Gov. George Pataki Presents 'Prospects for Next Generation Vehicles' - VIDEO ENHANCED

George Pataki (file photo)

Former New York Governor Echoes The Auto Channel's Calls for Meaningful, Prompt Action on Adopting Alt Fuels, Technologies and Vehicles

NEW YORK - February 9, 2010: Speaking at the EDTA Conference in Washington two weeks ago, George Pataki made a loud and clear argument for what and the United States should do regarding our woeful energy and transportation problems.

"When people talk about electric vehicles today, too often...they talk about 'By the end of this decade we can have maybe three-percent penetration of the market, or seven-percent penetration of the market.' But, if we do that, we will have failed." Governor Pataki said.

He then added, "It cannot be simply an incremental new product line in transportation if we are truly serious about keeping that half trillion dollars here (speaking about the hundreds of billions that go for foreign oil), we have to be serious about replacing petroleum fueled vehicles with vehicles powered by energy sources (from) here in the United States."

"My goal...would be that we have not seven-percent or three-percent penetration of the auto market by the end of this decade, but that we achieve at least forty percent."

Pakaki suggests that we incentivize U.S. automakers by making them exempt from paying taxes from any profits on the first ten million vehicles sold in America that get 75 or 80 miles per gallon from petroleum fuel. In making this statement, he reasoned, "How much revenue are we getting from automobile companies in the form of taxes today; minus a couple hundred billion dollars. So we’re not giving anything up..."

CLICK HERE to watch highlights from George Pataki's speech

To find out more about what he's doing in his new role as Co-Chair of Chadbourne & Parke LLP's green-initiatives practice group visit
http://www.chadbourne.com/newsevents/NewsDetail.aspx?news=1372