Electric Cars, Jobs and Re-election Of Mayor Virg Bernaro

Here are two contrasting messages about the future, The first illustrates the French vision and action implemented through the Nissan-Renault alliance. Next the Mayor of Lansing in Michigan appeals for support in his re-election as Mayor of Lansing. He wants to keep American jobs in the US by highllghting the expansion of Ford into China.

Electric Cars From Green Chip Review

The future of electric cars got a nice boost last week when the French government announced that it would spend about $2.2 billion to create a network of battery charging stations for electric cars. One million charging stations will be built under the plan by 2015, with 90% of them in private homes and the rest in parking lots and other sites. Additionally, all apartment buildings with parking lots will be required to install the charging stations after 2012, and all office parking lots must install them by 2015. This should result in a total of four million charging points by 2020.

The new charging network will support France's goal of putting two million electric and hybrid cars on the road by 2020. Currently, the country has only a few thousand such vehicles. To jump-start their deployment, the government will give carmaker Renault €125 million to develop of a new battery manufacturing plant and a €150 million loan to build an electric car factory. Another €100 million will be made available for other electric carmakers. Fleet orders for electric vehicles are expected to reach 100,000 units by 2015.

It's a far more ambitious plan than Cash for Clunkers, and will deliver a lot more bang for French buck.

In partnership with Nissan, Renault is planning to invest €4 billion in electric vehicle technology. Renault also has an agreement with Better Place to build at least 100,000 electric cars for Israel and Denmark by 2016, using the latter's battery switching technology.

The plan comes on the heels of a new commitment by the French government to spend $10 billion on freight transport by rail. If you saw my article last week, you'll know that I believe investing in rail is the smartest strategy governments can pursue to address the peak oil threat.

Though it pales in comparison, the best recent news on electric vehicle deployment in the U.S. was that Nissan will deploy 5,000 of its Leaf EV cars and 12,750 charging stations in Oregon, Arizona, California, Tennessee, and Washington by 2012 under a program sponsored by the Department of Energy. Hopefully, the results will speak for themselves and lead to a much larger rollout of EVs in America.

Friends and fellow supporters of American manufacturing, An appeal for re-election from Mayor Virg Bernaro, Lansing, Michigan

Last month Ford announced plans to build a new $490 million assembly plant in China, it's third in the country. Too many of our jobs, along with our standard of living, are being shipped overseas. We need to bring manufacturing back to the US and put the "P" back in GDP. A country cannot succeed if it only consumes and does not produce anything. But the United States cannot produce things and compete in a free trade global economy when our trade partners are allowed to exploit their land and their people.

We need our leaders in D.C. to take a stand for American jobs and American manufacturing by demanding fair trade policies rather than free trade policies. And in the mean time Virg on FOX Businesswe need to get back to buying American-made products even when they may cost a little more.

As the mayor of a city dependent on manufacturing and the auto industry I feel it is my duty to speak out for American workers. Just a few days ago I went on FOX Business again to discuss Ford's new Chinese assembly plant. Check out the clip here [1]

The fight for American manufacturing and American jobs is extremely important to me. I want to continue this fight, but I need your help. My position as Mayor of Lansing, Michigan has allowed me to speak out and organize the Mayors & Municipalities Automotive Coalition so we can advocate together for American jobs and families.

I'm currently nearing the homestretch of my campaign for re-election. On November 3rd Lansing voters will decide if I will lead them for another term. I'm campaigning hard because I love serving as the Mayor of Lansing and I want to keep fighting for the people of Lansing and American workers all over this country.

Please consider contributing to my campaign and helping me keep my job for four more years. In return, I vow to keep fighting for American manufacturing so thousands of Americans can keep their jobs.

Thank you for your support in this fight - I will not stop fighting for American jobs and families!

For America's Future,

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Ford's decision does need to be questioned. The Chinese market for cars is four times larger than the US so it makes sense to be investing in that market with an eye on potential profits in the future. But what is their strategy for the existing American market and jobs. If it turns out that American capacity is reduced by importing Chinese cars from its new plants in China then what is going to happen to American manufacturing?

And indeed its future