Alternative energy and the Automobile Industry

[Actual God]

Everyone knows the auto industry lobbies heavily against emissions standards dot dot dot et cetera...

From a policy perspective, what are some potential productive ways to promote alternative or renewable energy without harming the automobile industry?

Subsidizing hybrid research and development?

That's all I can think of, cuz I'm a tard.

[Nonfiction]

As oil and gasoline prices continue to rise, the market will take care of it. No government intervention is needed. Look at the huge success of Hybrid cars (although the government did give $$$ to people who bought them, which was not needed, and the cars actually get similar or worse gas mileage compared to other small cars), or ethanol cars in Brazil.

[Sweet James]

I think from a national defense perspective it'd be smart to have alternative ways to fuel our war machines -- so I wouldn't be opposed to the pentagon researching this. Many of our societies greatest inventions were spurred by the pentagon or NASA.

Give consumers a tax credit if they purchase high fuel-efficiency vehicles.

Other than that I'm confident that the free market will come up with solution. The prius, while far from ideal is a step in the right direction and a sign of things to come.

[DblBarrelJ]

I think Ethanol could be the future, and I don't think alternative energy really damages the automobile industry, no matter what energy source we as Americans eventually turn to.

The fact still stands, the % of Americans who possess the mechanical knowledge and time to build their own transportation remains a very small number, so Americans are going to buy cars from someone.

Edited to add: The reason the automakers lobby against emission standards is simply because they don't want to retool the factories, however, the time will come when the consumer demand for alternative fuels will outweigh the costs of retooling the factories, and it will be done.

No government intervention needed.

[bobman0330]

A carbon tax would do some harm to the auto industry, but much less than emissions standards, while achieving a lot more.

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
I think Ethanol could be the future, and I don't think alternative energy really damages the automobile industry, no matter what energy source we as Americans eventually turn to.

[/ QUOTE ]
From what I've read, ethanol seems like a scam. We can't seem to make it in such a way as to be energy positive and the amount of land needed to switch from gasoline to ethanol would be incredibly large.

Electric cars of some kind seem more like the future than ethanol (w/o gov't intervention distorting the market, obv). I sure wouldn't mind driving something that looks like the Tesla Roadster.

[Actual God]

What if oil prices don't force change soon enough?

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
What if oil prices don't force change soon enough?

[/ QUOTE ]
They already are.

[DblBarrelJ]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think Ethanol could be the future, and I don't think alternative energy really damages the automobile industry, no matter what energy source we as Americans eventually turn to.

[/ QUOTE ]
From what I've read, ethanol seems like a scam. We can't seem to make it in such a way as to be energy positive and the amount of land needed to switch from gasoline to ethanol would be incredibly large.

Electric cars of some kind seem more like the future than ethanol (w/o gov't intervention distorting the market, obv). I sure wouldn't mind driving something that looks like the Tesla Roadster.

[/ QUOTE ]

There has been some pretty serious damage done to the enviroment from electric cars. link

Imagine what will happen when these cars outnumber normal combustion engine powered cars and this factories are set up all over America.

This is why I think Ethanol will ultimately win out.

[warrantofice]

everything should be powered by water. like steam engines