Washington, D.C.— In response to General Motors’ plan to mass-produce an electric, self-driving vehicle by 2019, pending approval by federal regulators, General James T. Conway (Ret.), the 34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and co-chair of Securing America’s Future Energy’s (SAFE) Energy Security Leadership Council, made the following statement:
“Fully autonomous vehicles, and the many benefits that they offer to our society, are crossing the threshold from concept to reality. This is a watershed moment in automotive history that regulators and consumers should embrace. We applaud GM’s bold vision, and trust that DOT and NHTSA will take the appropriate steps to evaluate this request.” Gen. Conway added, “SAFE looks forward to continuing to work with safety authorities and industry as autonomous vehicle technology creates actionable opportunities to improve our lives and reduce our oil dependence with autonomous electric vehicles powered by diverse, domestic fuel.”
By inducing greater vehicle fleet efficiency and precipitating a shift away from oil as the dominant transportation fuel, which currently powers 92 percent of the U.S. transportation network, autonomous electric vehicles can help the United States mitigate its exposure to the volatile global oil market. To reduce our oil dependence, SAFE advocates for increased domestic production, improved fuel efficiency and greater fuel choice.
About Securing America’s Future Energy
Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil. Near-total dependence on petroleum in the transportation sector undermines the nation’s economic and national security, and constrains U.S. foreign policy. To combat these threats, SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and transportation sector innovations including electric vehicles, natural gas trucks, and autonomous vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing the United States’ dependence on oil. Today, the ESLC is co-chaired by Frederick W. Smith and General James T. Conway (Ret), 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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