Former CIA Director James Woolsey has a bumper sticker on his Toyota Prius that reads: Bin Laden Hates This Car.
I love that!
But you know what I really love?
The fact that in four years, we’re going to have more than one million electric vehicles on the road…
Vehicles that won’t require a single drop of gasoline or diesel — and will never serve as profit centers for oil-funded terrorists.
A Truck Stop Hooker in a Dirty Bathroom
As you may already know, President Obama has called for one million plug-in electric drive vehicles on the roads by 2015. And last week, at the Electric Drive Transportation Conference in D.C., this point was brought up on more than one occasion — as were high gas prices.
Sure, there have been some on the Hill who want to do away with electric vehicle support (while keeping $4 billion for fossil fuel subsidies firmly in place).
But with $4 gas and the unwillingness of the American people to stand by while our government bends over for OPEC like a truck stop hooker in a dirty bathroom, foes of electric vehicle integration are finding fewer and fewer supporters.
It also helps that there are finally real-world electric vehicles on the nation’s highways now. And next year, there will be even more.
From Mitsubishi’s latest offering, the “i”, to Ford’s Focus Electric, electric vehicles are no longer lurking in the shadows of obscurity.
And demand is extremely strong — so strong, in fact, that one of the biggest issues discussed at this conference was the inability of suppliers to keep up with demand.
Unfortunately, it’s not as if you can pull into a dealer lot today and see hundreds of electric vehicles freshly washed, detailed, and all queued up for test-drives.
But don’t kid yourself… That day is coming.
And in the meantime, those providing infrastructure services for these vehicles are making a mad dash to stake their claim early.
At $4.45 Billion, the Stakes Are High
While you won’t need to fill up your electric car with 87 octane or diesel, you’ll still need a place to fill up — with electrons.
And you’ll be able do this at any number of charging stations across the country.
From individual charging stations you might install in your garage to quick-charging systems installed at supermarkets, parking garages, and yes, even gas stations, tomorrow’s “filling stations” are being designed and manufactured today by a handful of companies that are going to make billions by embracing the inevitable future of personal transportation.
According to a recent report from research firm Zpryme, the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and services market will grow from $776.8 million in 2011 to $4.45 billion in 2016.
With a CAGR of more than 41 percent, it’s no wonder major players like General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Siemens (NYSE: SI) are working around the clock to own a major piece of this space…
ECOtality (NASDAQ: ECTY) is another company looking to capitalize early in the electric vehicle charging game.
Last year, the company landed nearly $100 million from the DOE to install 11,000 charging stations in five different states.
ECOtality also boasts interesting technology called “Blink.” With the Blink network, users can schedule and start charges remotely using the Web, a Smartphone, or a mobile device. Blink also allows users to locate any electric vehicle charging station across the country.
Yes, the days of glorified golf carts are definitely over.
And it’s just going to get better — not only for consumers, but for investors as well.
Mark my words: Electric vehicles will prove to be one of the greatest investment opportunities of the decade.
You do not want to sleep on this one.
And if you get the chance, make sure to check out the new movie Revenge of the Electric Car.
A follow-up to Who Killed the Electric Car, this movie sheds some serious light on just how high the stakes are. It’s a must-see for any forward-thinking investor. You can get an early preview here.
To a new way of life, and a new generation of wealth…
Jeff Siegel
Editor, Energy and Capital
