Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Now Are You Ready for Electric Cars?

Seth Fletcher explains why America needs to learn from its mistakes

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted May 10, 2011 1:26 PM CDT

(Newser) – America is responding to the recent spike in gas prices in the same “depressingly predictable” fashion it always has. “We’re shocked to see prices top $4 a gallon, as if it’s never happened before,” writes Seth Fletcher in the New York Times. “We demand that something be done—not to reduce our dependence on oil, but to cut the cost of a fill-up.” Thankfully, Barack Obama’s got a real solution in mind: He’s calling for more funding for electric car research and tax breaks.

“These investments may be too much to expect from a Congress that can barely keep the government running,” laments Fletcher, but we can at least avoid the "profoundly shortsighted" proposal in Paul Ryan's budget plan to cut energy R&D programs. In the past, we’ve always abandoned electric car research when gas prices fall. This time, let’s prove “America can, in fact, learn from its mistakes.” (Click to read about how gas prices are expected to drop.)

In this May 5 photo, the price for a gallon of unleaded is seen on the sign outside a BP gas station in Beachwood, Ohio.
In this May 5 photo, the price for a gallon of unleaded is seen on the sign outside a BP gas station in Beachwood, Ohio.   (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
3%
3%
5%
68%
2%
19%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 100 comments
onebadc20
May 10, 2011 11:08 PM CDT
When I can get one with an 8ft bed that can haul 20K pounds across the country, I'll buy one. Until then, theres no point for me to own one.
KaliforniaKyle
May 10, 2011 5:14 PM CDT
You mean the cars that force everyone to use more electricity, causing coal-fired power plants to spew more pollution into air? Then needing to dispose of the giant toxic batteries afterward? Yeah, great idea greens.
CenterIndependent
May 10, 2011 5:09 PM CDT
The problem with electric cars is they are still expensive, and they use lithium batteries, which the US does not have allot of, but China has abundance of.

 
Barack Obama • gas prices • electric cars

More Newser Stories

Is America Over Cars?

How Cheap Gas Hurts Green Initiatives, Feds' Bottom Line

Falling Gas Prices Could Put Electric Car Back in Neutral

Volt's Looks Kill Some GM Buzz

GM Rolls Out Volt Tomorrow; Hopes for Game-Changer
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment