Majority of Fords will be electric within decade

[GoCougs]

Hmm. Oil isn't going to be around forever. Fuel from foodstuffs is also a dead end. But there are a myriad ways of making/storing/delivering electricity. For most transportation needs, pushing that tech forward is the best solution. If everyone were being FORCED by the governemtn to move that direction instatnly, then maybe that could be seen as bad. But giving an incentive and one or two company(ies) out of how many move that direction? The market will still be able to decide whether that's viable.

Deregulate and killing the welfare state is a much faster way to let the market decide what is best.

I don't see how electric cars are it without the government for all intents and purposes outlawing gasoline.

[ChrisV]

Knowing that gasoline and oil are going away simply by our constant overuse are a reason for electrics to be "it." What are we going to use when there is no more oil for transportation? Simply put, I'd rather not let the market wait until then to scramble to try make the only available way work.

The government isn't telling companies WHICH tech to use, they are simply giving incentive to do research and development in a general direction. And that direction is away from oil. That leaves a LOT of choice in which direction to go. But, realistically, electric power is the most logical direction. But how you arrive at that electrical power, whether it's advanced battery storage, hydrogen storage, solar, nuclear, algae, whatever, is still up for grabs. Hell, looking into it could result in a breakthrough in electical generation thorugh something as off the wall and "kooky" as zero point field technology.

And none of it has anything to do with "the welfare state."

[FoMoJo]

Perhaps venture capital needs some assurance that the product will succeed, if they're gambling with other people's money.  With some assistance, either from the government or private capital, I believe that amazing technology is just around the corner.  It's a bit of a gamble but otherwise, we are just marking time.  Even GM, with their Volt prototype a couple of years ago, was taking a big gamble that battery technology would advance enough to fulfil their requirements.  It seems, almost, there.

[NomisR]

Perhaps venture capital needs some assurance that the product will succeed, if they're gambling with other people's money.  With some assistance, either from the government or private capital, I believe that amazing technology is just around the corner.  It's a bit of a gamble but otherwise, we are just marking time.  Even GM, with their Volt prototype a couple of years ago, was taking a big gamble that battery technology would advance enough to fulfil their requirements.  It seems, almost, there.

Well, they would've had the technology if they didn't sell it off to the oil companies.

[Soup DeVille]

Deregulate and killing the welfare state is a much faster way to let the market decide what is best.

I don't see how electric cars are it without the government for all intents and purposes outlawing gasoline.

The problem isn't regulation in itself perhaps, but psychotic regulations that try to force incompatible things: Like encouraging more electricity use through electric cars, but discouraging (quite effectively at that) electricity production.