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White House Wants 1M Electric Cars By 2015

coondoggie writes "The White House has outlined a wide-ranging plan for putting one million of what it calls 'advanced technology vehicles' on the road by 2015. Most observers would say that is a good start, but is it reasonably doable? The next White House budget will include a number of investments and enticements to make the goal achievable in theory. Of course, not all of the provisions are likely to make the cut."

6 of 603 comments (clear)

  1. Why don't they sell garages covered in solar cells by WillAdams · · Score: 4, Interesting

    to match?

    Provide me w/ a chance to fold the solar cell garage into a home improvement loan and it becomes a lot more affordable, and having the solar cells eases the strain which charging so many electric vehicles would add to the electric grid.

    William

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    Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
  2. How about Obama setting an example... by HockeyPuck · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If he has to fly anywhere, he takes a 747 (Airforce one) and an accompanying cargo plane for all of his gear and support infrastructure.

    He takes Marine One (a helicopter) from the WhiteHouse to the airforce base where Airforce One resides.

    How about he sets an example and tries to reduce his "carbon footprint."

  3. Sign me up... maybe. by Jethro · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd love an all-electric vehicle.

    Except for a couple of things (I think).

    I drive a hybrid car now, and in the LOVELY Minnesota winter, the batteries just DIE. I'm not kidding, they've had to be replaced. Even when they work my mileage almost halves in the winter. This makes me a it worried about an all-electric vehicle. A surprise "Hey your vehicle's range just dropped form 100 miles to 50 miles with no notice!!!!" is NOT a good thing.

    Second, I want to be able to plug the thing into a regular ol' outlet.

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    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
  4. Yea, he should be borrowing money! by IBitOBear · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Everybody knows that the Republican Borrow and Spend technique is the only fiscally responsible choice. Paying down debt is un-American. Only a deadbeat pays principle. And how dare he tax rich people on parity with the poor! The poor exist to make the lives of the rich better! Damn him for creating more jobs in two years than Bush the Lesser created in four, maybe eight. And meeting 84% of his election promises in two years? That's a some sort of Kenyan Konspiracy!

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    Innocent people shouldn't be forced to pay for inferior software development.
    --"Code Complete" Microsoft Press
  5. Re:Up the gas tax five dollars for passenger vehic by afidel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My dad said we should add 10c per gallon to the gas tax every year, in 1991 after the first Gulf War. If we had done that we would have gas prices comparable to Europe and thus have the more efficient vehicle fleet they have. Putting a huge tax on gas will get you voted out of office in the next election, put a slow but steady tax in and it will just change buying habits over time.

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    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  6. Re:Up the gas tax five dollars for passenger vehic by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Leave diesel off the tax for now so the trucking industry won't be destroyed in the process.

    Here's the thing - if we're serious about cutting carbon emissions and oil dependency, a lot of the trucking industry needs to be on the long-term chopping block. If you want to transport goods in a way that minimizes the use of fuel, you'd do something like:
    1. Put everything in standard shipping containers so you can easily shift it between different transport methods.
    2. If it's coming from a foreign country or island territory, ship it to a convenient port.
    3. Take it from the port via rail to the rail yard nearest its destination, unless its destination is near enough to the port that that's closer than any rail yard.
    4. Truck it from the rail yard or port to its destination.

    There's absolutely no good reason for trucks to have to transport things long distances. The reason it's common now has a lot to do with the highway system externalizing the cost of building and maintaining long-distance trucking's transport network. To fix that, you'd need to go for higher diesel taxes.

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    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/