Obama Chickens Out, Says A Million EVs By 2015 Not Important

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Today must be International Backpedaling Day. Volkswagen said “Never mind beat Toyota by 2018.” Obama says: “Never mind a million EVs by 2015.”

Under a new strategy announced today, the Department of Energy promised to support research into new battery technologies and manufacturing methods that would lower the cost of lightweight materials and improve vehicles’ fuel-efficiency, Reuters reports.

But the DOE backpedales furiously from a goal set out in a 2011 State of the Union speech, where President Barack Obama announced what he called “Apollo projects of our times.” One of them was the goal for the United States to be “the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.”

“Whether we meet that goal in 2015 or 2016, that’s less important than that we’re on the right path to get many millions of these vehicles on the road,” an unnamed Energy Department official told Reuters.

Reuters notes that “demand for hybrids and electric vehicles has been weaker than expected.” Government money was poured into black holes. Says Reuters:

“Poor demand has hurt lithium-ion battery makers, pushing two DOE grant recipients, A123 Systems Inc and EnerDel, to file for bankruptcy protection. Dow Chemical Co took a $1.1 billion charge last year, related in part to a writedown of its lithium-ion battery business, Dow-Kokam LLC.”

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Oldyak Oldyak on Feb 01, 2013

    Hey..lets grill some chicken over a Fisker!! Seriously(sorta)governments have poured money into new technology since the invention of the steam engine. But this EV thing is going to cost the taxpayers much more than its worth. With gasoline prices stabilizing and nat gas as a back up.... There is a limited market. The BEST approach for the times would be 'illegal alien' power!Harnessing the UN-documented as a power source??? I wonder what the range of a rickshaw is????

  • Niky Niky on Feb 01, 2013

    Rickshaws should get 20 miles to the Big Mac. Of course, you don't really need to use premium fuel, so you can save quite a bit at the pumps.

  • Shaker Shaker on Feb 01, 2013

    The Apollo project had the support of many Americans, and the commitment endured long after the death of the beloved founder, John Kennedy. EV's, however, could not gain the same importance, being sold as a commie plot to take our gas-guzzlers away by a socialist Arab president, and fought tooth-and-nail by the moneyed oil interests. Or, something like that. "Obama Chickens Out" - the height of journalism. Keep up the good work.

    • See 2 previous
    • Darkwing Darkwing on Feb 01, 2013

      @jpolicke +1

  • GeneralMalaise GeneralMalaise on Feb 01, 2013

    Reuters noted that “demand for hybrids and electric vehicles has been weaker than expected.” Expect the unexpected! Follow all that money that lined the pockets of his supporters/cronies... Forward!!!

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