Jim O’Donnell, CEO and chairman of BMW North America, recently sat down with the Detroit News to speak about the ActiveE — an electrical version of BMW’s 1 Series coupe, available for lease within the US this autumn. Most CEOs would’ve probably used the chance to wax PR poetic about their company’s bold, forward-looking ethos, because that’s what CEOs do. O’Donnell, however, used the occasion to allow us to in on a grimy little secret: EVs don’t actually work. In line with O’Donnell’s undoubtedly robust calculations, EVs won’t work for “at the very least 90-percent” of the human population, at current battery ranges. The placement is so dire, in truth, that the u. s. government shouldn’t even bother wasting its $7,500 tax credits on frivolous such things as innovation, national security and clean air.
“i think in a free economy. i believe we should always abolish all tax credits. What they’re doing is putting of venture on technology, which isn’t appropriate. As a taxpayer, it’s not that i am sure here’s how one can go.”
O’Donnell went directly to say he’s “much more optimistic” about diesel’s possibilities of increasing BMW’s US market share — because, you recognize, it’s in contrast to the oil industry gets any tax breaks, or anything. And it’s unlike diverting some money faraway from oil subsidies and putting it toward EV technology would create the “level playing field” that O’Donnell and his company so desperately need. No siree, america energy market is barely as pure and fair because it’s always been — and it certainly doesn’t should be corrupted by an EV tax credit pestilence. That said, O’Donnell would still really appreciate it if we buy the battery-powered i3 when it launches in 2013. Who knows? He may also throw in a free bridge, too.
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