I guess you don't feel that government support of the internet was ever needed and you would rather be posting on a 1200 baud packet radio network.
DARPA might have invented the Internet, but it was 2 stanford PhD researchers in the 80s to really make what is today's Internet. If you don't know that story, then you are don't know why that was important. Might as well say Al Gore was the father of the Internet.
So which of these fall into the category you mentioned of which the "vast majority of car buyers can't fully utilize"? I get that you don't like government assistance. However, why single Musk out when all CEOs take advantage of some form of government incentives or subsidies, and many much more than Musk?
Relative to the size of the enterprises and across their scope, Musk has to be the single greatest dole maximizer. "The vast majority of car buyers" can't access EV incentives and subsidies and special access and dedicated public infrastructure, all of which are extracted from resources that are both finite and scarce.
Just about anyone buying a car can afford an PEV/PHEV lease when they account for the fuel costs. The lease incorporates the EV incentives and subsidies into the lease terms so even a student without taxable income can take advantage.
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The government did NOT invent the internet, MIT did. Get your facts right! DBCassidy
You keep saying that, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. As I showed earlier, most people considering a product of the expense of an EV would indeed get the full credit. As just mentioned, even if they didn't make enough, they could lease the vehicle. They don't get the rebate, but the cost of the lease takes into account (in most cases) that the leasor gets the credit, so the leasee gets a better lease deal. Of the other things you mentioned, there is no income qualification to use the preferential lanes available in a few states. They can use the preferential parking available in some locations. Please note, the choice of which parking spots will be EV charging spots is up to the owner of the parking lot/building, not government. Grants for charging equipment? I would suggest the poor that can manage to lease or purchase an EV would get more benefit from this than those with more discretionary income. Although in the case of Tesla, for me, there was none as I simply had a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in the garage. Got any others?
Enjoy your own facts, opinions, rationalization and characterization of EV subsidy/incentive/grant/tax preference/preferential use, since no rational discussion seems possible.
If you care to rationally discuss why you disagree I would be happy to carry on the discussion. Throwing generalities around generally doesn't help anyone else understand your position which is why I asked for specifics. Feel free to pick just one and we can focus on it.
The point is, there would NOT be an Internet. Just OSI model from the DARPA project because no one linked computers systems together until Cisco was created.
Very well, I believe your strongest argument regarding subsidies is the $7500 tax credit, so I will start there. If you would rather start witH another, please feel free to. You seem to have a specific grudge against Elon Musk. Would you like to discuss this in regards to Tesla, or all EVs?
I don't think Tesla -needs- any government support, but given the credits and things are there (from what I can tell GM were pretty heavily involved in getting the $7,500 credit set up, specifically for the Volt) why would they not take them? It gets them to their goal of worldwide adoption EV's -quicker-, but it would happen regardless.
The subsidies and his expert harvesting of them are facts. There is no unsubsidized, economic, retail-priced demand for much of what he produces. Other than PayPal, has he built a business without massive subsidy? I don't know, just asking.
