Another Obama Green Car Failure

By MATTHEW MOSK (@mattmosk)
May 30, 2012

The luxury carmaker Fisker Automotive continues to signal it could ditch plans to build its next generation hybrid electric vehicle in the United States, despite the nearly $200 million in Obama administration loan money it has already received.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fisker-build-electric-cars-us/story?id=16458585#.T8gle1Lh-Sr

Yeah.... lets just stick with oil, thats a good plan


OtisPdumbwater

Well since every "green job" has cost taxpayers millions each, I don't see how anything else could go more wrong with this brilliant plan during an economic crisis.

CritiKalbILL wrote: Well since every "green job" has cost taxpayers millions each,

If Military spending is a beach, then the money we invest in "green jobs" is like a single grain of sand...Get a real problem Cry Baby

http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm

Vice Lord wrote: Yeah.... lets just stick with oil, thats a good plan


OtisPdumbwater

Well, it puts him in the same class with the buggy-whip manufacturers... (And it certainly would continue to make the slime like BP Oil, Exxon/Mobil, the Koch Brothers, richer...) But outside of that, he's just another dumb Rightie, drinking the :Koolaid:

Science Chic wrote: It's not quite a failure yet. It sounds like producing cars in the plant it's in is tied to the loan. If they aren't bound by the loan, they can manufacture it somewhere else if cheaper.

But company executives began hinting in February that it would reconsider that plan and look for a cheaper place to build the car after the Department of Energy froze the $529 million green-energy loan the company had received, and had been drawing on since 2010.

It now appears that the company's decision about where to assemble the Atlantic could hinge on whether it will continue to receive federal support.

"If Fisker no longer gets government monies, then obviously we are in a place where other options are open to us and have to be considered from a business perspective," Ormisher said. "However, given the work that we have done at the plant in Delaware and the fact that we own it, it is still our primary option to consider."

So if Fisker moves their factory to Brazil and the production price of each car comes down to $80K that will make it easier for unemployed Americans to afford one? It won't put very many Americans back to work either.

I happened to catch an episode of Top Gear that reviewed the Fisker Karma and I'll admit it is a clever design, and it is an attractive car but, what makes it impractical is the price - $100K per car. Then there's the cost of maintaining one of these vehicles that is an unknown. I guess the maintenance issue isn't that important if they randomly set themselves on fire.

I wonder what that conversation with the insurance agent would go like?

Unfortunate Karma owner: "Hello, claims line? I need to report a fire and damages to my car and home."

Insurance company rep.: "I'm sorry for your loss, can you please provide me with more information? I'll need your policy number, name, blood type, current length of your toe nails, home address and the make and model of the car that was damaged..."

Unfortunate Karma owner: "Ok, my policy number is N5551234, my name is Green Weenie, my blood type is A negative, my toe nails are all trimmed so no longer than 0.5 mm, address is 123 Colorow's Cave Drive, and the car was a Fisker Karma..."


Insurance company rep.: "Oh, you had a Fisker Karma?! Don't you know those cars have been recalled? They catch on fire due to defective batteries. Sorry, you are not covered because you didn't have the defective batteries replaced.

I can schedule a free damage assessment if you would like, at least that way you will know how much the repairs will cost. Just between you and me, the car cost $100K so I'm guessing it's going to be a little more than $100K..."

A Chevy Volt passed by me Pokey's the other day..Its a very attractive vehicle

I gave him the universal signal of approval..The proverbial :thumbsup:

So when are y'all going to buy one? All talk no action. LOL

Yes the Volt is a nice looking car, way better than the dorky Prius and Insight.