NorthWest Florida Republican

The three big automakers in Detroit managed to convince the government to supplement their research and development budgets.

Detroit’s three automakers and several partners could share up to $30 million over three years in federal money for developing prototype plug-in hybrid vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday. – Detroit Free Press

It seems like this is about $30 Million too much. Why have the big automakers continued to build large trucks when it was obvious that people were looking for more economical means of transportation? Toyota and Honda certainly seemed to understand. Both of them have rolled out and are currently in production of hybrid vehicles.

The three big automakers also have hybrids on the market. Most of which don’t get much better gas mileage than the non-hybrid models.

Now, I’m not an engineer but it doesn’t seem to be a very difficult thing to do to just add a plug on the vehicle. Our notebook computers don’t seem to have a problem charging their lithium-ion batteries with just a plug. Upsize the power supply a little bit and you have your plug-in vehicle.

Why should the government spend your tax dollars for something that the big three automakers are already actively working on?

Incentives?

I think they have enough incentives already. High gas prices and a demand for smaller cars with better fuel economy.

It is great that they are working on this technology, but I don’t think that the average tax payer should be footing the bill without some sort of return to the government on said technology.

By milking it for what is worth, the Big Three Automakers are going to develop the hybrid out of your pockets. Look for more “incentives” from the government while the prices on cars rise due to the new technologies built with the research grants.