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Report: VP Joe Biden to announce stimulus battery grants in Detroit on Wednesday

Report: VP Joe Biden to announce stimulus battery grants in Detroit on Wednesday

Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:26AM

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Vice President Joe Biden will be delivering a speech on the economic recovery efforts that have been implemented thus far at the NextEnergy Center in Detroit on Wednesday. The Detroit News is reporting that Biden will be using the occasion to announce the first round of battery research grants from a $2 billion program that was part of the stimulus package passed earlier this year.

The grants are separate from the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Incentive Program. The ATVM program is the low interest loan program administered through the Department of Energy that helps pay for re-tooling of existing plants to produce more efficient vehicles. The first ATVM loans went to Tesla, Ford and Nissan.

This grant program does not require any repayment and is targeted more at basic research on advanced battery systems. It's not known who the grant recipients might be or how much of the money will be doled out this week. The DOE is also expected to announce more ATVM loans to battery makers in the near future. A123 Systems, EnerDel, Compact Power and other companies have all applied for a piece of that pie. Thanks to Brett for the tip!

[Source: Detroit News]

Category: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, USA

Tags: advanced technology vehicle manufacturing, advanced technology vehicle manufacturing incentive program, advanced technology vehicles manufacturing, AdvancedTechnologyVehicleManufacturing, AdvancedTechnologyVehicleManufacturingIncentiveProgram, AdvancedTechnologyVehiclesManufacturing, atvm, atvmlp, battery grants, BatteryGrants, breaking, joe biden, JoeBiden, stimulus, stimuluspackage

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Mike

They should record his comments ahead of time, then duct tape his mouth shut, paint a big cheesy grin on the tape and play the recording while he stands there. It's the only way to keep his foot out of his mouth.

August 05 2009 at 8:24 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jpm

Let's hope for some funny gaffes.

August 04 2009 at 7:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris

Why are we keeping anything automotive related in Detroit? They have proved they can't handle it so let someone else do it. Oh I guess that's not the "politically correct" thing to do.

August 04 2009 at 4:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Chris's comment

Bus Rand

Sad but probably true although I don't think that would change anything. The problem with the auto industry is endemic to American business as a whole. The only exception in most cases would be the union factor.

Years ago you'd start work somewhere and you'd work your butt off and learn everything there is to learn (which never ends). Eventually you work your way up and if you're running the show there is nothing you don't know about the business. Now enter the bean counter extrodinaire. It's an important essential job, don't get me wrong. But somewhere down the line it turned from a job, to an obsession, to a cult of it's own as if there was no reality outside the numbers. Decisions are made not because it's logical or what's best for the company but because it makes everything look good on paper.

All of a sudden the company is selling stock like there's no tomorrow and the beancounter of yesterday becomes the CEO of tomorrow proudly displaying their golden resumes. These people seem to give decision makers a sense of uphoria not felt when looking at others.

Now the company is a billion dollar corporation and everyone's reaping pennies from heaven. The problem is that decisions made for the sake of the proverbial bottom line isn't always what's best for the company or the customer. This eventually catches up and you find yourself in a situation where the powers that be are clueless about the particular business and even less so about the customer. They have no real connection to the company nor do they care since they're the golden children. They benefit personally regardless.

I've lost count how many times I've said over the years "what the hell are they doing" when talking about the american car industry. Most of the time it's because they're not car guys. There is a particular way to approach the customer from an american car perspective most of the CEOs know nothing about. Trying to compete with foreign competition by trying to think and be like them is probably the biggest mistake they ever made.

August 04 2009 at 6:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

why not the LS2/LS7?

The point of the stimulus is just to blow money, I guess we could blow it on worse things. But I dunno if I believe we'll see much technological advance from this $2B. And on top of that, the research will just go straight to China and Korea anyway, they'll never make batteries here (even the current ones "made here" are just packaged here from components and subassemblies sent from overseas).

August 04 2009 at 12:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to why not the LS2/LS7?'s comment

Bus Rand

On one hand we shouldn't be bailing out the auto industry (we shouldn't). But on the other let's help them invest in supposed green technology. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Government has no business in either not to mention no money (unless they print it).
Everytime I turn around we seem to be babysitting the green industry. It's been artificially pushed forward long enough. If it's so wonderful why isn't it standing on it's own by now?

August 04 2009 at 12:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

4 replies to Bus Rand's comment

Brett

In my opinion- batteries are the heart of this entire goal and process. This money could not be spent in a better way. I'm routing for Ener1, A123, JCSaft and maybe even EEStor...

Let's just hope he doesn't pretend to be "shocked" when he touches the demo car or demo battery they no doubt will have standing behind him.

August 04 2009 at 11:50 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Brett's comment

Matt

Oh, but he could play Frankenstein's monster so well with that big forehead! It'd be perfect...

August 04 2009 at 11:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jon

Agreed, I think a greater proportion of the money should have gone to batteries.

August 04 2009 at 2:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ShaunneyCakes

Sounds great! Keep advancing those EV ranges!

August 04 2009 at 11:33 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

gorr

A lot of taxpayer money toward establisched petrol resellers to maintain petrol use.

August 04 2009 at 11:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Bip-D-Bo

He'll screw it up somehow.
"I guess these electric cars save energy, but I don't think I'll get one for my family. I heard them batteries can blow up!"

August 04 2009 at 11:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply