Ford Retooling Plant(s) To Build Electric Cars

I could hardly believe it the first time I saw the headline, but Ford is retooling the Michigan Assembly Plant.  No longer will it manufacture gas-guzzling, greenhouse forcing SUVs and trucks.  It will instead begin to manufacture Ford’s Focus and by 2011, it could be manufacturing electric Ford Focuses.  Which is interesting, because I still hear naysayers going on and on about there isn’t a market for electric vehicles in the U.S.  I’ve done my fair share of criticizing Ford, but this plan flies in the face of their now-dead strategy of selling high-profit vehicles.  There is a market for electric vehicles in the U.S. today and it will will only grow by 2011.  I would be willing to bet that Ford won’t be able to keep up with the demand when they first sell the electric Focus.  The NY Times article also reports that Ford will introduce four new electric vehicle models to the U.S. market by 2012.  Two other Ford plants will undergo similar retooling to begin manufacturing smaller cars and not trucks and SUVs.

Look, Ford could have done this 5 or even 10 years ago.  The technology was ready.   The market was ready.  Ford wasn’t ready – not until they were faced with possible extinction.  Sometimes it takes a close call with disaster to change behavior.  I was never an advocate for Ford’s failure.  I repeatedly pointed out that I thought they were making unrealistic business decisions.  This announcement sets the stage for a stronger U.S. domestic auto manufacturer for the 21st century.  It represents a huge step forward – one that will force GM and Chrysler to respond in kind.  It also puts more pressure of foreign automakers like Toyota and Honda, although their hybrid and electric vehicle technology is arguably in better position to compete today because they’ve brought products to market already.  In the end, it’s the consumer and the environment that really wins.

Oh, this also puts pressure on municipalities and other stakeholders to come up with an infrastructure that can support mass electric vehicle usage.  I would recommend officials at all levels of government to be aware of these developments so their constituents can exercise their choices as they want.

2012 Emissions Standards; California Climate Plan; Northwest Energy Project

GM and Ford could easily meet the most stringent emissions standards in the U.S. if their fuel efficiency plans presented to Congress were implemented.  If their 2012 fuel efficiency goals were met, which is quite frankly easily done, and California’s emissions standards were enforced nationwide, those standards would already be met.  Watch the auto corporations come out with a request for even more money next year to meet those standards.

California has approved a climate plan that will address global warming in a more aggressive fashion.  In 2006, a law was passed in California mandating 1990 emissions levels be met again by 2020.  Air regulators approved 31 rules for homes and businesses to achieve that goal.  In typical fashion, Republicans are thinking only as far as the next 3 months as they cry about increased costs.  It’s very simple: we can pay a little bit now or a whole lot more later.  Most Americans have figured out that the former is the better plan.

One big hurdle facing a renewable energy-based future is the sorry state of our current energy transmission system.  Put simply, it is not up to the task of delivering the necessary power from remote locations to where energy consumers are.  The Pacific Northwest provides a good example of this.  Wind projects going up are set to provide 4,700 additinal megawatts of energy to the Seattle/Portland corridor.  The required upgrades and new transmission lines are expected to cost $1.5 billion – not chump change.  That’s where Obama’s plan to invigorate the economy by funding green projects comes in.  Lots of winners result: Americans are paid well for solid jobs, the economy recovers, greenhouse gas emissions will slow down and the climate is forced a little less.  Multiply the WA/OR plan by dozens or hundreds across the country and the winners multiply too.

In the News 9/12/08: Health Care; Sprawl; GOP Troubles & More

John McCain and Sarah Palin are running around the country trying to convince voters that they’re just like them. One important issue facing this country is health care. So for those of us who aren’t Senators or Governors, we should be able to get the same health care as John and Sarah, correct? Eh, not so much, as johne deftly demonstrates. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, on the other hand, have proposed opening up the health care plan they and John enjoy to every American. John and Sarah’s plan: you’re on your own.

California’s legislature passed a bill that would steer public funds away from sprawling development, with projects that meet climate goals getting priority for the $20 billion a year spent on transportation. Setting rewards for behavior instead of punishment is a good way to write legislation. The bill won’t be signed until California Republicans stop holding up passing a budget.

Apparently, there are limits that even the corporate media can’t cross trying to help Republicans win this year. I have never seen a major network figurehead sit down with Obama or Biden and lob softballs at them to smash out of the park. Neither have I seen those figureheads hold a Democrat’s hand while answering questions. Both happened as Charles Gibson sat down with Sarah Palin in last night’s broadcast. But even Gibson couldn’t answer his own questions for Palin as she quite clearly floundered on the most simple questions. And I think the corporate media is recognizing there is only so much help they can provide McCain and Palin.

Gangs in D.C. are becoming a problem. Democrats have gotten less than nothing from forming gangs with Republicans. More fresh blood in the Senate, please.

John McCain’s ads are lies.

The foreclosure news is still terrible: 304,000 households went into default last month and 91,000 families lost their homes. John McCain still has his seven mansions. So really, there’s nothing to worry about.

A Nature article Wednesday announced that the strongest Atlantic hurricanes have become more intense due to global warming in the last 25 years.

Random Pieces 7/24/08

After years of producing vehicles that get better fuel economy for European customers than they did for American customers, Ford is finally going to retool American factories to produce and sell the same vehicles stateside. This comes as Ford struggles to reduce costs and just posted its worst quarter in its 105-year history. Ford lost $8.7 billion in its 2nd quarter.

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The paragon of personal responsibility, Rush Limbaugh, tried to take Sen. Ken Salazar to task over oil-shale drilling saying Salazar “and his fellow Democrats are still preventing America from using our own resources to lower gas prices and create new jobs”. No Rush, it’s been conservative blowhards like yourself that have prevented policies that would keep gas prices low. If renewable energy research had received any fraction of the corporate welfare dollars handed over to oil corporations in the past 30 years, US consumers would be demanding far less oil and gas. Oh, and more and better paying jobs would have been created along the line too.

Way to take responsibility for policies you’ve advocated for, Rush.

It’s interesting to note how conservatives are pushing for drilling when the technology to do so isn’t perfect yet. They’re taking the opposite stance with regard to global warming by saying we shouldn’t take action until technologies (models) are perfect. Drilling through shale and off our coasts will not reduce the price of gas. Part of the problem getting that message across exists within consumers: they want instant gratification and drilling sounds like it might deliver. So they’ll support it without thinking of the problems.

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