxpayer abuse that this country has ever seen. Kudos to Deepa Seetharaman who wrote a piece for Reuters which questions the feasibility of the government-subsidized, lithium-ion based battery technology behind electric vehicles (EVs) like the Chevy Volt. While Seetharaman acknowledges the limitations of lithium-ion batteries, what remains unchallenged is the continued waste of billions of taxpayer dollars to support the failing, pseudo-green technology.
The evidence that the Obama Administration's EV subsidization has been a costly fiasco (particularly regarding the Chevy Volt hoax) continues to mount. While I'm certain that green extremists and General Motors' supporters will claim that the criticism is limited to right-wing parties with ties to the evil oil industry, a simple review of the facts reveals that some very credible and unbiased sources are admitting that, despite the billions of taxpayer dollars spent, plug-in EVs are not the solution for America's environmental and energy needs.
From the Reuters' piece:
Experts are certain to point out red flags. Indeed, a growing number of engineers now say the lithium-ion battery revolution has stalled, undercut by high costs, technical complexity and safety concerns.
"Smart people have been working on this for 10 years already and no one is close to a new kind of battery," said Fred Schlachter, a lithium-ion battery expert and retired physicist from the U.S.-funded Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Many experts now believe it will take at least another decade for lithium-ion technology to be ready for widespread adoption in transportation. Others, including Toyota Motor Corp, believe the solution lies beyond lithium-ion.
Interviews with two dozen battery executives, experts and researchers, including the founder of Securaplane, which made Boeing's battery charger, reveal an industry in which some are having second thoughts about using lithium-ion, and are instead looking to enhance previous technologies or to leap ahead.
Toyota spokesman John Hanson chimes in that, "We don't think that lithium-ion batteries are going to help us get to a point where we can dramatically increase volume and really call it a mass market; we're going to have a more significant breakthrough and probably go into some other area of battery chemistry." This sentiment by Toyota has been expressed before, as I previously reported. Toyota Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, the "father of the Prius," has been quoted as saying, "Because of its shortcomings - driving range, cost and recharging time - the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars; we need something entirely new."
The list of credible critics of the Volt's technology goes on . Even General Motors' executive director of powertrain-engine engineering, Sam Winegarden, stated that "The rumored death of the internal combustion engine is premature." At an engineering symposium last year, Mr. Winegarden presented a chart ranking power sources that displayed "...lithium-ion batteries, used in electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and GM's plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, were ranked close to zero compared to gasoline and diesel fuels, which delivered the most energy for the least amount of weight and cost to the consumer."
In addition to the efficiency limitations, we have an even more troubling question as to the safety of the Volt's technology. GM keeps a team of Hazmat specialists on call to respond to any Onstar notifications of accidents involving a Volt. Firefighters, unless properly trained, must stay away from the complex, volatile power source which has more than 600 seals and cooling components to keep it safe. In fact, according to Josh Payne who worked on the first Volt battery and is now senior engineering manager at Energy Power Systems, "That's 600 seals that all have to stay for the entirety of its life otherwise you have catastrophic failures." That does not sound too reassuring!
The worst part of this mostly-untold story is the taxpayer money that continues to be wasted on the green pipe dream. The American people were lied to about the potential for the Chevy Volt, as well as for the technology behind it. Billions of dollars were spent on grants and failed loans for production of plug-in EVs, lithium-ion batteries and charging stations. Wealthy purchasers of $40,000 Chevy Volts and $100,000 Teslas receivefederal tax credits for $7,500 each. Subsidized battery makers like A123 Systems are bankrupt and government-supported, green automaker Fisker is not far from it. How are middle-class or poor Americans benefiting from any of this?
The evidence that taxpayer money is blatantly wasted on a misguided green agenda continues to build, yet few in the media or in Washington question the waste. The guilt lies with both Democrats and Republicans, neither of which seem to want to take a logical approach to our country's fiscal and energy needs. And you can be sure that politicians will continue to receive lobbying money from those cronies that are being enriched while taxpayers foot the bill for Obama's green energy scam.
Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.
Working link:
I like zinc-air batteries better for cars.
I like zinc-air batteries better for cars.
Well done graphic!
Also known as: "bleeding out the patient"
Cloward-Piven strategy in action.
As I thought: Chevy DOLT.
ANYONE on this site that actually believed the President had the interest of anyone other than Dem supporters in mind when throwing BILLIONS down the Volt rat-hole needs to find a new site to hang out at.
...and I suspect that it is MANY FReepers, as they STILL send their kids to public schools.
IDIOTS.
“Agreed...However I doubt there’s many supporters left, at least vocal one because I know of several radicals that were zotted. :-) “
Thank goodness!!! I had debated some IDIOTS that thought that parents actually had some degree of control over what goes on in public schools. And that was on THIS WEBSITE.
If they were Zotted, GREAT, as they were clearly trolls. No REAL FReeper would EVER send their kids to public schools.
Some freepers cannot afford paying school taxes AND paying for a private education. As an aside, a little civility on your part would go a long way. Is it really that nessecary to be so rude to people here?
“Some freepers cannot afford paying school taxes AND paying for a private education. As an aside, a little civility on your part would go a long way. Is it really that nessecary to be so rude to people here?”
I don’t know your details, so that may be the case - but the vast majority of people that I work with, mostly conservatives, can EASILY afford to not send their kids to public schools - but take the bait, so that they can have a better lifestyle. I’m trying to reach them...and I know some people have given it some thought.
Driving a Hybrid does not, and had not, made economical sense since it’s inception. It typically takes 8~24 years to recoup the additional cost of the drive train through fuel expenditure savings — longer than their expensive battery systems on the vehicles are designed to last. In otherwords, they won’t ever pay back the investment.
People drive Hybrids and Electrics to “feel” good or to satisfy their conviction that Carbon Emissions is bad, Global Warming is real and to show concern for the environment. I’ll defer the debate over the validity of such convictions and the basis for their green “faith” to another thread and another day. But, let’s face it. Hybrids are not about saving money through efficiency, they are about making their owners feel good.
I actually have no problem with that, just like I have no problems with someone wanting to spend $250,000 on a 600hp supercar that gets 12 miles per gallon. Whatever his rationale behind the purchase, it’s his money and he ought to be able to spend it on whatever pleases him.
I do have a BIG problem with someone getting $7500 from the federal government and $6000 the state of California to subsidize their consumption “preferences”. I don’t want to pay higher taxes or pass on any more public debt burden to future generations so that someone can feel good about themselves. I already work 5 months of every year just to pay my taxes. And, anyone who says that I am not paying my fair share can go to hell!
Good post! That’s my view of it also.
Get taxpayer subsidies out of development, manufacturing and eliminate tax credits for sales and let the companies compete on their own, we’re supposed to be a capitalist country.
Welcome to Free Republic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
