Leaf-y Green

"Okay.  I am squatting and plugging car into electric charger.  Somebody take my picture, quick...  Only one question - do I look like a baby 'pooping' to you?"

First, to you people reading this, I'm sorry.  I missed the article below when it first came out.

Second, yes, you do look like a 'baby pooping' to me.  Having three kids, I'd recognize that 'squat and stare' look anywhere.  If the camera were a bit closer I'd bet your face is red too...

Third, thanks Mr. Poopy-Pants for squatting next to the subject of today's post. 


National Legal and Policy Center, April 2012:  Nissan North America, Inc. – a subsidiary of its Japanese parent – is the beneficiary of a $1.4 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, to convert a plant in Smyrna, Tenn. to produce the Leaf and batteries for it. The project’s promoters say the alterations will lead to 1,300 new jobs, enabling Nissan to produce up to 150,000 Leafs and 200,000 battery packs per year, which will lead to the all-important avoidance of 204,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions – or so they say.

But there’s just one problem: Sales of the Leaf are not much better than the Volt’s have been, and lately have been much worse. In 2011 Chevrolet sold 7,671 of its plug-in Volt, whose range is extended with the help of a small gasoline tank. Nissan sold 9,674 of the purely electric Leaf last year. So far through the end of March this year GM has delivered 4,095 Volts, while only 1,733 Leafs have been sold.

So if demand isn’t strong enough to keep a GM line running to build the Volt, how can the current level of sales for the Leaf justify the enormous plant investment Nissan is making in Tennessee? USA Today reported a few weeks ago that as gasoline prices reach $4 per gallon, electric vehicles still “face dark days.” Industry expert LMC Automotive predicts EV sales will remain below 1 percent through 2017.


[Insert Jeopardy theme-music here]  "Do dee do do do dee do, do dee do do, dit dee do do do do dee do..."

When logic fails to explain why a business would build something its customers do not appear to WANT, there can be only ONE logical answer.  If you are looking for affirmation, here comes the explanation from the nice folks at the NLPC:


Why would this be? Because even with billions of dollars in “investment” from the government to help Ford, Nissan, Fisker, Tesla, and The Vehicle Production Group build EVs, and to fund companies like Ecotality to build out a charging network at places like Cracker Barrel, the technology is impractical for most people.

Besides the obvious range anxiety [Moos Note:  Great, and I just got over my 'performance anxiety'.  Now there's MORE anxiety to worry about...] experienced by EV drivers, because the batteries don’t maintain their charge long enough, there’s the problem of lengthy times required to “fill up” again. Even the extremely expensive ($40,000 each) and hard-to-find “fast-chargers” (440 volt) take 30 minutes to get a Leaf going again for any reasonable distance, and most chargers require four to five hours to re-boost.

...

While Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn (pictured) would obviously love to see sales of the Leaf take off, he has said (in so many words) that government subsidies are the reason for his pursuit of EV technology, rather than successes based upon qualities such as value, styling, safety rankings, or popularity with the purchasing public. 

“It does not matter if, for example, Portugal stops the incentives, as long as other countries like the United States continue to support,” Ghosn told Reuters in October. “If countries like France, Japan and the UK support and then China, that is about to start to support, that's fine.”

The Brazilian-born Frenchman, who also chairs Renault, also does not hide the fact that he supports government control of markets and its attempts to stimulate technologies, no matter the cost.
 
“We must diversify the energy mix used to fuel our vehicles,” Ghosn wrote last month for Forbes. “Petroleum-based fuels now account for 96 percent of the world’s automotive energy mix. By mandating targets and requirements at the level of the state, we can increase the mix of renewable fuels.”

...

Meanwhile an analysis of fuel efficiency by the New York Times determined that it would take nine years before Leaf owners break even by saving money on gasoline versus the extra cost of the EV. That is a dubious assumption, since after that amount of time all – or a lot of – the depleted battery pack will need to be replaced. Time will tell, but if like most batteries it needs entire replacement, the cost is likely to exceed $30,000.
 
Nissan disputes that, of course. But is it worth risking the unknown for a vehicle that is only capable of traveling much fewer miles than would an equivalent gas-powered car such as the Nissan Versa or Chevy Cruze?
 
Not that that matters to Ghosn, since in his view, the purpose of the automobile business is to serve the collective through the manipulations of government.
 
“We have a social responsibility to ensure that this industry grows sustainably,” he wrote in his Forbes piece, “and if we uphold our responsibility, we will increase the quality of life for everyone on our planet.”

So, in the end, it boils down again to the 'Greater Good', 'Social Justice', 'Fairness', and 'What the government will subsidize'.  These vehicles do not have to be profitable, or desired, or competitive in the market, but rather, it is the very appearance of caring (with US taxpayers footing the bill) which matters to Nissan. 

Oh, and the $1.4 BILLION which you EPA personally committed (for YOU!) to fund Nissan's building of these electrified AMC Pacers helps too. 

Go ahead, look again, you'll KNOW it's true...


Nissan Leaf 2012

1976 AMC Pacer

  

The major similarities between these two vehicles:

• Both are blue
• Both are 'Bone Ugly'
• Both are destined to be CLASSICS
• The first was introduced during Jimmy Carter's First term, and the second, during Jimmy Carter's Second...  And Final, Term

The major difference between these two vehicles?

• The $1.4 BILLION you funded got you two more doors (and batteries which cost $30,000 to replace)

Although, I hear our money wasn't completely wasted.  President Obama's getting a new limo to cruise around in while campaigning...

Wow, that's going to need a LOT of batteries...
But the paint job is sooooooo radical - just like the man himself!


Luckily for US, we're already investing in most of the companies funding these 'green energy battery manufacturers'.  President Obama believes in 're-investment'.


He re-invests YOUR money into things he wants to succeed - regardless of it they are profitable, sustainable, marketable...  Or not. 


Well, it's not like it HIS money.  He ought to 'spread the wealth around', right?

Tin Men

Tin men & women - those friendly, patriotic, business-savvy, and freedom-loving men and women of the UAW are here.  Go with them now...  Become part of their machine, lest they stomp you (as friendly, patriotically, and freedom-lovingly as possible) into Mechanically-Separated 'Meat Product'.

Oh, and thanks for the $50 BILLION loan...

On Friday I speculated (yes, I 'speculate' in public) as to why President Obama would want to increase the existing $7,500 Tax Credit on Electric Vehicles to $10,000.  IF the Chevrolet Volt is as good as GM says it is, people should be flocking to put down the $46,000 required to be one of the first kids on the block to own one. 

Will this increased Tax Credit ever see the light of day?  No, probably not.  Why?  Because the provision was in the President's Budget submitted to Congress last week.  

That question you are probably asking yourself is, "Why won't the legislation move forward - what's preventing the President's Budget from being approved?"  Excellent, question thanks for asking! 

Well, that's because the Democratically-led Senate will not VOTE on the Obama budget submitted by the Democratically-led Executive Branch.  It's TOXIC (and when other Democratic lawmakers realize this, um, it's really bad). 

The interesting thing is that John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, DOES want to vote on the President's Budget. 

Why?  Because "It's TOXIC."  So much so that Boehner wants the Bill discussed so all Americans can hear what the President believes THEY ought to be spending THEIR money on.  Since Congress hasn't passed a Constitutionally-Required Budget in over 1,000 days (that's over 8,500 days in 'dog days'), sure, what the heck, might as well vote on the Deficit-reducing, pro-Business, OWS-loving, and freedoms-reducing Obama Budget, right?  At least it's something with 'Budget' in the title...  

Huh, what's that?  Sheesh, what's with all the questions today?  Now you want to know why the Congress hasn't proposed a Budget in over three years? 

Because for the two years the Democrats held the House and Senate, they were much too busy passing important life-altering legislation than to worry about, you know...  Budgets.  Health care needed fixing, Osama Bin-Laden needed to be killed (President Obama did this himself), the Economy needed to be trashed, and the military needed to be reduced, you know, since President Obama personally killed OBL.  

And now that the Republican House Leadership has passed and submitted multiple Budgets to the Senate, Harry Reid won't allow votes on them.  If nothing else, Harry Reid is consistent.    

But alas, I have once again fallen victim to my own 'trackless' train of thought.  Let's get back to the good stuff, shall we???

So why is the President hawking the $10,000 EV ('Electric Vehicle') Tax Credit in his proposed budget?  It's a financial 'Shout Out' to the Union Workers who continue to benefit from President Obama's legislative decisions from a few years back.  The credit may never see the light of day, but gosh golly, would a Republican throw the UAW dogs a 'virtual bone' like this?  Yeah, probably. 

Why?  AGAIN WITH THE QUESTIONS!?!?!   Yikes!  Because not all Republicans are Conservative, of course.  And when you're a moderate, a liberal, or a progressive, you 'Dance with the one who brung you' regardless of WHO you are.    

However, if you get a REALLY Liberal Democrat President in the White House, you know he's going to give to the Unions what they want to garner their support...  Anything.

Even once-independent car companies.

Check out the following from the homepage of the UAW website:

OWS, Solidarity and Family Scholarship Values - It's all here!!!

And how will these union-owned institutions repay the American people who loaned them $70+ BILLION dollars?  According to the Wall Street Journal's Sharon Terlep:

General Motors Co. is freezing the pay of its 26,000 U.S. salaried employees and will eliminate its traditional pension contribution for those salaried workers who still receive them in moves to reduce financial risks and cut costs.

The Detroit company also will shrink the 2011 bonus for all salaried U.S. workers because it failed to meet its financial goals last year, people familiar with the matter said.

The changes come as GM prepares to disclose on Thursday a record annual profit of around $8 billion for 2011...
...

The company will pay smaller annual bonuses to most white-collar (non-union) workers despite an expected record profit because net income is only one factor in determining payouts…

The auto maker’s 48,500 United Auto Workers-represented hourly workers receive bonuses under a different formula, which hinges on profitability and quality.



Next up, an article from 'Sweetness & Light' quoting the Associated Press and discussing the projected bonuses provided to Union Workers at GM.  Employees in a Union-Run Business (still owned  are apparently NOT equal in the eyes of Union Leadership.  (Okay, not really a surprise, but it does provide additional validation for the whole "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" quote). 

I wonder, how many Americans know that THEY still own 27% of the 'New GM'?  And if so, would they approve of the bonuses paid ONLY to Union Thugs (um, workers, I meant skilled-workers) in lieu of their getting repaid the still outstanding multi-Billion dollar debt to taxpayers?  I wonder...

Okay, here we go, from Sweetness & Light (their commentary is in RED): 

DETROIT (AP) – General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed into financial ruin… The 103-year-old company made $7.6 billion in 2011, up 62% from 2010.
 Mind you, since 27% of GM is still owned by the government, these figures are, in effect, coming from the Obama administration as well as the United Auto Workers. So they are probably as accurate as the current unemployment numbers.

GM also said Thursday that its 47,500 blue-collar workers in the U.S. will get $7,000 profit-sharing checks in March. The checks are based on North American performance and are a record for the company...

...

GM is a vastly different company than it was then. It’s smaller and has less debt, and its contract with the United Auto Workers is less costly…
Yes, the UAW’s pension fund was bailed out, and the union was given the company they destroyed, in exchange for a "less costly" contract.

That is what is known as "fairness."

But it took a government bailout and a trip through bankruptcy protection in 2009 to cut its bloated costs. The restructured company was able to make record profit last year, even though U.S. auto sales were near historic lows at 12.8 million cars and trucks…

Again, these profit reports are coming from the Obama administration. And who knows how much they have been ‘seasonally adjusted’ to give Obama something to crow about?

Also bear in mind that GM will not have to pay any federal taxes for the next ten years. (Which was another payback to the UAW for their loyal support of Obama and the Democrat party.)

So, even though General Motors has made the biggest profit in its history, it will pay less tax than Warren Buffet’s secretary. — Where is the outrage?

Where's the outrage?

Oh, it's coming.  Oh, but it's not from you. 

It's from them, the Tin Men and Women of the UAW and their Brother and Sister Union organizations. 

Check out the UAW.org website homepage today...

The 99% Spring is coming because, they say, "The 1% have stolen our democracy - That's why we're starting the 99% Spring".  Shoot, based upon what I've read, it occurs to me that the only stealing going on from this bunch is FROM the 99%.  And, thanks to the Obama Administration we're funding 27% of their springtime events on behalf of GM. 

Get ready for the 99% Spring.  It's gonna get weird.  

I wonder if anyone will talk about it?

I know a few folks. 

See ya.