4 ms·

Since trucks are so popular with small businesses, electric trucks could also be a great type of vehicle for the government to subsidize.

Shivetya 13y ago
Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. The government could set the example by moving their fleets to electric, establishing standards for charging and the like. Get school buses electrified, one county near me puts up some incredible numbers, nearly seventy thousand miles a day. http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/Transportation/ http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/Transportation/ Businesses will move to what works, see how some have moved to natural gas as its more cost efficient. Same will happen with electrics. Don't be so free with money we don't have.
- joshuamerrill 13y ago
  > Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. Electronic car subsidies attempt to balance out the negative externalities of burning fossil fuels. These subsidies are meant to serve the public interest, which is often inclusive of business interests.
- revelation 13y ago
  You can subsidize it or stop subsidizing big gasoline trucks. But you can't keep the implicit subsidies for gasoline and cry big government when people ask for subsidies for electric trucks.
  - ars_technician 13y ago
    Yes you can. These 'implicit' subsidies you are referring to rely on completely made up numbers. It's not the same thing and trying to convince people that it is doesn't work.
    - YokoZar 13y ago
      It's not just subsidies for gasoline (and oil exploration) to worry about, it's the externalities they carry.
    - steveax 13y ago
      Really? How much do you think the US spends on its military presence in oil producing regions? Made up? I think not.
- stcredzero 13y ago
  > Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. Right now, the government subsidizes small businesses buying big-ass gas guzzling Hummers. Maybe the first step is to get them to stop that. Then again, the rules are so general now, many could get a government subsidy on an electric truck, provided the sticker was > $50k.
  - Shivetya 13y ago
    Allowing depreciation of purchased vehicles is not a subsidy, besides Hummers are not made anymore. Regardless, the same write off they get for buying any vehicle would apply to electrics. The point I was making is that there is more than room enough for various level of government to make the first move instead of paying businesses to do so. Move mass transportation to electric first as well as school buses. Both makes lots of starts and stops making them ideal for electric drive trains.
dopamean 13y ago
Something tells me they'll find a way to say that electric trucks would be bad for small business.

Shivetya 13y ago

Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. The government could set the example by moving their fleets to electric, establishing standards for charging and the like. Get school buses electrified, one county near me puts up some incredible numbers, nearly seventy thousand miles a day. http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/Transportation/ http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/Transportation/ Businesses will move to what works, see how some have moved to natural gas as its more cost efficient. Same will happen with electrics. Don't be so free with money we don't have.

joshuamerrill 13y ago
> Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. Electronic car subsidies attempt to balance out the negative externalities of burning fossil fuels. These subsidies are meant to serve the public interest, which is often inclusive of business interests.
revelation 13y ago
You can subsidize it or stop subsidizing big gasoline trucks. But you can't keep the implicit subsidies for gasoline and cry big government when people ask for subsidies for electric trucks.
- ars_technician 13y ago
  Yes you can. These 'implicit' subsidies you are referring to rely on completely made up numbers. It's not the same thing and trying to convince people that it is doesn't work.
  - YokoZar 13y ago
    It's not just subsidies for gasoline (and oil exploration) to worry about, it's the externalities they carry.
  - steveax 13y ago
    Really? How much do you think the US spends on its military presence in oil producing regions? Made up? I think not.
stcredzero 13y ago
> Frankly, if you have to subsidize it then it wasn't good for business. Right now, the government subsidizes small businesses buying big-ass gas guzzling Hummers. Maybe the first step is to get them to stop that. Then again, the rules are so general now, many could get a government subsidy on an electric truck, provided the sticker was > $50k.
- Shivetya 13y ago
  Allowing depreciation of purchased vehicles is not a subsidy, besides Hummers are not made anymore. Regardless, the same write off they get for buying any vehicle would apply to electrics. The point I was making is that there is more than room enough for various level of government to make the first move instead of paying businesses to do so. Move mass transportation to electric first as well as school buses. Both makes lots of starts and stops making them ideal for electric drive trains.

dopamean 13y ago

Something tells me they'll find a way to say that electric trucks would be bad for small business.