Automobile // Current TV

Obama addresses US mayors in Miami

Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama was the keynote speaker at the luncheon for the US Conference of Mayors June 21st in Miami, FL. While the Mayors' issues and Obama's address were the issues and highlight of the day, there was a special group in attendance by invitation for whom the Senator's messages truly hit home. In the back of the luncheon hall was a gathering of high school students from Miami's Young Women's Preparatory Academy, the first single sex public school in the County.

While the Mayors listened intently to Obama's proposals to help their cities and towns with problems ranging from high energy costs brought on by Washington catering to Big Oil, to the effects of unchecked immigration, this attentive and polite group of young women focused on his comments related to issues they felt had a direct impact on them. Specifically, they were impressed with his dedication to education and commitment to expanding wireless access for all.

Isis Gottlieb-Guidance Counselor to the girls encouraged them to speak about what Obama's proposals meant to them. The girls said that his plans for helping schools and teachers suffering from budget shortfalls would have a direct impact on them. When schools are forced to reduce the number of textbooks to keep their buses on the road, education suffers. They also were most impressed with the Senator's focus on the Internet and wireless access. Many politicians today aren't of the "Tech Generation" and perhaps don't realize the potential of opportunities for learning and growth when wireless is more accessible. Senator Obama said that "surely the country that invented the Internet should be able to make access more widely available." He envisioned a time when all cities and towns would be able to offer wireless access to all schools and libraries as well as their communities.

Some highlights of Barack's speech included observations on how Washington has failed cities and towns when it comes to disaster relief, immigration problems, the effects of high energy costs on services and education and said that "neglect is not a policy. Communities should not be succeeding despite Washington but with a helping hand from Washington."

Obama added that while he respected and admired his opponent's service to his country, he would not be the partner to communities that is necessary going forward. He said McCain has different priorities than the average American. For example, he said, "McCain wants to give $2-trillion in tax breaks to big corporations and wealthy individuals at the same time that he opposes expanding funding to the COPS program and community development programs. That's just more of the same in Washington," he said.

More pictures of the event can be found here: http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t277/barkway/Obama/
Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama was the keynote speaker at the luncheon for... more

barkway
added this
4 years ago
|
2 comments

The marvelous chicken-powered car

Who needs a tiger in their tank? Harold Bate, chicken farmer and inventor from... more

barkway
added this
4 years ago
|
5 comments

Bicycles pedaling into the spotlight

If you like what I like reading often math, bikes and charts, this is for you. Not... more

meligrosa
added this
4 years ago
|
20 comments

Toyota building $192M green-car battery plant

Toyota is building a $192 million plant in Japan to produce batteries for gas-electric... more

kushan
added this
4 years ago
|
0 comments

Fisker's Still Testing Its $80K Hybrid But Already Considering a Sequel

Aside from a sexy prototype and a few photos, no one's seen much of the plug-in hybrid Fisker Automotive is working on, but with powertrain testing reportedly underway and an infusion of cash just around the corner, the company already is looking ahead to its next car.

Company founder Henrik Fisker says it will be a smaller, less expensive version of the $80,000 plug-in hybrid sedan he unveiled in January. That car is still a long way from the showroom, but today the company said it's built three prototypes and is track-testing battery software management system and the plug-in hybrid drivetrain developed by Quantum Technologies.

"We are very excited about the initial test results of the Fisker Karma prototype," company founder Henrik Fisker said in a statement. "The vehicle dynamics and fuel economy have performed better than expected and we remain on target for our fourth quarter 2009 initial delivery."

That's an incredibly tight - some say unrealistic, if not impossible - deadline to meet, but that isn't keeping Fisker from planning his next car.

Fisker says he believes advancements in battery technology will cut costs enough to allow him to offer a sedan at half the cost of the Karma within five years. According to CNET, which says the company expects to secure another $65 million in funding next month, Fisker sees the Karma competing with the BMW 7-series and the smaller sedan competing with the 3-Series.

Of course, he's got to build the Karma first. Fisker is using the Q-Drive hybrid drivetrain developed by Quantum Technologies and a lithium ion battery, which will be charged by a small internal combustion engine. The company says it is "fine tuning" the battery software, performing "initial vehicle testing" and starting crash test simulations.

Fisker hasn't offered any specifics about the drivetrain - where it's getting the battery, how big the motor is, what sort of internal combustion engine it'll use to drive the generator - and so far hasn't provided any photos of the hybrid drivetrain in the car. We also don't know just what's happening in those "spy shots" the company sent out last week, or what's under the hood of the car. The company wouldn't tell us, citing "competitive reasons." But a Fisker spokeswoman says we'll see a prototype with the plug-in hybrid drivetrain at the Los Angeles auto show in November.

Fisker says it's received more than 500 orders for the car since unveiling it at the Detroit auto show, and the company is holding fast to its claim that it will deliver the first car by the end of next year. What's more, it plans to turn out 1,250 cars a month by the end of 2010. Where those cars will be built remains an open question; a Fisker spokeswoman says there will be an announcement within a few weeks. There's been some speculation that Fisker will build the cars in Detroit.

Fisker's set some audacious goals given he and Quantum Technologies started working together just 18 months ago. As a rule of thumb, it takes three to five years to develop a car. It took Tesla Motors 3 1/2 years to get the Tesla Roadster out the door, and General Motors is scrambling to get the Chevrolet Volt done in three.

That's not to say Fisker can't do it. But the industry experts we've talked to give him pretty long odds of putting cars in driveways by 2010. Aside from a sexy prototype and a few photos, no one's seen much of the plug-in... more