No one could have ever imagined an economic crisis and the decline of the American auto industry resulting in the closure of not only one but both of the state’s auto plants.
And yet that crisis is upon us today.
The best way to confront a crisis is to create opportunity.
With worldwide oil production flat at 85 million barrels a day since 2005, a 45% increase in crude oil prices during the last 90 days and the volatility of oil supplies from countries in the Middle East, several nations including , and are rushing to be the world leader in electric car production.
Today is one of those defining moments when we can challenge a crisis and create an opportunity to ensure that our nation leads the world with the emergence of the electric car industry. If we want to jumpstart the auto industry we need to go electric and move beyond CAFÉ mileage standards and 20th century gas engines to reverse the downsizing and retrenchment of the American car industry. And in a time when the strength of economic recovery is measured by the creation of jobs producing innovative goods and services, Delaware’s auto plants represent essential manufacturing capability that our state and our nation cannot afford to have destroyed.
Today I am proposing that we challenge the crisis we face by creating an opportunity to achieve American leadership in the emerging electric car industry by converting one of Delaware ’s auto plants into the world’s first mass production facility for manufacturing electric cars.
The key elements of this proposal for Delaware to become ’s electric car manufacturing center include:
• Developing a competitive bidding process to select a qualified company to convert the Newark Chrysler plant or the Boxwood Road GM plant to manufacture electric cars. The successful bidder should include the best offer of private capital, technology and vehicle performance.
• Providing the successful bidder with a $5 billion federal grant for plant conversion costs and a $3 billion Department of Defense contract for the research and development of Military Electric Vehicles (MEVs).
• Creating a Research Technology Partnership between the University of Delaware , the successful bidder and the Department of Defense to develop and manufacture MEVs to provide the military with the tactical advantage on the battlefield of using electric vehicles with no heat signature, no exhaust plume and no noise.
• Utilizing the U.S. Army’s tactical test track at Aberdeen Proving Ground to test Military Electric Vehicles and develop a Delaware test track for consumer electric vehicle testing
• The combination of military electric vehicle technology development and mass production are expected to produce electric cars for consumers with a sticker price under $30,000.
• The Port of Wilmington can be used to export the electric cars to European and Middle East markets
• The combination of federal funding and private capital are expected to create 5,000 direct and indirect jobs during plant retooling and 2,000 permanent and indirect jobs to support the MEV research, development, testing and manufacturing and the production of consumer electric vehicles.
• A resolution will be proposed in Dover requesting that the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) work with Governor Markell, Delaware’s congressional delegation and Delaware’s business leaders to prepare a request for the federal government to develop a competitive bidding plan to convert one of Delaware’s auto plants to electric car production.
Delaware’s GM and Chrysler plants are located centrally within the Northeast which has the shortest driving distances of any region in the country and therefore is the best market in the for electric car sales.
We often hear how these are challenging economic times and the closing of Delaware auto plants, once unthinkable, have brought home the harsh reality of our nation’s economic crisis. Much uncertainty exists about which way future economic winds will blow. In the words of John Maxwell: “The pessimist
complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sail.” I am looking for leaders to adjust the sails of our stalled U.S. auto industry to catch the wind of building the world’s best electric cars right here in Delaware, electric cars that can be powered not only by the wind but by a variety of alternative energy sources.
Leading the world in the electric car industry will provide Delaware and the with enhanced economic security, energy security and national security. With DuPont’s recently announced “Detroit Project” to develop innovative autos, military contracts to develop military electric vehicles, UD’s interest for research and technology development and the ability of electric cars to operated free of foreign oil, this is a great opportunity for Delaware that is also in the best interest of our nation.
Scott R. Spencer
Spencer for the People
P.O. Box 484
Wilmington, Delaware 19899
302-299-7210
www.SpencerforthePeople.com