subject: Obama to tout battery power in Mo [print this page] Obama to tout battery power in Mo Obama to tout battery power in Mo
President Barack Obama heads to Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday to visit one of a growing number of electric vehicle startup companies.(dell laptop battery)
Obama has repeatedly touted the benefits of electric vehicles during his tenure in office and has shifted the focus to electric vehicles from other advanced technologies.
Obama heads to Smith Electric Vehicles, which got a $32 million Energy Department grant to build electric commercial delivery trucks.
The trucks, which have a payload of more than 16,000 pounds, have a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The trucks can travel in excess of 100 miles on one battery charge, with a full recharge requiring six to eight hours.
The president will get a tour and talk about the economy and the role of green manufacturing.(HP laptop battery)
In August, Smith won $10 million, which was increased to $32 million in March. The grant -- which does not have to be repaid -- will be used to help offset the company's future vehicle development costs and to give its customers an incentive "to participate in a commercial electric vehicle demonstration program," the company said.
Smith's Kansas City assembly plant and corporate office employ about 50 people. The company expects employment to reach more than 100 by year's end.
Eventually, the company wants to expand production to up to 20 assembly plants across the country.
Obama's administration has backed a bipartisan proposal in Congress to spend another $6 billion on electric vehicle research and infrastructure. Last August, the administration handed out $2.4 billion to automakers, startups and battery makers to speed electric vehicles.
The House and Senate plans would set aside billions of dollars to boost the number of electric vehicles in as many as 15 communities.
"Starting with a smaller number (of communities) would allow us to focus resources and build a team of experts that can support a more widespread rollout," Energy Department Assistant Secretary David Sandalow told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month.Of the $2.4 billion handed out in August money, more than half went to Michigan projects or companies.
Vice President Joe Biden last month attended a groundbreaking event for one of those Michigan projects -- a new factory for a joint venture between Midland-based Dow Chemical Co. and Advanced Battery LLC to build lithium polymer batteries to power hybrid and electric vehicles.(Toshiba laptop battery)
The Energy Department has yet to award another $16 billion in low-cost government loans to boost advanced manufacturing.
It's already made loans to help make electric vehicles to Nissan Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co.
It also loaned $465 million to Tesla Motors and $529 million to Fisker Automotive Inc.
Fisker acquired the former General Motors Corp. plant in Wilmington, Del., for $20 million last week, and Tesla is acquiring the former joint Toyota Motor Corp.-GM venture in California -- the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif.
