Posted by
BLOGASSAULT on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 7:30:57 PM
Just in case you thought it was just the old school car companies asking for bailouts, the new kids on the block are
hurting as well.The electric-vehicle industry positions itself as the future of personal transportation. President-elect Barack Obama is now the industry's highest ranking advocate. He's said he wants to see one million plug-in vehicles by 2015, as part of his broader goal to end U.S. dependence on Mideast oil.
But right now, the electric-vehicle community has a lot of the same problems as the legacy car business, and a few more besides. Brian Wynne, the head of the EDTA, says manufacturers in his group need the government's help now.
"We have a gap," he says. "We need to get over this gap."
Tesla Motors LLC, once the darling of the green car movement, is now scrambling to stay afloat and is asking for a $400 million loan from the same $25 billion federal Energy Department program that Detroit's car makers are looking to tap in their own fight for survival.
The difference here is Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried won't make the CEO of Tesla Motors come and grovel at their feet to get their portion of the bailout cash.