Bush urges electric vehicles, saying U.S. must ‘get off oil’

WASHINGTON — President Bush said the United States must “get off oil” and urged automakers to build fully electric vehicles like the concept Chevrolet Volt.

“We want our city people driving not on gasoline but on electricity. And the goal, the short-term goal, is to have vehicles that are capable of driving the first 40 miles on electricity,” Bush said in a speech today at the International Renewable Energy Center.


Before his talk, he toured several exhibits and reviewed a modified plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius. He also viewed a Mack truck with a Volvo engine that can run on biodiesel.

“When I was first elected, there were virtually no hybrids on the roads. Today there is nearly a million. We’re also investing in plug-in hybrids,” Bush said. “And that day is coming.”

Detroit News