Unfounded Attacks on Electric Cars Endanger American Jobs
Posted February 9, 2012 in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
Congressman Issa recently called a hearing to accuse the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) of a cover up related to its now closed investigation into the post-crash fire risk posed by the Chevy Volt’s lithium-ion batteries. Issa’s theatrics only revealed that such batteries have caused zero real world vehicle fires (a regrettably common occurrence for gasoline vehicles), and that both NHTSA and the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety intend to retain their highest possible safety ratings for the Volt. Nonetheless, various talking heads continue to perpetuate the myth that electric cars are bursting into flames on our nation’s streets. This deceit hurts American workers and consumers, and only helps Big Oil.
Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, a conservative Republican himself, has dismissed attacks on the Volt by Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Lou Dobbs as “totally irresponsible journalism.” Even though NRDC and Bob Lutz have very different opinions regarding climate change, we agree that the “deliberate misstatement of facts” intended to undermine electric cars hurts the workers who build the Volt in Hamtramck, Michigan, and the workers across America who supply more efficient vehicle technology.
In addition to misleading the public into believing electric vehicles are unsafe, talking heads appearing on Fox News, The Drudge Report, Lou Dobbs, and others, are touting a report claiming every Volt sold is the benefit of $250,000 in government subsidies.[1] This figure even made its way into the opening remarks of Mr. Issa’s Congressional hearing. But financial analyst, Anton Wahlman, writes in The Street, “There is a fundamental flaw behind the math in this ‘report’ that discredits the entire report straight down to zero, in my view.” The report argues that the Volt benefits from $1.5 billion in public support, which when divided by the 6,000 Volts sold at the time the article was written, equates to $250,000 per vehicle.
This simplistic arithmetic is meaningless. Investments in manufacturing capacity are not recovered in the first few months of sales of a single model. Over 40 different plug-in models will be introduced over the next several years, and while forecasts vary, even conservative estimates project over half a million plug-ins to be sold within a few years. If a multinational oil company were to receive $10 billion in tax breaks to drill in the Gulf’s deep waters, would you argue that the first barrel produced cost the national treasury $10 billion?
Ironically, the same talking heads who are attacking the Volt are staunch advocates for tax loopholes and subsidies for oil companies enjoying record profits.[2] In March, House Republicans voted unanimously to maintain tax loopholes for Big Oil. In May, Senate Republicans defeated another measure to end subsidies for Big Oil, which dwarf the alleged subsidies to produce the Volt.
I apologize if you’re reading this on a small screen device, as it’s likely impossible for you to make out the little red dot, the area of which accurately represents the relative size of the alleged government support for the Volt. I trust you’ll have no difficulty seeing the large black spot.
Given the very real deficits facing this country, it is worth asking where limited public resources should be invested. Between Big Oil and vehicle electrification, the choice is stark. One became dominant in the late 1800s, the other is key to the future of American competitiveness in a global economy. One maintains our vulnerability to a volatile world oil market, the other uses cleaner, domestic energy. Private industry has already made the choice. Virtually every major automaker, and several new market entrants, will introduce plug-in electric vehicle models over the next several years. The real question is whether America will be at the forefront of this evolution in automotive technology. The last time we faced a similar decision was between the gasoline engine and coal-fired steam power. We chose correctly then.
[1] http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/fox-news-claims-each-chevy-volt-costs-taxpa, http://www.drudgereportarchive.com/drudge-report-topic/chevy+volt/, http://www.loudobbs.com/programhighlights
[2] http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/your-world-cavuto/transcript/chevron-ceo-we-pay-our-fair-share-taxes
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Comments
Paul Scott — Feb 10 2012 09:08 PM
The ignorance about electric vehicles as described above is precisely the intent of the oil companies and their minions in Congress and certain media.
The truth is plug-in vehicles are safer, more efficient, quieter, use 100% domestic energy that can be made from sunlight falling on your roof, and they are powerful and fun to drive.
Electric cars need virtually no maintenance, they always work perfectly all the time.
Grocery stores and shopping malls will give you free electricity for shopping in their stores.
You stop going to gas stations entirely. You never give them your money ever again. You can instead use it to buy local goods and services and create jobs for your friends and family.
What's not to like?
Make no mistake, the people responsible for this sophisticated misinformation campaign are the antitheses of patriots. Their work only serves to keep us fully dependent on an energy source that we have to buy from foreign countries, some of which are fighting us with our own money. As we increase our production, OPEC will lower its production, keeping the price high. We will run out of our oil that much faster, and then we'll be 100% dependent on others for our oil. That won't be fun.
Volt Owner — Feb 14 2012 05:16 PM
My Volt is the best car I have ever owned. Period.
Aside from all the deluxe features like a built-in cell phone and hard-drive storage for my music, it is just a blast to drive! Quick and quiet.
Also it is very easy on gas. I have not had to put gas in it since taking delivery.
In June.
Of last year.
Total over over 5000 miles on less than 2 gallons so far.
By plugging in each night and unplugging each morning I am able to drive up to 45 miles each day for about 10 seconds of actual involvement in the fueling process. No more standing in the cold waiting for the tank to fill, and then having to pay outrageous prices for gas.
It takes about 10 KWH to completely fill the battery, which at the nighttime/weekend rate of less than $0.10 per KWH works out to less than a dollar a day.
I did have to invest in a 240 charge station to keep up with weekend trips. That cut the total charge time down from 10 hours to 4 hours. I have done over 80 miles in one day just by plugging in whenever I'm home.
Martin Winlow — Feb 19 2012 06:43 AM
It's a shame we aren't party to just how far these moronic politicians are in bed with 'big oil'. Isn't there a way (for a reporter) to dig in to how much they have to lose with the death of the ICE (infernal combustion engine) motor vehicle?
@ Volt Owner - Just as I imagined 3 years back when I started to wake up to EVs... I wonder how many other people are the same situation? Question is, are you now wondering why you are carting around an ICE, the exhaust, the cooling system, the (full?) gas tank, etc - probably the equivalent of a large passenger sat next to you everywhere you go. Just a thought! MW