Energy Independence

After Obamacare: Taxing those that don’t drive hybrid cars

Tax those that don’t buy plug-in trucks

Time to make consumers responsible for their actions?

Since the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare, pundits on both sides of the aisle have been trying to spin what this landmark ruling means, not just for healthcare, but in terms of the power of government. According to Republicans, the federal government now essentially has complete power to force Americans towards, or away, from a particular behavior through the power of taxation.

Thus, for instance, rather than giving tax credits to Americans that drive hybrid cars, the government could instead tax those Americans that don’t drive hybrid cars. Read more…

Coming soon – The great gas price crash

$4.00 gas prices: Expensive by 2020 standards?

To be followed by an even greater gas price hike?

Barring conflict in the Persian Gulf, which seems incredibly all too likely, gasoline prices could be set for a huge crash around 2020. In fact the world might be on the verge of one of the greatest oil booms ever, at least in many decades.

Unfortunately, that probably won’t mean anything in terms of reducing US foreign oil dependence. In fact, the oil boom might actually lead to much higher gas prices, despite the potential of an OPEC-free North America. Read more…

The duped: Eco-branding and the energy revolution

We CANNOT plug-in fast enough. So, why pretend?

Greenwashers for foreign oil independence are us?

So, according to Consumer Reports, eco-cars — those more fuel efficient, special edition versions of cars used primarily for advertising rather than real world sales — aren’t cost-effective. Since no one was buying them anyway, who cares? Certainly not automakers. Eco, 40 mpg on the highway, it’s all just marketing hype meant to dupe consumers, too many of whom are all too willing to be duped.

Yet, it is the duped that are probably the key to the future, and a desperately needed energy revolution. Unfortunately, almost all of us have been duped one way or another. Read more…

Tesla still a bright, shining star in the plug-in space, but

If you're rich and green, the Tesla Model S is THE statement car, by far

It’s crunch time for this EV maker

Last quarter Tesla lost $89 million dollars. The quarter before, $48.9 million. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk isn’t worried, as long as Tesla can perfectly deliver 5000 Model S’s this year and head into 2013 with the ability to produce 20,000 S’s every year — and sell most of them — the company will soon be profitable.

And, while the financial loses and the lofty sale’s projections have many believing that Tesla is now climbing a very slippery slope, I believe Tesla has a legitimate shot for success, and here’s why. Read more…

Fisker fire: The plug-in revolution is dead

Another plug-in related fire is bad news for the plug-in revolution.

OK. It’s not dead, but the plug-in revolution is on life support

I have one metric in life when it comes to transportation. OK. It’s one metric, but it’s split into two parts. The basic metric — the main part — is simply US foreign oil independence, but the critical first part is OPEC independence, ASAP. If biodiesel can make that happen, I’m in. Batteries, I’m in. Natural gas, etc., I’m in. Ultimately, I don’t care which technology makes it happen, only that it happen.

However, one thing is clear. If ending OPEC dependence is dependent upon plug-ins, oil companies can bank on some huge profits over the next few decades because the plug-in revolution is barely alive. And the recent Fisker Karma fire is about to cause even further asphyxiation. Read more…

MPG: Since 9/11 no one has done more than Toyota

It should have been an American car

30 percent improvement in fuel economy the last 10 years

I can still remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. On that day I decided to make major changes to my lifestyle. Eventually, annoyed by the countless ‘no blood for oil’ bumper stickers on blood-oil guzzling SUVs attending anti-war rallies near my office during the buildup to Iraq, I decided I needed to end my personal foreign oil dependence. In most part, for me, that meant not driving.

But I realized that was impossible for most, so I started advocating for more fuel efficient transportation, especially a push towards alternative powertrains. And since that time no major automaker has done more than Toyota. Read more…

20 percent: Toyota’s hybrid car path to success embarrassing

Prelude to hybrid cars?

Prius family second best seller for Toyota

For the past two months Toyota has been the top retail brand in the US. During those last two months the Toyota Prius family has posted sharp increases in sales. For instance, up 126.9 percent in April compared to last April. In fact hybrids now represent nearly 20 percent of all Toyota US sales.

Years ago, some automakers publicly mocked Toyota’s hybrid direction. Even recently, plug-in advocates have criticized Toyota for being slow to embrace lithium and plug-ins, as well as offering a plug-in with only 12 miles of EV range. Yet, last month, Toyota didn’t just crush the rest of the auto industry in terms of hybrid sales, but the plug-in Prius also outsold all other plug-ins. Read more…

Hybrids, plug-ins dominate best cars for An American Terrorist

The best car for An American Terrorist

Fighting foreign oil dependence one car at a time

As I’ve argued numerous times, the only thing that is really going to change American energy policy and consumer purchasing is a revolution in consumer psychology, outside of either force, or an almost miracle technological breakthrough. That’s the idea behind An American Terrorist. To shake up the energy independence conversation.

Anyway, the Nissan Leaf took top honors amongst the 5 best cars for An American Terrorist. Read more…

The funny thing about plug-in and hybrid car haters

This is America and the key to ending foreign oil dependence

Haters matter far more than battery car advocates realize

Electric cars are so Audi 5000.

No they’re not. They really make sense if you objectively analyze the data.

Analyze this. Only a moron would pay extra for a car that has a range of less than 100 miles.

Moron? Fox News watching neanderthal.

Tree hugging fascist.

There, problem solved. Read more…

It really is the stupid American consumer

'We the People' is the only label that really matters.

It all comes down to the people, and you’re either with us or against us

Several years ago the uncle of a friend of mine won around $10 million in the lottery, when you couldn’t accept a lump sum. Before he won the lottery he, like most of us, struggled to pay his bills. A few years later — after winning the lottery — he was again struggling to pay his bills, and had to sell all off his future lotto payments to payoff his after-lottery-acquired debt. Today, he lives pretty much the same way he did before the lotto. Lotto stories like these are actually common, and they represent just how the American consumer is so often their own worst enemy.

The American consumer is also the biggest roadblock when it comes to energy independence and switching to fuel efficient choices like hybrids and plug-ins.

Maybe freedom isn’t such a good thing? Read more…