Instant $7,500 rebate for electric vehicles proposed

Sounds like a much better incentive strategy.

interesting incentive. Isn't a 1.4L engine more carbon efficient than an electric engine that requires nearby powerplants to generate electricity from the burning of coal?

Hmmm, if 50% of the population driving 4 cylinder cars replaced it with an electric plug-in, what sort of stress would that put on coal burning power plants? The U.S. is mostly coal burning when it comes to electricity.

Has anybody done the research on this?

Yeah, they've done lots of research on this. Electric is much more efficient.

DinamoR If you could explain who "they" are and how "they" have come to the conclusion that electric is more efficent and also if you could define "efficent". These so called electric cars do not create there own electricity and it has to be generated by other means such as Hydroelectric, coal, oil, neuclar etc. All of these affect the environment just to charge these vehicles, not to mention the manufacturing of components that require energy and the toxic nature of certain components.

First it was SUVs. Then it was hybrids. Now EVs. Whatever the flavor of the day is, that's where the government rebates are.

I think the point is to decrease US dependence on foreign oil. Electricity can be made with coal, gas and nuclear power plants. And yes it is also time to upgrade the electric Grids in US.

I 100% agree with what you are saying and i will just add to the fact that it will create more American jobs as well instead of sending money over seas. Also the shift from oil will lower the risk of accidents like the one we had in the gulf this year from BP.

Again, the only way the "Green" industry can compete is via government hand-outs. I believe if governments would quit giving R&D money to the companies and rebates to the buyers there might be real innovation occuring in the those industries instead of stifling it with continued handouts that artificially prop them up. If in fact there's a market for electric cars people free from government interference will figure out a way to make competitive vehicles that will appeal to buyers.
Furthermore, in the short term there needs to be more oil originating from the vast reserves in the US to reduce the longstanding foreign oil dependence. For the long term the fed needs to ease regulations and other restrictions on new electric powerplants, particularly nuclear ones, to upgrade electric availability for the supposed electric-car revolution.
Okay, I'm off my soap box.
BW

The fact that a $7,500 government subsidy is needed to spur interest in electric cars shows how little consumer interest and little market there is for these vehicles.

Bingo!!

I'd rather them spend the money on high speed rail or NASA, but it beats handouts to "troubled" nations.

That $7500 comes from hard working taxpayers like you and me.
Why are our pockets being picked to subsidize some upper-middle income, enviornmentally friendly, tree huging douchebag?