Orrin Hatch: senator, composer ... inventor?
Apparently so. During a recent speech on the Senate floor, Hatch took credit for bringing us the hybrid automobile through tax credits he was able to add to the Energy Policy Act last year.
Hatch said:
"Last but not least, my little CLEAR Act is in that bill to give economic incentives to develop alternative fuels, alternative-fuel vehicles and alternative-fuel infrastructure. It is a little bill that helped drive the hybrid auto industry into existence."
It's a truly fantastic claim. But when I went to check it out on the Internet -- that handy invention brought to the world by Al Gore -- it unfortunately was untrue.
According to hybrid cars.com earnest work on hybrid cars began in the 1970s. The Clinton administration started a program in 1993 to develop a car that got 80 mpg. Honda started marketing its two-door Insight in 1999 followed by the Toyota Prius the following year.
Between 2000 and 2005, when Hatch created the hybrid industry, sales had gone from 9,350 to 205,749.
But maybe, given the problems the U.S. automakers have had, they should look to the senator to re-invent their industry with the new Ford Orrin - a Hatch-back that runs on hot air.
It could be the first car that promotes itself.
-- Robert Gehrke
Hatch said:
"Last but not least, my little CLEAR Act is in that bill to give economic incentives to develop alternative fuels, alternative-fuel vehicles and alternative-fuel infrastructure. It is a little bill that helped drive the hybrid auto industry into existence."
It's a truly fantastic claim. But when I went to check it out on the Internet -- that handy invention brought to the world by Al Gore -- it unfortunately was untrue.
According to hybrid cars.com earnest work on hybrid cars began in the 1970s. The Clinton administration started a program in 1993 to develop a car that got 80 mpg. Honda started marketing its two-door Insight in 1999 followed by the Toyota Prius the following year.
Between 2000 and 2005, when Hatch created the hybrid industry, sales had gone from 9,350 to 205,749.
But maybe, given the problems the U.S. automakers have had, they should look to the senator to re-invent their industry with the new Ford Orrin - a Hatch-back that runs on hot air.
It could be the first car that promotes itself.
-- Robert Gehrke
9:14 AM
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