Will Oregon Lead the Way in Placing Electric Cars on Every U.S. Highway?

Being Governor of Oregon today means dealing with a lot of political pressure over a huge deficit in the state budget and having to cut myriad services for the needy in order to compensate. That's exactly the kind of torture no Governor wants to go through, and Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski has been dealing with it for a while as citizens demand solutions. As a form of commendable answers, Gov. Kulongoski has had other programs on his mind that could help pump some economic life back into the state. He's always been one for making sure things get done while reminding us that Oregon has been leading the way in various important issues for years now. When it comes to environmental laws, though, Oregon hasn't been any better or worse than any other state.

Electric cars, for one, are something you're still more apt to see during the red carpet arrivals of the Oscars in Hollywood than anywhere else in the country, let alone Oregon. Yes, you'll see a few here and there, yet not usually seen right in the busy metropolises. For most people, an electric car is the ultimate emblem of being eco-friendly if unfortunately becoming a ribbed symbol, especially when many of those types of cars look like you could fit a pack of clowns inside for a three-ring circus. For environmentalists, they don't let that vision overtake the very serious thought that these cars are a no-brainer in curbing our reliance on foreign oil.

Gov. Kulongoski may be a Democrat that's become a political ideology everybody automatically equates with Environmentalism. Despite that stigma nobody of said designation can escape from, Kulongoski has been formulating a plan in Oregon to bring electric cars manufacturers to the state where they can not only change the way the populace drives, but also bring a form of symbiosis via tax breaks. Giving tax breaks, of course, is the ultimate Pavlovian response to a corporation. We'd like to think that electric car companies are much different than any other corporation, even though they probably operate about the same.

One particular new electric car company called Think is gung-ho on making a mint with about eight states being considered where the company will build their headquarters. Originating from Norway where the environment is probably ten times cleaner than even Oregon's, Think might put Oregon on the map as a true leader in electric car production in another few years if things go just right. However, with Think in financial trouble at the moment, it could put a damper on everything. Maybe it's a conspiracy on the part of OPEC on our government, but it's not a sure bet Think will be bailed out as part of the automaker financial rescue. The company is hoping against hope, though.

If Think ultimately tanks in America, at least Oregon will have Nissan in their corner with an electric car from them soon to be produced in the state. Oregon also has a deal with Mitsubishi to do the same thing. That is, unless Nissan and Mitsubishi end up in the same situation as all the other automakers. The only thing that's going to keep electric cars from ultimately flourishing in America is lack of money and the mysterious fear of the status quo being broken.
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As insinuated, Oregon is a proven leader in a lot of controversial laws going back decades. They've brought the Death With Dignity Law to the forefront as a true national debate and one that will slowly spread out in time if the philosophy behind it can finally come to a consensus. The medical marijuana law also brought a national dialogue that pundits predict will eventually snowball nationally in coming years. You can now add electric cars to a long list of issues from Oregon that raise objections in every other state. What might keep electric cars from becoming a reality in Oregon beyond the financial crisis is in finding the perfect marketing method to make them look attractive.

Even I have to say that the initial design of the Think electric car tested by Gov. Kulongoski wasn't eye-catching, looked cramped and too futuristic-looking to appeal to most driver tastes. With the initial price of that model said to be beyond the means of most middle-class people, they'd have to rely on the wealthy in the state to get them out on the road en masse. While such a design is probably mandatory to save money in the building of them, they may have to craft electric cars in the guise of ones we already drive. There have been models built like that in the past, though were scrubbed for those obvious production costs.

Having Oregon's Governor driving the Think electric car around and appearing to enjoy it (while also learning how to drive on the right side of the vehicle since the car was made in Europe) was a major first step toward that saleable marketing. Even if it's all mostly marketing from here on out, it's a legacy Oregon's governor has been dreaming of for years ever since electric cars first started being produced in the state back in the 90's. His vision of seeing most if not all cars on I-5 heading to all of Oregon's appealing destinations in the valley may be a sweaty nightmare for a member of OPEC in town on vacation, yet an enjoyable vision for those tired of the prolonged age of the SUV. It's also a real and highly attainable vision in the short term that can only be stopped by fate.

Yes, it could all be stopped soon enough by others who have the power to make laws. Gov. Kulongoski still has to get the Oregon legislature to agree on providing tax breaks for these electric car companies--plus the dream of having consumers of these cars obtaining tax breaks for buying them. If companies such as Think and others like it don't get rescued by the bailout in D.C., you may just see the power of influence stifling what should have been done in America years ago. The simplicity of it brings on no further excuses.

Since most Senators and Reps in D.C. are still influenced by oil companies, the concept in Oregon may ultimately stay as a fringe vehicle you see occasionally on the highway. Or, it could flourish in Oregon and bring on what the state does best: Provide a window into the reality of what's possible...while all other states debate it and feel conflicted for decades to come.

Source:

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/electric-car-makers-oregon-wants-you/