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

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

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Learn more history. USA has always had research programs benefiting the automotive industry. Under the Clinton administration's "Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles" , the three domestics all showed diesel-hybrid prototypes that were on the way to 80+mpg. At the behest of the auto industry (most boneheaded move they've ever done!), the Bush administration scrapped it and replaced it with the further-out (pie-in-the-sky?) "FreedomCAR" program. Meanwhile "USCAR" (Council for Automotive Research) and "USABC" (Advanced Battery Consortium) continued to get DoE money. Wikipedia is your friend for all items in quotes, learn something.

Everytime I turn around we seem to be babysitting the green industry.
With relatively tiny amounts of money. Meanwhile "The Energy Policy Act of 2005 increased subsidies and tax breaks for the most polluting energy sectors. Tax breaks, subsidies and royalty relief provide these polluters with over 32 billion dollars from the federal government over the next five years."

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I bet you were one those nuts shouting "DRILL BABY DRILL!" last summer as gas hit $4.50 and the super-rich oil companies continued to pocket $60Billion a year in government subsidies...yet throw a couple billion to new startups dealing in Green Tech and you all become righteous public accounts frowning your head as every wisely invested nickel. Where were you when Bush was printing and borrowing money for his illegal war? Or when he was adding $5Trillion to the national debt? Getting high on gas fumes?

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The need for the history lesson is confusing but appreciated since it proves my original point unless your view is that advancements such as these don't occur without government involvement. Then I would suggest you brush up on history yourself. There needs to be a huge scale back of government subsidies period.

As far as the oil industry is concerned, there have been times when federal assistance allowed for the production of cheaper fuel for the masses. But even these situations at times were abused and taken advantage of. Tax breaks are fine when it stimulates the economy but subsidies are not.

The energy industry is not evil, in fact they have been the primary reason our lives are significantly better than past generations. The "polluters" attitude is unfair in the present day (for 20 yrs. infact) and is political rhetoric more than it is factual. But they're not angels and will play the powers that be if allowed to. They're certainly not the only ones. The so called green industry has been giving big oil a real run for the money so to speak.

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The main reason gas hit $4.50 a gallon is because oil companies haven't been allowed to drill for oil or build a refinery in 30+yrs. and Katrina was the straw.

How many times do I have to say I'm against subsidies! Throw a couple of billion dollars....why? Because it makes you feel good? I was speaking against the out of control spending that both sides were responsible for not just Pres. Bush. Pretty rediculous statement considering what Obama has done since. I drink tequila and mexican beer. Don't need gas fumes, thanks. Take a deep breath, relax, go drive your prius around the block and show everyone how superior you are, you'll feel better.

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Camper,

Your post could not be more wrong. Take both Ener1 and A123. Both are domestic research and technology (Argonne Nat Labs and MIT.) Ener1 has a plant in Indianapolis, with American parts and is a relic from DelPhi Auto Parts. (Thus the name Ener-Del).

A123 does have manufacturing in China but is trying to use this money to fund a plant in Michigan to help change some of that. There are several other US based plants planned or in construction if you do a little research.

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Wrong on so many counts. Many of these companies already have or are planning to build domestic production and research plants. This might be a shock to you but most high-tech companies like to keep their proprietary secrets close to their chest, and prefer building components in-house. Next time, more research, less hyperbole.

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On the contrary. After 50+ years of US intellectual property and know-how flowing from the US to Asia, this is advanced Korean and Japanese battery technology and IP flowing back into the US to be manufactured by US workers.

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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.

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