Advanced Technology Development
The future of America’s auto industry is in transformational technologies – technologies that break our nation’s dependence on the imported oil that threatens our economy and security and damages our environment. The auto manufacturers best positioned to succeed in the coming decades will be those that can best harness new technologies to produce efficient, clean vehicles.
That’s why I favor federal support for developing and marketing advanced vehicle technologies. We have seen the benefits of recent legislation securing $2 billion in grants to speed production of new batteries and other advanced components for electric-powered vehicles. More than $1 billion of those grants went to Michigan companies that already are putting workers on the job making those components.
Especially important is the link between these technologies and our military. As events in places such as Afghanistan show, our military’s dependence on oil is a challenge. Working with the Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, Mich., and with Michigan companies, we have secured support for research and development that help the military meet its needs, provides opportunity for American workers and produces work with civilian as well as military benefits.
I will continue to support federal assistance for research and development of new vehicle technologies. Overseas competitors of our automakers and suppliers will continue to get assistance from their governments, and our failure to assist American companies would put them at an unfair disadvantage in the global marketplace. I will fight for for tax provisions and other assistance to help make these developing technologies competitive and commercially viable for our manufacturers and attractive to consumers.
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