http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/26/gore-backed-automaker-secures-m-taxpayer-loan/
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The federal government has loaned $529 million to Fisker Automotive Inc., a small car company backed by Gore to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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Fisker isn't the only automaker to reap millions from Uncle Sam. Tesla Motors Inc., which offers a $109,000 British-built electric Roadster, received a $465 million government loan. Tesla is a California startup that focuses on all-electric vehicles. It has won a number of celebrity endorsements and is backed by investors that have contributed to Democratic campaigns.
Critics question why vehicles aimed at the wealthiest customers are getting loans subsidized by taxpayers.
"This is not for average Americans," Leslie Paige, a spokeswoman for Citizens Against Government Waste, told the newspaper. "This is for people to put something in their driveway that is a conversation piece. It's a status symbol thing."
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Originally posted by zeeblebotmaybe gore needs to come out of that HUGE house, reduce his footprint and read the tea leaves.
Critics question why vehicles aimed at the wealthiest customers are getting loans subsidized by taxpayers.
"This is not for average Americans," Leslie Paige, a spokeswoman for Citizens Against Government Waste, told the newspaper. "This is for people to put something in their driveway that is a conversation piece. It's a status symbol thing."
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Originally posted by KazetNagorraYes,
Were the earliest petrol cars aimed at the average Joe?
By improving the assembly line so that the Model T could be produced ever more inexpensively, Ford placed the power of the internal combustion engine within reach of the average citizen. He transformed the automobile itself from a luxury to a necessity.
Originally posted by utherpendragonNo - that took a decade or two.
Yes,
By improving the assembly line so that the Model T could be produced ever more inexpensively, Ford placed the power of the internal combustion engine within reach of the average citizen. He transformed the automobile itself from a luxury to a necessity.