A Tesla Bailout? I Don’t Think So
For as much as the idea of an electric sports car has always been sexy, I’ve never been that big a fan of Tesla because the cars were ridiculously expensive and to my mind a little counter-productive to the whole idea of electrical cars for the rest of us. I want to see practical electrical vehicles, not play toys for the rich and famous.
Now, bear in mind, I wasn’t chanting incantations for Tesla’s failure, but when I read that they have been unable to come up with the funding to build a new factory and headquarters in San Jose, I confess I chuckled a little bit. I did not chuckle, however, when I discovered they now plan to go to the government (why not, everyone else is doing it) and get $400 million from the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.
In a a word — well, three words — aw, hell no! The only way I want to see Tesla getting tax payer dollars is if they are compelled to develop cars real people can afford. I have no desire to bail out the rich and trendy of California by paying for their Roadster development. The plug-in Prius, currently in testing, is racking up 65 mpg and the 2010 Prius that made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show is offering optional solar panels to assist with climate control. These are innovative, workable applications that will be on the road and within reach of a much larger number of consumers than the Tesla ever would. Get behind that with my federal tax dollars and let the rich fend for themselves.