While reviewing information about Tesla on-line, I came across this article:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/23/why-did-texas-put-the-brakes-on-tesla-motors/ which is amazing to me. It amazing not because it presents new information about Tesla, but because it demonstrates how political the issue of electric cars and government has become in the U.S.
The article is pretty straight forward. The video was stripped, but it can be viewed here: http://www.boykotx.org/why-texas-banned-tesla-motors-spoiler-because-we-dont-have-campaign-finance-reform/ (along with a similar, but slanted article).
What I find most facinating is the commentary. It includes detractors who spew outright lies. Libertarians who want no government intervention in anything. Anti-electric folks. 10th ammendment folks. The full gambit of political opinion.
Some anti-arguments seem to make sense until you think about it. Like the fellow who states the car is environmentally unfriendly because the battery can only be charged 1000 times. That’s 1000 full cycle charges (or many more short cycle charges). It translates into 300,000 miles. Yes at 300,000 miles the battery may have to be replaced. Seems reasonable to me. Also the batteries are fully recycleable. The lithium will be recovered.
Or there’s the guy who called Tesla a “government welfare case”. There is some truth there: Tesla took a government loan, made all the milestones for the loan, and repaid the loan. Yes it was repaid in part with monies garnered from the sales of energy credits. That however is not “welfare”, it is making use of a government program and providing other companies with energy credits that they need. The fellow implied that the entire $500M loan was repaid with energy credits, which is absurd.
One fellow stated “The government should not be giving money or benefits to any corporation, company, or business”. Sounds reasonable, but GM would have gone out of business but for government intervention. And the government had a hand in both the railroad expansion in the 1800s and the interstate freeway system in the 1940’s and 50’s. The government exists to provide for its people and from time to time that requires aiding business sectors.
One bozo stated the car costs $300,000.00, right! Another stated “Tesla Motors is a pet project of Obama’s” ??? Another suggests “this (Tesla not selling through dealers) is COMMUNISM-100%”
All this vitriol over a new U.S. automobile company that is producing last year’s car of the year.
How can people be so badly misinformed, or self delusional? The comments are a facinating read and a statement about American political polarization.
Ron