| This is a draft of a speech that I hope a candidate will use. Most candidates are not really hot on the idea of a gasoline tax, so I welcome other suggestions for revenue to cover the cost of the program. I need your feedback. In this speech, is the link between oil and terror strong enough? Is there a strong enough emphasis on the need for sacrifice (up to now, most of us have not really sacrificed in this war on terror)
Note, I am not an official speech writer for any campaign. Why not a "PRIME THE MARKET" approach? A big vision! ( NOTE: I need to check those petroleum numbers) DRAFT Position Paper on Alternatives to Gasoline ---------------------------- Let us start with a statement that we wish our President would make. I want to change our nation's energy policy. I want to push our nation into energy self-sufficiency and energy security. There is an obvious link between oil and terrorism, and terrorism is the biggest threat to democracy our nation has ever faced. Let’s look at what we currently do as a nation: We import about 60% of what we consume. <<<<<<<< check this number We consume about 140 billion gallons of gasoline. <<<<<<<< check this number That means we import about 84 billion gallons of gasoline each year. <<<<<<<< check this number What would it take to cut our oil imports in half? 42 billion gallons of gasoline. <<<<<<<< check this number Since the average driver uses about 500 gallons per year, we’re looking at about 84 million cars that would have to be converted to run on some other fuel. That’s a tall order and some of the numbers might need to be adjusted, but we can see that we have a mammoth task ahead of us. It would be so much easier if we could just pour another fuel in the tank. And that’s possible for about 6 or 7 million of those vehicles. They are already equipped to run as Flex Fuel Vehicles, using a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. What could we do as a nation to make a major reduction in our use of gasoline? I’ve driven an electric car. That’s certainly a solution worth looking at . Propane and natural gas are other options. So we as a nation need to ask: Is it a good idea to invest tax deductions or tax credits in existing vehicles? Doe sit make sense to convert existing vehicles to run on another fuel? Or does it make more sense to focus on developing new cars and trucks that run on alcohol, propane, natural gas and electricity? The answer to both questions is not “EITHER OR,” -- I believe that it’s BOTH AND.” While we offer incentives to people who scramble for new hybrids and new electric cars, let’s also consider the economic benefit of keeping jobs in the USA. New cars might be coming from Asia and Mexico, but conversions require trained automotive staff in the USA. I propose creating a work corps of technicians and Technician Assistants to shoulder this massive retooling of existing cars. This is not a new idea. The 2005 Energy Policy Act had a provision for $20 million in incentives for conversions. That language didn’t survive in the final version, but the legislative research and fine-tuning has already taken place. The numbers just have to be bigger… and here’s the unpopular but necessary part: we all need to make sacrifices to make this happen. Before I say more, let’s remember who is protecting the pipelines of Iraq and who is monitoring the Strait of Hormuz. Just twenty years ago missiles were being fired at oil tankers and uncertainty will surely reign again if we do not accept that our armed forces are protecting our access to a global free-moving trade in petroleum. Until we convert 60 or 70 million vehicles, we will continue to be held to the whims of the global market. Up to now, we have been inconvenienced at the airport. We have paid a little more for gasoline, but then the price falls down again. We have not been called on to make the kinds of sacrifices that our parents and grandparents made 65 years ago when they faced a global war. So when I propose that we start making a new kind of sacrifice, it really is another form of sacrifice. We’ve been paying for the protection of oil fields. Many of our families have had their sons or daughters taken away in the defense of other countries and in the defense of free-flowing oil. So when I ask us to begin brain storming the best way to pay for this massive retooling of our cars and trucks, I’m asking you to consider how much we are currently sacrificing --- would I be willing to pay $20 a month extra to make sure cars are using less gasoline? Would I be willing to find $5 each week . Could I find eighty cents a day so that fewer soldiers would be dying? This call for sacrifice must be shared equally and those who have already switched your cars to battery power or natural gas or ethanol or propane, you will not be paying that 50 cent per gallon. That’s right, one way to cover this cost would be to levy a tax of 50 cents per gallon on gasoline, phasing it in over three years. Countries in Europe have higher taxes on gasoline to encourage other ways of getting around. Instead of putting that 50 cents into a subsidy for trains or buses, I’m calling for a massive retooling of our fleets. Of particular interest is battery power. If 10 million electric cars were put on the road in the next year, battery makers would suddenly have a market for the much anticipated long-range battery. IT takes a market to demand production, and so this conversion program will prime the market for advanced technology batteries. I am open to other ideas. The 50-cents-per gallon is a rough estimate and the funding might also be found through other channels. Bonds could be sold to specifically raise funds for conversions, but I believe that we must not leave to our grandchildren the bills that we incur today. And we must incur this penalty today so that we can invest in our current vehicles, invest in a new generation of auto mechanics who understand alternatives to gasoline, and invest in technicians who can do the work here rather than over seas. I hope you will join me in delinking our transportation from the oil economy. |
| PRIME THE MARKET
PREPARE THE MARKET How can the car market be shifted or nudged to create an incentive for battery makers to invest in making better batteries? SUGGESTION: flood the market with EV conversions. If converted vehicles are driving around on Lead Acid batteries, someone in a battery manufacturer is going to see that these cars will eventually need new batteries… and why not a battery set that delivers 80 miles instead of the conventional 35 or 40 miles? Here’s the language of a conversion bill that was proposed in 2005 SEC. 712. HYBRID RETROFIT AND ELECTRIC CONVERSION PROGRAM. http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/0205_Energy /05policy_act/Title%207%20-%20Vehicles %20and%20Fuels.PDF (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary, shall establish a program for awarding grants on a competitive basis to entities for the installation of hybrid retrofit and electric conversion technologies for combustion engine vehicles. (b) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—A grant shall be awarded under this section only— (1) to a local or State governmental entity; (2) to a for-profit or nonprofit corporation or other person; or (3) to 1 or more contracting entities that service combustion engine vehicles for an entity described in paragraph (1) or (2). (c) AWARDS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall seek, to the maximum extent practicable, to ensure a broad geographic distribution of grants under this section. (2) PREFERENCES.—In making awards of grants under this section, the Administrator shall give preference to proposals that— (A) will achieve the greatest reductions in emissions per proposal or per vehicle; or (B) involve the use of emissions control retrofit or conversion technology. (d) CONDITIONS OF GRANT.—A grant shall be provided under this section on the conditions that— (1) combustion engine vehicles on which hybrid retrofit or conversion technology are to be demonstrated— (A) with the retrofit or conversion technology applied will achieve low-emission standards consistent with the Voluntary National Low Emission Vehicle Program for Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks (40 CFR Part 86) without model year restrictions; and (B) will be used for a minimum of 3 years; (2) grant funds will be used for the purchase of hybrid retrofit or conversion technology, including State taxes and contract fees; and (3) grant recipients will provide at least 15 percent of the total cost of the retrofit or conversion, including the purchase of hybrid retrofit or conversion technology and all necessary labor for installation of the retrofit or conversion. (e) VERIFICATION.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal Register procedures to verify— (1) the hybrid retrofit or conversion technology to be demonstrated; and (2) that grants are administered in accordance with this section. (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section, to remain available until expended— (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; (2) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; (3) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and (4) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009. ========================================================== In June, the Package of Tax Policy Incentives was adopted; see http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/taxtitle.pdf It looked like it conversions were going to be included. The Energy Bill signed by President Bush did not include the Tax Credit for EV Conversions. Sorry ! Many states are offering Tax Credits, there is a link at out website. Visit www.dsireusa.org Some of the better states are Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Source: Bob Batson, EVAmerica.com http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/energy_pdfs_2.htm Committee on Energy and Commerce US House of Representatives |
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| About Us About Conversions EVs For Sale Batson's Nightmares Links Bottlenecks and You Videos HOME Economic Patriot Costs "The Mix of Energy" |
| PRIME THE MARKET FOR BATTERIES |
| About Us About Conversions EVs For Sale Batson's Nightmares Links Bottlenecks and You Videos HOME Economic Patriot Costs "The Mix of Energy" |
| Learn more: Contact Mike Moore at 866-831-1082 Ampmobile Conversions and learn about pre-buying the batteries for your future EV -- spark the market for lithium-ion batteries |
| Learn more: Contact Mike Moore at 866-831-1082 Ampmobile Conversions and learn about pre-buying the batteries for your future EV -- spark the market for lithium-ion batteries |