Used Auto Sites

Clean Car Sites Are the Go-To Stump for Obama's Jobs Message

"Every day, hundreds of people are going to work on the technologies that are helping us to fight our way out of this recession," Obama said. "Every day, you're building high-tech batteries so that we lead the world in manufacturing the best cars and the best trucks.

"And that's how America will lead the world in automotive innovation and production and exports in this country," he added, to applause from employees at the plant, which used $468 million in federal and state stimulus money to rebuild and create some 150 jobs.

It's been a popular refrain for the administration, which in recent weeks has doubled down on highlighting the president's efforts to make cars more fuel-efficient. Yesterday's appearance came just two days after Obama announced the first-ever fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

And even the trucks announcement was made just 11 days after Obama, flanked by the heads of the country's major automakers, announced a plan to double fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars to 54.5 mpg by 2025, which he called "the single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

This year alone, Obama has made five public appearances dedicated solely to clean cars, in addition to several speeches on energy independence that mentioned the effort. Those come on the heels of a round of speeches at clean car factories last summer and White House appearances to announce three rounds of fuel efficiency standards.

The reason, observers say, is simple: Clean cars have been an economic bright spot for the administration.

"It's very clear that the policy makes a lot of sense across the political spectrum, and it's very clear that it's very tangible proof of how an environmental policy can go hand-in-hand with economic policy," said Roland Hwang, transportation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Hwang's group, along with the United Auto Workers and the National Wildlife Federation, published a report earlier this week that found that the clean car industry was already supporting 151,168 jobs across 43 states and the District of Columbia. Those jobs were especially concentrated in Michigan and Ohio, key election battleground states and frequent stops for Obama for touting the potential of federal investments ( E&ENews PM , Aug. 9).

While the national unemployment rate hovers around 9 percent, nobody could blame the White House for focusing on a sector that has created jobs with the help of government policies promoting hybrid and electric cars. In fact, one White House official said, the clean car message takes on an even greater significance because of Obama's role in rescuing General Motors and Chrysler from bankruptcy with a bailout in 2009.