Group Seeks OK To Include Electric Vehicles in Presidential Inauguration Parade
By Scott Doggett November 26, 2008
The good people at Plug-In America are dreaming of the presidential inauguration parade these days, and their dream goes something like this:
Tucked in amid the procession of ceremonial military regiments, citizens' groups and marching bands proceeding down Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20 is a phalanx of zero-emissions electric vehicles led by a float featuring a windmill and an electric truck covered with solar cells.
"Key to this contingent of all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will be a float conveying the tie-in with solar, wind and renewable power resources. Consumers often have an 'ah-ha' moment after realizing that electric autos are the only kind of alternative-fuel cars that can utilize renewable power," the group wrote in its application for an EV formation in the parade.
The plug-in EV advocacy group notes in its application that plug-in vehicles are a key part of President-elect Barack Obama's transportation policies.
"Some of the vehicles in our contingent are on the market now. Others are in prototype stage and will be released to the public in the 2009/2010 timeframe," the group states. "The public is eager to see these cars. The burgeoning plug-in electric car industry creates jobs in the emerging green sector that is the hallmark of President-elect Obama's vision for a reinvigorated economy. Plug-In America's formation will meet the new leader's expectations."
Who would argue with that? We wish them well in their quest to add EVs to the parade.
The nonprofit organization is also seeking a little money to make their dream come true. Go to their Web site to find out how you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Plug-In America.
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If America is ever to become energy self-
sufficient increasing natural gas importation demand is not a good start. That is precisely what will happen if there is a serious move towards electric plug-in vehicles. We already import 20% of natural gas usage with the growing increases primarilly electric generation driven. If we build massive wind farms and solar arrays we may eliminate the need to import nat gas for electric generation but not if we add the burden of transportation fueling. Further, any reliance on an antiquated (one of the new administrations priorities is rebuilding and modernization) inefficient wasteful ( loss of nearly $20 bbb bilion is transmission yearly) electric grid that is already overburdened and actually made up of 58 seperate entities and relies on high carbon emmission coal and imported nat gas for fuel is a non-sollution in the making. Combined with totally not ready for prime time batteries that are an eclogic disaster both in mineing and disposal and are built of imported expensive materials and any advocacy of electric vehicles is a loser. Plug-ins are another ethanol debacle in the making.
Consider the likelyhood that vehicles like the highly hyped Chevy "Dolt" which is essentially a $40000 commuter car that will have zero effect on imports and account for around .01% of vehicle sales and tell me it is any answer to the problem of energy imports.
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