Figures. Obama Praises Electric Vehicle Manufacturer That Makes Trucks That Cost Twice as Much as Normal Truck
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, July 8, 2010, 5:58 PM
Worst. President. Ever.
After tripling the national deficit and watching unemployment surge to 10%, Barack Obama now believes that paying twice as much for a truck is good business.
Even Obama supporters can see that his polling numbers are about as weak as his economic policies.
(Reuters)
The Smith Electric Vehicle manufacturer makes trucks that cost twice as much as normal delivery trucks. The company only survived this year because of a federal grant. It did not hire any new employees.
This, of course, counts as a success story for President Obama.
The Christian Science Monitor reported:
President Obama visited one of America’s first makers of electric delivery trucks Thursday, touting the job-creating advantages of reshaping the US automotive fleet with an emphasis on running not just cars, but trucks, on batteries.
Entering a hangar-like building at Smith Electric Vehicles in Kansas City, Mo., Mr. Obama was shown a rack of lime-green batteries the company now installs into delivery trucks, converting them from diesel to electric power.
A nearby Frito Lay truck had “Good fun – powered by electricity” plastered across its exterior. The private company, which received a $32 million Department of Energy grant in March, is the US offshoot of a British parent that does the same thing.
“They ought to tell the workers of Smith Electric that we’d be better off if your jobs didn’t exist,” the president said, taking issue with critics who oppose his program to provide government funding to promote electric vehicles. “They ought to travel across America and meet the people I’ve met at places like Navistar in Indiana, where folks are being hired to build new electric trucks.”
…A traditional FEDEX-style delivery truck might cost about $50,000, and the hybrid version about $95,000, Van Amburg estimates. But a plug-in or all-electric version could cost $100,000 to $130,000.
Fleet buyers can justify a premium of 20 to 30 percent over the base cost of a truck. But incentives are needed for perhaps the next four to five years. A bill pending in Congress would restore some tax incentives that have lapsed, Van Amburg says. Meanwhile, there are indications that battery costs could drop by as much as half over the next five years.
More… Amity Shlaes asked today: “Is Obama Spurring Growth, or Knocking It Down?”
…I think we all know the answer to that.
Left Coast Rebel has more on Smith Electric.
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Published May 24, 2012 at 8:46 pm - 89 Comments
xxx commented:
The Lunatic is setting up banks to fund anti-Americans, putting it into law. The US no longer follows laws under this Lunatic. That’s why the USA is over and the resurrection of the anti-American states will begin.
The Lunatic feeds the rich and kills the poor pro-Americans. It appears that immigrants, illegal or not, want to take the goods of America and distribute them to their dictator states, and homes. So it is over because the media is inbed with this devil figure who admits it and no one can do anything.
aro5o75 commented:
And, under his plan, utility cost will skyrocket. Which means these trucks will also cost twice or three times as much to operate.
WOW, I just can’t wait.
Paul Revere commented:
Where’s all this electric going to come from once we’re all forced to drive these electric vehicles?
They (the smart ones) tell us coal power plants are too dirty, nuclear is too dangerous and hydro kills too many little fishes. WTF?
We’ll all be riding bicycles imported from China before this is over.
aro5o75 commented:
@xxx………apparently you’re not locked and loaded……………..whadda shame.
Ladue Pundit commented:
I, too, am wondering what outlet these kooks will plug their golf carts into. Solar panel outlets?
As usual, they don’t think things through.
It’s the government way,. Dig a hole, fill it in, call it a job.
waterbiz commented:
St.Joseph: Smith trucks cost $140,000. About 1/3 of Cleaver’s special van.
KCP&L bought a bunch, and the gubmint buy the rest !
NeoKong commented:
Will they plug it in to a windmill….?
Auntie Em commented:
That sign is so hilarious!
Keep those poll numbers on his mind!! Whoo hoo!!!! Hit him in his ego! Kill his confidence while he is speaking about the things that are driving those numbers into a hell hole! ha ha!!!
Paul Revere commented:
Yeah “Ignore the polls” cause they’ve rigged the November elections.
Once they throw the elections who can challenge them….they hold all the power.
There will be riots in the streets, but that just plays into their hand…..national emergency, marshal law. Everything changes as we know it.
.
Guy commented:
I happen to be in a business that makes extensive use of batteries, and I too am wondering where all the electric power is going to come from to charge these vehicles. Nobody understands how much electricity it takes to re-charge a battery of that size. If electric rates are going to, in the words of our all-knowing Messiah, “necessarily skyrocket”, and the additional demand these vehicles will put on our grid will drive the prices even higher, it will cost a fortune to operate them. If you add in the ridiculous cost of the vehicles themselves, and the cost to replace the batteries every five to ten years, who the hell will be able to afford one?
There are other issues which nobody wants to discuss as well. One big problem will be the the peak load it will put on our grid when thousands, and eventually millions of people come home from work, and plug them in to re-charge them. It’s absolute FANTASY to think that we can switch even a fraction of our population over to electric vehicles without completely rebuilding our ENTIRE electrical distribution system to handle those peaks. Another big problem will be providing the necessary places other than your own home to plug them in, and figuring out who PAYS for the electricity when you do. Lastly, nobody wants to talk about the environmental damage that will result from manufacturing and then recycling the MILLIONS of batteries we’d need to implement this plan. It has been estimated that the energy used to mine, refine, and transport the materials for these batteries will greatly exceed any energy we save by using them. How does that make any sense?
I feel that one day, we could satisfy a small percentage of our transportation requirements with these vehicles, perhaps using them in areas where air quality is an issue, but to think that we can switch our entire population over to these vehicles is a pipe dream ….
gus commented:
What environmental costs are there in MAKING THE BATTERIES??
Where are they disposed of?
Where does the electricity to charge them come from.
The TRUCKS cost more, the BATTERIES cost more, the ELECTRICITY costs more.
What will these trucks haul??
SOYLENT GREEN.
gus commented:
Guy, Obama has no idea what he is talking about.
None.
aprilnovember811 commented:
Looking at those stupid people with the signs is so sad. They are the ignorant, useful idiots. Hitler had them too. There were people that didn’t even believe he was killing jews. There were people who cried when Stalin died. There will always be the stupid in the world. I just want to smash their face in the dirt.
militant conservative commented:
Now now post 14. THOSE are the folks that elected the NOTUS. Guilty white liberals. Gullable as a stump too. Not too worry, the NOTUS has not thought his “revolution” through to the end game. powder is dry.
Granny commented:
I’ve got a question. . . . does the clown that inhabits the WH and tours Europe with an entourage of 500 even know how to drive? He sure doesn’t know how to ride a bike as I recall . . .
KR commented:
Did you all forget about the unicorn f@rts?
That will provide all the power we will ever need!
Barry is one step ahead with his Smart Power.
/s
kansas commented:
Their would be none of these worthless trucks if we weren’t going in debt to give them the money to make them. Now a**hole has made EPA enact really strict enforcement on coal powered power plants where the power for these turds are supposed to come from. How much damage can one affirmative action hire do in 2 years?
befuddled commented:
you know, that makes absolute sense. if the potus actually wanted a greener future, he would first setup some tangible energy independence. something simple like “drill baby drill”, which helps the states solidify jobs and their economy, while at the same time investing the future in the form of nuclear plants. so, lets say he shifted a ton of wasteful spending from the great “spendulus” to do just that, make us energy independent. well, i betcha that good old adam smith would right away respond in the positive. so now that more money is coming into the treasury than going out, we might now consider alternative energy with investments such as electric cars or dumping this global warming fiasco by investing in reasearch for better fuel cells and perhaps an actual solution to a burgeoning healtcare system. or plan b, lets spend like we got a brand new trillion dollar credit card in the mail, damn the consequences. someone else will pay the bill and there’s no way in hell you’re going to jail.
anyhow, it almost seems as if he deliberately tossed aside common sense solutions in favor of robbing the treasury and bankrupting a nation. hell, he would’ve brought the whole world down with him, if it weren’t for the disaster in greece.
xxx commented:
‘O’ Hell on Controlling Your Energy
For those who do not follow San Fran News and talk radio, it even made DailyCal ( UC Berkeley undergrad newsite), PG&E are installing for free smart meters that can be shut off by the controllers if you use too much electricity. It also charges you more once you go over some ‘range’ that they set at the control centers.
A_Nonny_Mouse commented:
Guy #11
“One big problem will be the the peak load it will put on our grid when thousands, and eventually millions of people come home from work, and plug them in to re-charge them.”
=====
Well, the plan is for us all to come home at night and plug ‘em into the new solar grid that we’ll have completely built-out in just a year or two.
So, no problemo!!!
(Wait- what do you mean the sun doesn’t shine at night? IT HAS TO!! It’s written right there in His Super-Mensa-Brilliant-3D-Chess-Game-Where-He’s-Several-Moves-Ahead Plan!!)
militant conservative commented:
befuddled
July 8th, 2010 | 7:54 pm | #20
This is his objective. Trash the US economy and have it collapse. He KNOWS his policies do not work. This is so the pain will be soo great we all will ask for socialist lite. Which leads right to the full fledged hard socialism. this is serious excrement here. Are you prepared? Or are you like most Americans thinking someone else will save your sorry butt. Not me, I have a family to look after. The NOTUS is bringing about a nast scenario. WTFU your part of the problem. powder is dry. You have till Jan-Feb to stock and supply. Powder is dry.
P.S. took me 10 years to get to a comfortable level of supplies. Good luck.
Kevin P commented:
Let’s just say for a second that these electric vehicles were 1/2 the price of a normal truck, and could run the same distance.
With Obama’s plan to kill coal – what will power these electric vehicles???
OH – I quess all these windmills – it takes 300 square MILES of windmills to provide the same power as ONE coal fired plant. Hmmmmm – and then the electricity will be twice the cost.
All these enviro-wackos are trying to destroy the environment to save it. And I’m not talking about the Gulf this time.
bigkahuna commented:
This herk gets up on stage and changes his voice /dialect etc once again to talk down to the people. Telling them he created 50 whole jobs that the republicans didnt want.. Well how many jobs could have been created in the private sector with the loans or grants that company got ? The company couldnt make it without the loans /grants and still will cost 3 times the competitors. Again we have a know nothing scum sucking leech taking tax dollars and giving it to his pet projects. Im all for new energy and tech but Govt shouldnt be picking winners. Let the free market work. How many companies cant or wont expand because of his idiotic policies , mandates and deficit spending ???? Im betting its one hell of a lot more than 50. What a jerk off.
This coward would be so easy to crush in a debate. Lets hope we get anyone better than the idiot McCain to debate and put him in his place.
I still believe after 4 years in office the only thing we know for sure is that he will still not be qualified to be POTUS much less TPOTUS
gus commented:
Look!!! Wide Butt Michelle Obama CREATED 25 servants positions to staff her and provide her every whim!!!!
Stimulus at work.
Obama is a MARXIST Ideologue. The only thing that will ever change his mind is death.
He is not psychologically stable.
bitterclinger commented:
O’Doofus couldn’t even get 1,000 to come to his speech today.
Didn’t Alinsky say that having people think you have power is just as good as having it? Yeah, they’re a scary bunch, but they’re incompetent as well as evil.
Pray unceasingly. If G-d is for us, who can be against?
Expect miracles.
gus commented:
This POTUS POS hasn’t a clue.
Obama believes you can spend 10 dollars mining for 5 dollars worth of gold and if you hire a dozen people it’s a plus and created jobs.
Unicorn farts don’t power up Air Force One and Electric trucks still require electricty which requires coal. You are spending BILLLLLLIONS of our childrens dollars and you haven’t the simple sense of a drunken moron to understand how the world operates.
pm commented:
Too bad that picture didn’t show a third sign:
“Because We’re Idiots”
Then I might have some hope for them.
Robert commented:
The only viable alternative to coal, and the only viable
source for significant energy expansion in the U.S.
other than gas is more nuclear energy.
It’s as simple as that, and wishing
otherwise ain’t gonna make it so.
KR commented:
Too funny:
“Alvin Greene’s job creation idea is still better than any that President Obama, or any of the current Democratic leaders, have offered.”
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/07/08/president-obama-nancy-pelosi-and-alvin-greene-the-three-economic-stooges/
John commented:
The curse of Obama continues. Obama asks Lebron James to sign with Chicago. James signs with Miami.
Andreas K. commented:
It’s not just the money.
You have to consider that these electric cars have no range compared to conventional propulsion. A FEDEX truck, for example, is around a lot. With the electric system these trucks have a lot more downtime, making them a horrible choice for any company. Especially courier services can’t afford pointless downtime of the trucks.
The trucks with batteries are, of course, heavier as well. Thus can’t carry the same amount of cargo.
This crap is a toy. But nothing else.
And remember, the Spanish government fundet all the green energy producers. Then the Spanish government realized that they’re running out of money and stopped funding those producers.
Now the green energy producers are dropping like flies.
Nobody buys their stuff. Of course not. It’s far too expensive and it’s efficiency is a joke.
Multitude commented:
I can’t believe all the skeptics and haters here. “How do we recharge batteries of this size?” OMG. How lame. Dude, just open the hood and expose the battery to the embrace of the sun and wala, it’s recharged.
You people have no faith in hope.
Guy commented:
Robert #30 – I agree that nuclear power is about our only reasonable option, but even if we started building twenty new nuclear plants right now, it would be at least ten to twenty years before they came on line. At that point, assuming we could generate all the energy we needed, the problem of getting it where it needs to go would still exist. Our entire power grid would have to be upgraded to many times its present capacity, and it’s taken us almost a century to build the infrastructure that we have right now. An increase in grid capacity of that magnitude would be a MASSIVE investment, requiring billions of dollars and dozens of years to implement.
I’m all for developing new technologies, and it’s never too soon to start planning for the future, but it’s simply unrealistic to think that we’ll be ready to switch to electric vehicles anytime soon. We have to face reality and continue using our current technologies to keep our society functioning and profitable while we develop these newer technologies.
This administration has people convinced that these alternative technologies are ready now, and it’s simply not true. Crippling our fossil fuel based companies prematurely to force the issue as Obama is suggesting will destroy our ability to build the infrastructures we need for the future, and it’s just plain ludicrous.
We simply cannot continue to make energy policy based on fantasy and drive the cost of energy through the roof and still expect our society and businesses to remain healthy. Either these people are really stupid, or else they are intentionally trying to destroy us. Either way, we are facing a serious crisis if we allow this madness to continue ….
rickl commented:
This is either insanity or deliberate evil.
It must be one or the other.
It is not stupidity or incompetence. I am certain of that.
Erick Brockway commented:
Obama’s idea of “incentives” to get companies to buy a ridiculously expensive truck will likely be a mandate of some kind enforced at the point of a spear.
That’ll be good for business.
Amy Proctor commented:
Yes, weeeeee, 38% of us still love you, POTUS!
Actually, about 1/2 of that are tolerating him hoping he’ll get his act together.
Amy Proctor commented:
That sign the happy white guy is holding shouldn’t read “Ignore the Polls”, it should read “Ignore the People”. That’s why his approval is so far down in the crapper.
Bogdan from Australia commented:
In reverse rickl. It is EVIL coupled wtih INSANITY.
It has been clear (at least for mr) from the very moment the DEMON has appeared on the political scene.
My suspicion is that he is a so called “sleaper agent”; an Islamo-fascist controlled by KGB.
The fact that his mentor is George Soros the cripto-communist who has collaborated with NAZIS in his native Hungary during the WW2 is the best proof of that this theory is correct.
And there is NO DOUBT that he is doing that for the purpose of damaging the US.
Chris Vehr commented:
As Obama destroys, people are taking arms. As his electoral deck is stacked to his advantage, people are taking notice. As he forces mediocrity upon us, rebellion is being fertilized.
A civil war looms. When it happens, we will have taken our eyes off the ball. We will become vulnerable.
It’s just what he wants!
Suckers!
Mac commented:
“Will carry sign for unemployment check.”
Greg commented:
Electric scooters do an excellent job of providing mobility to paralyzed individuals but over the last 20 years have not gotten beyond the frequent component wear out mode. Batteries, rheostats, chargers, capaciters and electric clutches are consumed by their operation. If electic were acceptable then the overwhelming choice of forklifts for industrial use would be electric rather than propane and its not. Anybody that buys an electric vehicle should examine the demonstrated performance after 4-5 years of similiar vehicles
militant conservative commented:
Multitude
July 8th, 2010 | 10:26 pm | #34
I can’t believe all the skeptics and haters here. “How do we recharge batteries of this size?” OMG. How lame. Dude, just open the hood and expose the battery to the embrace of the sun and wala, it’s recharged.
You people have no faith in hope.
WE are the faithful and full of hope. YOU have no wisdom or experiance for your clame. Just shows your a political hack. A dumb one at that.
bill-tb commented:
Question to the ones holding the signs for idiots. probably planted, because signs aren’t allowed by POTUS at his teleprompter seances …
If Obowma was your answer, have you stopped to think how stupid your question must have been. And in turn …
Valerie commented:
Here are some better policy recommendations, from the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company, John Lechleiter:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575354863772223910.html
I would only add that government funding of basic research need not be huge, but it does need to be consistent, at least to the point of fulfilling the grants it does make.
When NIH made 50% across-the-board cuts in funds delivered on grants it had made (only because Congress directed this), many small research operations (many involving brilliant scientists from Europe) were left high and dry. The EU saw an opportunity, and drew these people home, with promises of grants money.
Volatility in funding is a problem. The supply does not have to be huge, so long as it is steady.
SukieTawdry commented:
I just love it when taxpayers subsidize the manufacture of a product for which there is little demand because it’s so expensive (and inefficient–only 100 miles to a charge) and then subsidize the purchase of that product for which there is little demand because it’s so expensive (and inefficient), don’t you?
befuddled commented:
i agree the signs should say: “I’m with stupid”.
LibsAreCommies commented:
Some people still don’t get it: Obama and his Commie henchmen are TRYING to destroy America and our economy so they can rebuild it into their Socialist ideal. They’re just using all this Lib crap as vehicles to push their scheme through and so the useful idiot Lib voters will buy their crap.
Jed Eye commented:
Yes, the idea of electric trucks is so outlandish and stupid that Fedex is actually purchasing some for its fleet. It must be a conspiracy between Fred Smith and Great Satan Obama!! Forward this to all of your friends!!
http://about.fedex.designcdt.com/corporate_responsibility/the_environment/alternative_energy/cleaner_vehicles
1776Federalist commented:
These will get plugged into our already overloaded electric power grids at a greatly increased cost of electricity that had prices skyrocket to pay for his green agenda. He is trying to push the price of gasoline through the roof (some estimate to $7 a gallon or more). He will write a book when he is voted out of office call ” how I bankrupted and transformed America into a third world country”.
Bright Eyes commented:
An electric truck (charged by a neighborhood micro-nuke) might be able to haul Fritos (If they aren’t outlawed by the Public Health and Nutrition Czar) but that’s pretty light cargo.
I don’t see FedEx or UPS lining up for orders, let alone the Sparkletts Water guys. They will probably shove as few units down the U.S Mail’s throats at gunpoint, of course. Get ready for higher stamp prices and longer delivery times.
jorge commented:
Man, you guys are crazy or totally un-educated and have no vision or global vision. Keep it up America blame Obama while the rest of the world accelerates and bases by…..bye bye…
Guy commented:
Jed Eye, putting a couple of these vehicles on the road isn’t the same thing as switching the whole country over to them. I will re-post my previous comment for those of you who just spout off …….
*******************************
I happen to be in a business that makes extensive use of batteries, and I too am wondering where all the electric power is going to come from to charge these vehicles. Nobody understands how much electricity it takes to re-charge a battery of that size. If electric rates are going to, in the words of our all-knowing Messiah, “necessarily skyrocket”, and the additional demand these vehicles will put on our grid will drive the prices even higher, it will cost a fortune to operate them. If you add in the ridiculous cost of the vehicles themselves, and the cost to replace the batteries every five to ten years, who the hell will be able to afford one?
There are other issues which nobody wants to discuss as well. One big problem will be the the peak load it will put on our grid when thousands, and eventually millions of people come home from work, and plug them in to re-charge them. It’s absolute FANTASY to think that we can switch even a fraction of our population over to electric vehicles without completely rebuilding our ENTIRE electrical distribution system to handle those peaks. Another big problem will be providing the necessary places other than your own home to plug them in, and figuring out who PAYS for the electricity when you do. Lastly, nobody wants to talk about the environmental damage that will result from manufacturing and then recycling the MILLIONS of batteries we’d need to implement this plan. It has been estimated that the energy used to mine, refine, and transport the materials for these batteries will greatly exceed any energy we save by using them. How does that make any sense?
I feel that one day, we could satisfy a small percentage of our transportation requirements with these vehicles, perhaps using them in areas where air quality is an issue, but to think that we can switch our entire population over to these vehicles is a pipe dream ….
*************************
Jed Eye, I’m not some troll sitting in a basement bashing Obama. I know what I’m talking about. Also, see my other comment, #35. Maybe after you read it, you’ll face the fact that this isn’t going to happen in our lifetime. It might work, and HAS worked in micro-situations, like on a golf course, or in a resort community, but when you start talking about running entire cities on electric vehicles, the plan collapses. It’s reality. I know it’s hard, but FACE IT.
CBKC commented:
OK, as a Kansas City native, I can tell you two things: 1. Our electricity comes from coal, and 2. Power outages are fairly common from either thunder or ice storms, trees come down, yada, yada, yada. So it appears that KCPL’s trucks will be even SLOWER to repair the damage because they have to go back in to be recharged, from coal that no one can afford? Geez Louise!