Chrysler is fighting to have a tax credit given for a line of low speed, all electric, autos.  Apparently their is some debate over whether the vehicles that Chrysler is working towards getting the tax breaks for are new-enough technology.  According to CNN:

David Friedman, research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists Clean Vehicles program, called the lead-acid and nickel-metal hydride batteries that power the GEM cars and Vectrix scooters respectively, “yesterday’s technology.”

“Not a dime of taxpayer dollars should be going to yesterday’s technology, it should be going to tomorrow’s technology” such as lithium ion battery-powered vehicles, he said.

Tomorrow’s technology or not,  I think that anything that helps with traffic and pollution might benefit from such incentives.  Other such vehicles are Vectrix’s “maxi-scooter.”  The Maxi-scooter looks like a cross between a motorcycle and a vespa, and apparently is a bit higher performance then your run of the mill scooter.  Regardless, it doesn’t look like Chrysler or Vectrix will be getting their tax breaks since the senate has more-or-less already decided that the proposed bill will not be changed unless it wins enough votes.  Whatever the situation, I’m all for the government taking less of our money, and with any luck more green cars, trucks, and weird scooter contraptions will get the green bill of approval from the senate.

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