Remember John McCain’s energy policy proposal to have a contest for developing better batteries for hybrid cars.

His proposal was to award something like $350,000,000.00 to the company that developed a new battery to be used in plug-in hybrid cars.  When combined with Drill, Baby, Drill and the usual oil, gas and coal industry propaganda, it sounded pretty lame.  For the most part, McCain was talking about continuing our energy policy of the last 50 years, CHEAP GAS!!

But now it turns out that this battery building contest may have been more than a greenwash.

An article in the November 24, 2008 issue of Automotive News has this headline:

Japan poised to control key batteries

Panasonic-Sanyo deal yet another worry for Detroit 3

As if General Motors, Ford and Chrysler didn’t have enough to worry about, the stars are aligning for them to be pulling their hair out over another issue caused by sleeping at the switch.

From the same Automotive News article:

“The worry is that America’s reliance on imported oil will be supplanted by reliance on imported batteries”.

A combined Panasonic/Sanyo will control a majority of the market for both the nickel metal hydride batteries, used in current hybrids, and the lithium ion batteries that will be the next automotive power source.  Sanyo is already the top producer of lithium ion batteries for cellphones, computers and the like and Panasonic produces 83% of the nickel metal hydride batteries used in vehicles today.

Here are some videos about current hybrids and electric cars:

Electric cars with Nickel Metal Hydride batteries you can buy today

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-1-v-107.html

The Tesla Sports Car that uses Lithium Ion batteries

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-1-v-41.html

In the spirit of taking good ideas no matter which side of the aisle they come from, the Obama clean up crew (lots to clean up after eight years) should think seriously about McCain’s battery contest proposal.

Today we learn the General Motors only has enough cash to stay in business through January or February 2009.  Their only chance for survival is government guaranteed access to money (of course, that means we the people are providing the guaranty).

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1153876820081111

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was scheduled to attend the LA (Auto) show to make an announcement about the company’s development of the all-electric Chevrolet Volt. -Reuters

So the first casualty of the cash crisis at GM will be the much ballyhooed technological wonder, the Chevrolet Volt.  From gas friendly to gas free?  Not too likely.

The reason we aren’t driving Chevrolet Volts (or advanced EV1 s, GM’s first electric car) is because we needed to develop advanced lithium ion batteries.  Endependence says BUNK!

Who Killed the Electric Car the first time?  Here is the trailer from the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGG4rNMuMac

There is no mystery about who killed GM’s electric car this time.  They never intended to build it in the first place.

Why did GM need breakthrough lithium ion battery technology for the Chevy Volt when they already had proven that lead acid batteries would work quite well with the EV1 project?  Because they had to build a $40,000.00 electric car that would require $7,500.00 in tax credits to even get in the neighborhood of affordability.

There are electric cars that you can buy right now that cost less than $14,000.00 out the door.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq_a1uyHHxQ

These cars didn’t and don’t need breakthrough technology.

Waiting for breakthrough technology is a way for business to delay needed action.  A lithium ion battery for electric cars, clean coal technology,  coal liquifaction with carbon sequestration - the breakthroughs we need to move to energy independence?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903390.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/9/1201/93022/473/657536

Again, endependence says, BUNK!!