McCain Offers $300 Million for Battery

While the government has been working on CAFE standards, they have directed all the big bucks research money to Fuel Cells, not batteries. California has done much better, they insisted on zero pollution vehicles, not a specific techology to get there. Yes, research is needed, but the government invarible sends all the major research money to very big corporations (GM, Boeing, Lockheed, etc.), not companies like Tesla, (who have a production electric vehicle with no significant government funding).

I agree with that. Germany and solar for example. But Asia has picked a lot of losers. All attempts to displace Intel have failed, and all efforts to make the biggest supercomputer have not yielded much cash flow.

I "overagree" with that. I want to minimize the PHEV phase and go to total electric ASAP.

The wisdom was learned based on a huge number of examples. I only provided a few. There have definitely been some good government choices, but the total scorecard is rather clear. I support government funding, but the government making the engineering decision of what technologies get funded and what technologies get ignored, and what big company gets the big money often are often staggeringly poor.

Yes.

Yes, but the first drop is the most important. I do not know how influential the first Prius Tax Credits are, but it is clear now, than this credit is not needed to make the Prius a best seller(...and we are well beyound the first drop stage.) 60,000 Hymotion owners saving big bucks on gas will spread the wisdom of this path far and wide.

Yes.

It should be clear that I support government funding. It's that history has shown successes and failures in how this funding is executed. Unfortunately, too many ignore history completely to expound on something that sounds good (tax holiday) but wastes money.

Thanks to all who bring good comments to an important subject.