Barack Obama targets 1 million PHEVs by 2015

Normally I don't blog about political things on this website, but I think this one is a large enough and relevant enough issue to make an exception. Obama speaks about energy plan in Lansing, you can read the complete text here: Prepared Remarks of Obama's Energy Speech, or read the Energy Speech Fact Sheet (PDF) yourself. The most important things from an Automotive X Prize perspective:

- a pledge to put 1 million PHEVs on the road by 2015
- a 150 billion dollar investment fund which will go, in part, to funding R&D for said PHEVs, including a $7,000 rebate for consumers who buy them
- a multi-faceted plan to keep the building of these vehicles in America
- a pledge to convert the entire White House fleet to PHEVs within one year
- a further pledge to make 50% of new vehicles purchased for all government fleets PHEVs or EVs by 2012
- a reaffirmation of the new CAFE rules: mandatory 4% increases in average vehicle efficiency every year

If this came to pass (and that is a big if), you can bet that contestants for the Automotive X Prize would be in a great position to reap the rewards - not just the R&D money, but the instant market it will create for efficient vehicles. With McCain also proposing $5,000 rebates for PHEVs, a $300 million battery prize, and enforcement of the CAFE standards, it looks like we've finally got some politicians who might do something about the energy crisis. Not a moment too soon!