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Regarding agenda item: Energy and Evironment, "1 Million plug in Hybrids"

The current agenda item reads: "Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America. "

We need much more aggressive plug in hybrid (PHEV) production targets.  1 million PHEVs by 2015 is less than one half of one percent of the US car fleet.  We will never get to our energy independence and global warming targets by such timid toe testing of the water.  The goal needs to be that half of US passenger car sales must be PHEV20 (20 mile range on electricity only) or better by 2015.  Since consumer demand is low and the US auto industry is ailing, the federal government should keep the factories open by financing the production of electric vehicle componenents that will be warehoused and sold back to auto companies in the coming years.

Here is why the bar is set to low: In 2006, 427,000 Camry sedans were sold in the United States.  Since the Chevrolet Volt begins production in 2010, if GM alone sold electric vehicles, their total production would have to be only one half of what Toyota does in one year with the Camry alone.  Can GM jump that bar?  Of course it can.  It's like sending a knight to chop down a tree.  You don't inspire anyone to greatness that way.   The current goal of 1 million PHEVs by 2015 is an unworthy goal and setting easy goals is foolish management. 

Dog paddling against a tidal wave: There are 250 million registered vehicles in America today, so at this rate, we won't have the fleet, so if it takes 5 years for each million, the fleet won't be transformed for a thousand years.  It is very difficult to believe that America cannot do better given 5 years, and given that GM has the necessary technology today. 

Leadership consists of setting the bar high enough to challenge a people to do their best.  FDR was confident that the aggressive wartime production goals he set were achievable and waved off his skeptical staff's objections.   

What would be a more aggressive goal?  How about that by 2015 that half our car sales are PHEV? That means 3 million per year.  Is it plausible that there are federal intervention schemes and manufacturing capablity to pull this off?  Sure, but Kennedy did not tell von Braun how to get to the moon.  He talked to the scientists and knew the goal was achievable.   It might mean buying PHEV technology from GM and licencing it to all American car manufacturers.  It might mean paying for the cost of the batteries by phasing in a gas tax- 15 cents per year until the price reaches $3.50 per gallon.   That might mean providing self paying loans for the added cost of the batteries that pay themselves off by electricity surcharged at a rate equivalent to $3.50 gasoline. 

By 2012, we need to have a standardized metering communication interface for PHEV vehicles, to facilitate commerce in electricity recharging at work and in public places.  This might be something similar to interfaces  that V2green has develeoped, and might take into consideration standards for smart charging that would aid grid stabilization.