Success?… Obama Hails Opening of Michigan Plant That Makes $33,000 Car Battery
Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, September 13, 2010, 11:53 AM
You’ve got to be kidding?…
Barack Obama hailed the opening of a Michigan battery plant today that produces car batteries that cost $33,000 each and go up to 100 miles before needing a charge. This is Barack Obama’s stimulus success story. He obviously didn’t learn much about the free market system from his socialist mentors during his community organizing days.
This is supposed to be a Stimulus Bill success story. A $33,000 battery. (A123 Systems)
The AP reported:
President Barack Obama celebrated the opening of an advanced battery plant in Michigan on Monday as a critical boost for hybrid and electric cars — and a success for his administration’s economic stimulus program.
But even as mass-produced advanced batteries start rolling off assembly lines, costs are high for consumers, and hurdles remain.
“This is about the birth of an entire new industry in America, an industry that’s going to be central to the next generation of cars,” Obama said Monday in a phone call broadcast at the opening of A123 Systems Inc.’s lithium ion battery plant in Livonia, Mich.
“And it’s going to allow us to start exporting those cars, making them comfortable, convenient, and affordable. …. When folks lift up their hoods on the cars of the future, I want them to see engines and batteries that are stamped: ‘Made in America,’” Obama said, according to a transcript of the call released by the White House…
…Despite the fanfare, the battery industry faces many hurdles. Gas-electric hybrid vehicles represent about 1 percent of new vehicle sales, and many plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars are just entering the market.
Costs are high. The government has estimated that a battery with a 100-mile range costs about $33,000, although stimulus money could bring that down to $10,000 by the end of 2015.
Mary Ann Wright, a Johnson Controls vice president, said if all of the battery companies follow through on plans to build up the industry, it could create more capacity than is needed in the short term. But she said the administration was working to address that by creating tax policies to encourage consumers to buy the vehicles and directing government fleets to adopt the technology.
“The rapid buildup of production capacity by companies with limited experience for product with challenging market may prove wasteful,” said Menahem Anderman, founder and president of Total Battery Consulting, a California-based battery consulting firm.
Anderman said by e-mail that if by 2013-14 the factories are profitable and running at full capacity, Obama officials will be able to claim success. “Unfortunately that scenario is pretty unlikely,” he said.
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Published May 24, 2012 at 8:46 pm - 91 Comments
Khan Krum commented:
“A camel is a horse designed by committee.”
tarpon commented:
Engineers have a line for fools who design this crap … just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Obama is committed to remaking America in the ways of Kenya.
Saint commented:
..he IS aware that its only a success if people in OTHER countries buy it, right? No, of course he doesn’t. Stupid stupid stupid.
mark commented:
Who needs the free market when you can pass a law that mandates every American purchase a $33,000 battery? You could require everyone purchase one. Maybe you can put the collection of such fees under the umbrella of the IRS. It won’t be called a tax, unless of course it goes to court, where we can argue it is a tax. And how does the price get reduced from $33,000 to $10,000 using stimulus money? Isn’t that stimulus money our money to begin with?
Sasja commented:
These have to be re-charged. Right? Which means you have to plug it into some type of socket and use the electricity from your home. How much does that cost? And just how are the power companies generating that electricity?
Beef commented:
It’s not even something stimulus speding could take credit for, I’m sure this was in development prior to January of 2009.
PCM commented:
Damn! That stupid battery costs more than my car! Way to go, Barry.
Dave-O commented:
As long as Commandant Zero is pouring “stimulus” money into the project to reduce the price from $33,000 to $10,000 – why not just pour more money down the rathole and make them “free” to all Americans? What a “success” story THAT would be!! Wow! “Free” batteries!! what a “success”!!!!
With more “success” like that, this country will be bankrupt before we know it.
TJ commented:
I’m sure Chinese consumers are lining up now to buy some of these!
But even a better idea… make them part of the HealthCare plan… (It’s closer than Student Loans).. that way everyone would have to buy one.. but then the poor could be reimbursed… and (taking a tip from SEIU) those who didn’t could be fined $37,500! Illegal aliens could get one for free (if they have a penile implant).
Beltway Brilliance at its best!
avery commented:
Need A very Long drop core.
Bruce MacMahon commented:
You’re not looking at the big picture.
Once Obama raises the national minimum wage to $400/hr, not only will there be no more poor people, but everyone will be able to afford this miracle battery.
down with dems commented:
Made in America, but where’d we get the components? $33,000? Union wages, probably. Stimulus money brings the price down HOW? We borrow money with interest to subsidize the construction of expensive batteries… so your taxes go to pay for interest on stimulus debt, but now expensive batteries are only a third as expensive. Cash for Clunkers worked so well, this surely will too!
Plug your electric car into the wall, so the battery can suck up all that delicious electricity generated by power plants that pollute worse than if you had just burned gasoline in a combustion engine.
GREEN POWER
Ginger commented:
If the UAW members don’t stop the union reps..they are going to be out of a job! THEY WILL BE LEFT WITH NOTHING! Their dues goes into some pockets and paying for demo rats elections instead of helping it go towards their retirements, etc. We can not nor will not buy those useless cars let alone the outrageous cost. What a joke.
Drill baby drill right here in our country and we then will be able to afford a lot of things!
tarpon commented:
Beware the words “rare earth” … I wonder what they mean?
kansas commented:
You’re just trying to make Obama look like an idiot.
The Elector of Saxony commented:
Anybody notice that when you get a new cell phone or laptop, the battery lasts a pretty long time. Then, after a time, you get less and less performance as the battery ages?
Now imagine stranded motorists everywhere, standing beside their Leaderwagons because after a time, they couldn’t get the expected range on a full charge. Who bets the tow trucks will still run on gasoline?
It’s really like you went to some dorm room at Berkley in 1969, pulled out a bunch of idiotic, stoned hippies and put them in charge of the government. Oh wait, that’s what happened!
Neo commented:
For all those “coal/hydro/atomic” powered cars
Callipygian1 commented:
I fully expect a multi-million dollar grant for my solar-powered buggy whip plant.
If that doesn’t work, I will fall back on my wind-powered car wash.
befuddled commented:
so this is the obama agenda:
roads are meant for the priviledged few, billionaire playboys and millionaires, government workers, and union members. everyone else–start walking. win-win, all the fat people will be forced to excercise. just imagine, no more fat jokes from our betters across the pond. also imgagine how pristine America would be if we got all the riffraff off the highways– no more congestion and at the same time we curb the global warming pandemic. the UN will love us again. hugs all around. we should admit what’s clear: poor people shouldn’t be able to afford cars anyways. isn’t that the whole idea behind cash for clunkers? plus, the EPA is on track to raise fuel costs. people will no longer be able to afford to run their polluting heaters or AC. just imagine what a beautiful world it could be.
imagine: it’s easy if you try.
burt commented:
This reminds me of the 21 million dollar electric rocket to the moon. One million dollars for the rocket and 20 million dollars for the extension cord.
Callipygian1 commented:
If he ever gets around to redistributing brains I hope he is in the front of the line.
Andreas K. commented:
100 miles. That barely gets me from Vienna to my home town. But not back. I might not even reach my parents’ house with it, considering I have to deal with city traffic first. And then I have to plug it in, either at my parents’ place (adding to their electricity bill) or at special “power statsion”.
I hope Obama realizes that the 100 mile range is a theoretical range, right? It will eat more energy in your usual stop-and-go city traffic.
Oh wait, he doesn’t. How could I forget.
By the way, Spain tried the same.
Now Spain is bankrupt and all these green companies are dying because nobody wants to buy their expensive stuff and Spain can’t afford to support them.
befuddled commented:
Andreas K.
“Now Spain is bankrupt and all these green companies are dying because nobody wants to buy their expensive stuff and Spain can’t afford to support them.”
oh great, you just gave obama another great idea. Stimuls II: let’s buy all the green crap Spain can’t afford.
Ginger commented:
Remember every time Barry the Kenyan opens his fraud mouth he LIES, LIES, LIES.
bertogem commented:
Tesla Motors has an electric car that last year cost $100K, and next year they plan to introduce a model that costs $50K. Give them a couple more years and it’ll probably be half that price. Nissan is introducing the Leaf electric car that costs $30K, has a range of 100 miles, and after the first two years of production will be built in Tennessee. My guess that within three years the Nissan’s range will exceed 300 miles. These two car company’s got to the cutting edge of electric car technology without any stimulus money. Meanwhile GM-osaur is saddling us with the Volt (offering the worst of electric and internal combustion vehicles) and dweebs in Michigan and Kansas City are spending reams pf stimuls dollars to develop $33K batteries and $100K electric vans. My money’s on the free-enterprisers, especially Tesla, to exploit this disruptive technology, not government motors. But how are we going to charge these vehicles if there’s no nuclear, petroleum, gas or coal to drive the generators, anyway?
DRH commented:
Neat! A battery that costs twice as much as my Honda Civic!
RickZ commented:
kansas
September 13th, 2010 | 12:16 pm | #16
You’re just trying to make Obama look like an idiot.
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LMAO! We’re tryng to make Obama look like an idiot? The Indonesian Imbecile does that quite nicely on his own!
DocScience commented:
$33,000 + a new Toyota Prius = the green car for the unemployed masses
Insanity and economic suicide.
Someone legalized marijuana while we weren’t looking, didn’t they?
Corky Boyd commented:
I notice the plant is making packs with for A123 batteries. This technology is well behind the curve. It has about 30% less energy density than lithium cobalt chemistry. The only reason I can see for the government to subsidize it, is the chemistry was developed in the USA, and the patents are held by Americans.
Li cobalt/manganese chemistry is the way virtually every EV manufacturer is going. This is the problem with subsidy system. It blows money at politically favored solutions, not what the market will buy.
TammyCracker commented:
Where do these idiots think electricity comes from? Fairy dust?
Electricity comes from COAL, Obama.
Man, progressives are stoopid.
Sabba Hillel commented:
You are ignoring the fact that based on the way he spends for a “night out with his wife”, $33,000 is not really much at all. He spends more than that going to Burger King (excluding the actual cost of the food).
olm commented:
Stupid no longer describes the vast brain power of the left and Obama.
The only word that covers it is not PC. I’ll tell you what, when people can once again sell their house for a profit and have a job, maybe a few expensive batteries will sell. Until then, this is just going to end up another empty, dead business in Livonia.
Carbon Pootprint commented:
I think I know what he meant when he said to make 9-11 a day of service. He’s “servicing” all of us against our wishes. bahahahhaahaha
rape rape rape
Dude commented:
Amwerica is over. The UCs are all anti-America, Mexico owns all the jobs, everything a republican does or says is called a racist by the media. and the government is not scared of republicans.
It is over. Might as well find another land to inhabit.
voting does not work anylonger. Complaining gets one no where, and no republican will form a revolution. So the question remains, what country are they going to?
Opaobie commented:
The first house I bought cost less than that battery, and it had three bedrooms and two baths.
Sen. Fuller Bull - D commented:
Wow! A battery that’s a metaphor for the O-conomy.
KR commented:
I was checking out the Honda Insight which is a hybrid while having my civic serviced last month. The salesman mentioned that if the Insight battery needed replacing after the warranty expired it would cost $3K.
Sounds like a good deal now in comparison.
gus commented:
WOW!!! Think of how the stereo will be with all that POWER!!!!
I’m all for this, as long as no greedy profits are involved.
ProLifer commented:
How much is this going to cost me? And I don’t even drive!
Reaganite Republican commented:
Success?
Not by any sensible measure… but this crew doesn’t use those
Stuart commented:
Be a stupid dolt.
In your Chevy Volt.
One hundred miles is the longest haul.
Get a real jolt
In a Chevy Volt
Cause Barry is the greatest pres of all.
Warson commented:
This whole thing is self parody. You can’t make this stuff up. I do love the part about how a gigantic tax payer subsidy will bring the cost down to merely out of reach.
MNOR commented:
Michelle Obama says, “I LOVE FRENCH FRIES.”
http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1009/first_lady_i_love_french_fries.html
Those french fries sure love her big butt. Maybe she should lose thirty pounds before telling other people what to eat.
olm commented:
Oh my good God! Michelle Obama talking to restaurantuers is hilarious. These people (the Obamas) are a parody of themselves and that is not an easy thing to accomplish.
czekmark commented:
Let’s see, a non-stop trip to the west coast from my home in Dallas will need about a dozen of these batteries. I’m going to put in my order now… Wonderr if I’ll get a quantity price break..
bobbi85710 commented:
Per Hubby….
JUST A FEW “SIMPLE” INPUTS:
1. THIS IS A LITHIUM ION BATTERY – HOW IS IT DISPOSED OF? THAT REALLY IS NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY IS IT?
2. HOW MANY TIMES WILL IT TAKE A CHARGE BEFORE IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED?
3. HOW MUCH WILL A REPLACEMENT BE WITHOUT A CAR ATTACHED?
4. WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF THIS PLANT?
Dave in Houston commented:
What is really scary is that Obama doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate any of this: A $33,000 battery that goes 100 miles; the amount of money the taxpayers had to invest in this because no sane private firm would touch it; the lack of a promising market; a highly doubtful future.
Is this hope or change?
Someone once said that for a new thing to replace an old thing, the new thing has to be 10 times better than you old. Is this new better ten times better than a old gas engine?
notsurprised commented:
out.
of.
touch.
DANEgerus commented:
The government has estimated that a battery with a 100-mile range costs about $33,000, although stimulus money could bring that down to $10,000 by the end of 2015.
So yeah… as long as the tax-payer, you, are paying the bill for the elitist lefty who buys the electric car the “costs” are only 1/3rd of $33,000.
befuddled commented:
“4. WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF THIS PLANT?”
it’s not a manufacturing plant, it’s a mosque. don’t worry about those poor folks eeking out a living in between prayer sessions, they are fully funded from obama’s stash, i mean, from the stimilus. meh, same thing.
befuddled commented:
33,000 for a battery! don’t worry, obama says if you keep the tires properly inflated, the battery will pay for itself in no time at all.
bigkahuna9 commented:
The minute they develop the fuel cells as I have heard about..you will just plug them in and exchange them like you do with your propane tank and can get 60-120 miles out of them and you can carry a spare or two the electric battery will be useless for cars.
The $10,000-30,000 batteries will be extinct and the company will be out of business or have to retool for something else
tarpon commented:
You know the fail point to all these socialist schemes, they cannot redistribute brains. I offer Indonesia as an example. They took all the farms, gave them to ‘deserving people’, and now are all starving. Proving owning the farm doesn’t make you a farmer.
Callipygian1 commented:
If you dig deep enough, you will likely find that the owners of this company have a very tight connection to a decision maker of the stimulus distribution network. Just follow the stench trail…
Valerie commented:
The US government has been sponsoring battery research for 50 years in hopes of developing alternative energy storage. Progress has been slow, mainly because the batteries are heavy and expensive…..
Opaobie commented:
If Lithium and Lithium ion batteries in laptops can do THIS, think what huge batteries in your car can do…millions of cars…some cannot be extinguished, they just have to let them burn until everything is consumed.
SandyfromChesterfield commented:
I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS COMPANY! In the passenger vehicle market, A123 was recently selected as the SOLE development partner by a major auto manufacturer for a new electric vehicle program.
Second Quarter 2010 Financial Results
Net loss attributable to A123 Systems common stockholders was ($34.2) million in the second quarter of 2010 COMPARED TO ($21.9) million in the second quarter of 2009.
LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE NEEDED A BAILOUT!
http://ir.a123systems.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=498139
SandyfromChesterfield commented:
HOW DID I KNOW THAT SOMEHOW GE WAS CONNECTED HERE!
On March 5, 2008, General Electric, battery manufacturer A123 Systems and THINK Global announced that they had entered a partnership to enable global electrification of transportation. GE invested USD 4 million in THINK and USD 20 million in A123 Systems to help A123 roll out batteries for THINK.
On January 2009, the company announced that it had applied to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVMLP) for US $1.84 billion in direct loans to support the construction of new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities in the United States.
How much stimulus money did this company get?
SandyfromChesterfield commented:
April 13, 2009 GE Deepens Relationship with Battery Manufacturer A123Systems Through New $69 million Investment and Planned Addition of GE’s Senior Vice-President and Director GE Global Research (Technology Head) to Board of Directors
http://ir.a123systems.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=403092
Robert commented:
Some of you might want to consider
investing in a towing company.
ddiddly commented:
Example 47,305 of why Barry is tone-deaf. Ironic, too, that the only people who could even begin to afford a vehicle with this battery are the ones he wants to tax to oblivion. Since it was given the Obama Touch, it’s doomed to fail any way you cut it.