Well, the only Toyota Camrys on which you'll see Barack Obama's name are those driven by civilians, like the one pictured above. The Obama campaign had been offered a sponsorship opportunity on the #49 BAM Racing Sprint Cup car, driven by Ken Schrader, at the August 3rd race at Pocono. It's not at all uncommon for Presidential candidates to try and woo NASCAR voters, but perhaps it's best that the Democratic candidate has decided to turn down this offer. After all, it seems that sponsorship of a NASCAR ride might have been awkward, as stock car racing could be seen as being antithetical to any green automotive policies that Obama might support. Obamaniacs interested in seeing their candidate's name on a vehicle can go get themselves bumper stickers, since it won't be hurtling down a speedway anytime soon.

[Source: AP via Yahoo! News | Photo: lizardking]

The two major U.S. presidential candidates, Barrack Obama and John McCain, have both expressed an interest in investing Federal money into green automotive technology. Although both men have differing ideas about what may be the best way to move forward, it's becoming clear that green automotive technology will be a point for debate as the election nears. This week, Obama visited with leading members of the Detroit automotive scene, including Rick Wagoner from General Motors and Alan Mulally from Ford, both of whom seemed pleased with how the dialogue went. When asked by Obama what he, as President, could do to help the ailing auto industry in the U.S., Wagoner responded by suggesting that the government contribute funds into the research and development of emerging technologies, such as automotive batteries. Maybe more than $30m, perhaps?

Assuming that the cost for new eco-friendly technology will be passed on to the consumer, Wagoner also suggested that the government make it easier to get into a new green car, which has been done to good effect with hybrid vehicles already. Obama, for his part, said he saw "surprising consensus" among the automotive industry representatives, so we'd imagine similar suggestions were heard all around.

Update: Fixed Rick Wagoner's name, thanks!

[Sources: The Detroit News, Automotive News - sub. req'd]

John McCain's (R) plan to give the advanced hybrid battery industry a boost sounds promising. I mean, a $300m prize to the company that can deliver a better, cheaper battery? What's not to like? Well, plenty, apparently.

After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) criticized McCain's idea yesterday, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama explained his own objections to the prize money. As reported by the Detroit News, Obama and other Dems said the "game show" strategy wouldn't be strong enough to push automakers to produce the really high-mpg vehicles that are needed (although, the News points out, Obama does support cash prizes in the cellulosic ethanol realm). Obama said it was his across-the-board plan that would do the trick.

Other criticisms that have come into the ABG mailbox include the claim that McCain's plan is "poorly thought out." McCain's aides admit that more details need to be worked out. One alternative would be to not hold the money back until a particular battery can be built, but to offer tax rebates on PHEVs and BEVs that are on the road today, or very close to it.

Photo by transplanted mountaineer Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

[Source: The Detroit News via Autoblog]

With the gas tax idea hopefully safely behind us and just two major party political contenders left in the race for president of the U.S., the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, spent some time over the weekend acting like still President Bush (kind of) by riding around on emissions-free, two-wheeled transportation. The AP reports that the Obama family rode with some neighbors along Lake Michigan in the Chicago area for a while until rain came. When he's not pedaling around (or using the immense energy resources required to campaign for president), Obama is in favor of higher CAFE averages, more biofuel and hybrid Hummers.

[Source: AP via Ecorazzi]

Photo by SEIU International. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Man, all this presidential candidate pandering is getting out of control. When John McCain first talked about saving the average family $30 on gas taxes over the summer by instituting a "gas tax holiday," it was easily pegged as a pretty dumb idea that wouldn't do much to help with the average family's budget or with America's addiction to oil. Still, calling for lower taxes is a time-honored pander in American politics, and McCain was soon followed by Hillary Clinton in singing the praises of the tax holiday idea. Her plan includes charging the oil companies $8b to pay for the tax holiday, which McCain's doesn't.

Clinton spent the weekend defending her support, and did so in a bizarre way. During an Indiana town-hall meeting, she did not give ABC host George Stephanopoulos an answer to his question about which economists support the tax holiday. Instead, she tried to argue that the lack of expert/economist support for the idea just means that "elite opinion" is against the working class on this issue.

Clinton and her Democratic rival, Barack Obama, continue to fight over the issue today, with Obama rightly calling the holiday idea a "gimmick" (although, as AutoblogGreen readers have pointed out, he did support a state gas tax holiday back when he was in the Illinois Legislature). In a CBS News/New York Times poll that was released yesterday, voters came out against the holiday: 49 percent said it was a bad idea, 45 said it was good.

[Source: Talking Points Memo, LA Times, Washington Post]

Photo by Ewen and Donabel. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

First, Republican presidential candidate John McCain had the brilliant idea to prove his ignorance of the economy by calling for a gas tax holiday. Basically, he proposed, the federal gas tax (currently set at 18.4 cents a gallon) and the diesel tax (24.4 cents) should be suspended between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Not much later, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton made the wrong move and backed the plan. Thus far, Democratic challenger Barack Obama is keeping his wits about him and is denouncing the plan.

But what do people who aren't running for president think? It's impossible for us to keep tabs on everyone who discusses the energy issue, because everybody's talking about it. Still, I wanted to point out one bit of media that covers the issue better than any other I've read/seen/heard. Earlier today on the Diane Rhem Show, three guests - Neil King, Jr., The Wall Street Journal's international energy reporter, Roger Diwan, partner, head of financial advisory PFC Energy, Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America - discussed the gas tax holiday and rising oil prices. I'm not sure which one of the three said it, but one of them called the idea "dumb on all counts." He is not the only critic of the idea (Tom Friedman recently lambasted it); in fact, it seems like just about everyone says it's a bad idea. Diane told her listeners that the show's producer looked long and hard for someone to defend the idea, but couldn't find anyone who was willing. And, while we can't possibly point you to everyone's thoughts on this issue, this morning's Diane Rhem show (listen here) presents a good, hour-long discussion on why McCain and Clinton has grabbed the wrong end of this political stick. Your thoughts?

Leading presidential candidate Barack Obama earmarked $1 million for research on turning Hummers into hybrids. The earmark money will go to the Illinois Institute of Technology (Obama just happens to be the senator from Illinois) for the development of a cost-effective hybrid conversion kit. These kits could turn the army's gas guzzling Humvees into fuel efficient hybrids and would be a real endorsement for hybrid conversion in general.

The military is very interested in electric power trains because they offer many advantages on the battlefield like shorter supply lines and quiet operation. Obama has also been a very big supporter of hybrids even calling for every single government car to be a plug-in hybrid when it becomes possible. While, technically, GM can hybridize their Hummers and celebrities like Paris Hilton are willing to voice support for such a plan, GM probably won't make a hybrid Hummer.

[Source: Wired News, ABC News]

Presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke at a GM plant in Wisconsin today, said he is aware GM has done a lot on hybrids and promised the government would help them do more. Barack also mentioned yesterday's bad news from GM, the "record loss" reported by the company. Here is exactly what he said:

I know that General Motors received some bad news yesterday, and I know how hard your Governor has fought to keep jobs in this plant. But I also know how much progress you've made – how many hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles you're churning out. And I believe that if our government is there to support you, and give you the assistance you need to re-tool and make this transition, that this plant will be here for another hundred years. The question is not whether a clean energy economy is in our future, it's where it will thrive. I want it to thrive right here in the United States of America; right here in Wisconsin; and that's the future I'll fight for as your President.

My energy plan will invest $150 billion over ten years to establish a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million new jobs over the next two decades – jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. We'll also provide funding to help manufacturers convert to green technology and help workers learn the skills they need for these jobs.

Barack also compared hybrid production to the increased production for War after the Great Depression:

Prosperity hasn't always come easily. The plant shut down for a period during the height of the Depression, and major shifts in production have been required to meet the changing times. Tractors became automobiles. Automobiles became artillery shells. SUVs are becoming hybrids as we speak, and the cost of transition has always been greatest for the workers and their families.

Related:

• Barak Obama swaps his hemi for a hybrid
• Video: Quiet, Obama's new TV ad has "Detroit" fuel efficiency joke
• If elected, Obama will increase CAFE every single year in office

[Source: BarackObama.com]

Recently Senator Edwards, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, said he would increase CAFE to 40 MPG by 2016. The current standard is 27.5, so I thought it was a bold move. Then I read Obama's plan. He plans to increase CAFE 4 percent a year. His website says it's "a rate that the National Academy of Sciences has determined is possible without changes in vehicle weight, safety or performance." There is a caveat of "unless the experts at NHTSA justify a deviation in that rate by proving that the increase is technologically unachievable, cannot maintain overall fleet safety, or is not cost-effective."

Assuming it's compound interest, he's elected and re-elected, CAFE should be 37.64 in 2016. This is actually a few MPG's less than Edwards. However, Edward's plan does not have any requirement before 2016. Obama's plan could have a real impact on the way car companies design. The pressure of a yearly deadline for increasing CAFE would put improvements on the road sooner. Even if the improvements are small, they are still improvements that could otherwise be delayed in Edward's plan.

Hillary Clinton's energy plan is not out just yet. Obama and Edwards both support ethanol and flex fuels in different ways. So, I expect her plan to support fuel alternatives as well. There is very little cost involved in making a car flex fuel. Add the scale of every car being flex fuel, possible government subsidies and you get major benefits with no real cost at all. The energy bill has a CAFE plan of 35 MPG by 2020, so expect Clinton to say something above 35 MPG as well. The video above shows Obama at the opening of an ethanol plant.

Related:

• Obama becomes the anti-Levin, criticizes Detroit automakers for poor fuel efficiency
• Barack Obama says take the California low carbon fuel standard nationwide
• Three Senators unveil pro-plug-in hybrid FREEDOM Act

[Source: Grist]