McCain Offers $300 Million for Battery

[Wildkow]

FRESNO, California (Reuters) - Republican John McCain said on Monday if elected he would propose awarding a $300 million (150 million pound) prize to the auto company that develops a next-generation car battery that weans America off oil.

Read more here.

[Rybold]

I hope he keeps that promise. And I hope that Barack matches his deal. That way, regardless of who is elected, this promise will [hopefully] live. But then again, anything related to the budget will need Congress's approval.
I have to ask the rest of you though ... is $300 mill even enough?

Won't Toyota beat them to market anyway? By the time McCain or Barrack gets this approved by Congress, and then appropriated, won't it already be 2010? Won't Toyota have already completed it's two new battery plants, and won't GM have already made the final decisions on the Volt, and doesn't A123 Systems already have battery technology that GM will be using? Will McCain's award be pointless as a motivator?

"McCain said ... "For every automaker who can sell a zero-emissions car, we will commit a $5,000 dollar tax credit for each and every customer who buys that car. For other vehicles, whatever type they may be, the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit," he said.
"Now we're talking!!!

[priusFTW]

John McCain said on Monday if elected he would propose awarding a $300 million (150 million pound) prize to the auto company that develops a next-generation car battery that weans America off oil.


He made no promise. The key word is propose. This is nothing more than a political ploy to get the focus of offshore drilling. Heck I'd propose that I get a $25/hr raise to my boss tomorrow. Do you think that's gonna happen?

[chinalfr2]

300 mil is our tax payer money, not from McCain.

[EJFB1029]

Pretty big joke, McCain is full of old ideas, that would have worked in the 1970's, not now, that battery is already in the process, $300 Million would have almost no effect right now. Maybe he will solve our fuel crisis by proposing dropping the 18 cents federal tax for a few months, yeah that will solve everything, opps, nevermind.

[stevecaz]

The only battery really in the process in Lithium Ion, and thats just Ok technology.
Give me a battery with a 300-400 mile range, and a 1/2 charge time. That is an instant oil stopper. The batteries coming out around 2010 will not rapidly wean the US off oil. It will be the technology after that which I think this government "X-Prize" is geared towards.

The funds are supposed to come from stopping some of the gross total pork spending he has his eyes on to eliminate. It is still our money, but as the greatest threat to our country is foreign enemy oil dependence, this is money well spent over a bridge to nowhere or studying the mating habits of catfish. Meanwhile, Obama will not stop pork spending simply because it will hurt the feelings of Senators and Congressmen; and because he's a socialist.

[EJFB1029]

That $300 Million will go to where the lobbyists tell him to spend it, if it were to be approved, it will mean absolutely nothing to creating a new battery or weening the US off of oil. Future batteries beyond Lithium Ion are already in the works, none of that money will see the light of day for that research.

McCain has supported the largest Pork Barrel spending in US history, what makes you think he will stop Pork Barrel spending?

[clett]

Altair nanotechnology battery:

* 300 mile range
* 10 minute recharge
* Millions of cycles
* Already on US roads

Can they claim their prize now?

[dipper]

Originally Posted by clett

Altair nanotechnology battery:

* 300 mile range
* 10 minute recharge
* Millions of cycles
* Already on US roads

Can they claim their prize now?

Didn't McCain also said affordable? Altair, build me a $2k to $3k 30 miles PHEV battery system already.

[KayakerNC]

Maybe Chevron can win....but I don't think they need the money.