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Despite the hype, the kids aren’t buying hybrid cars

A millennial Eclipse over Prius sales

Most of their favorite brands don’t even sell hybrids

American consumers are a pretty sad bunch. Noble intentions are everywhere. Noble actions are not. For several years now consumer survey after survey demonstrates that a good majority of Americans are interested in buying hybrid cars. Yet, month after month, year after year, only a few percent actually pull the trigger.

Fortunately, according to the latest surveys, the kids are different. Younger consumer cohorts, such as millennials, are more ready to stand by their convictions. Unfortunately, the latest sale’s data suggests the kids are even bigger green posers than their parents. Read more…

20 percent: Toyota’s hybrid car path to success embarrassing

Prelude to hybrid cars?

Prius family second best seller for Toyota

For the past two months Toyota has been the top retail brand in the US. During those last two months the Toyota Prius family has posted sharp increases in sales. For instance, up 126.9 percent in April compared to last April. In fact hybrids now represent nearly 20 percent of all Toyota US sales.

Years ago, some automakers publicly mocked Toyota’s hybrid direction. Even recently, plug-in advocates have criticized Toyota for being slow to embrace lithium and plug-ins, as well as offering a plug-in with only 12 miles of EV range. Yet, last month, Toyota didn’t just crush the rest of the auto industry in terms of hybrid sales, but the plug-in Prius also outsold all other plug-ins. Read more…

Ford finally ready to Focus on electric cars

Ford ready to charge up its electric car sales

Dealers are trained and ready to sell the Focus electric

Plug-in car sales took a bit of a hit last month, as both GM and Nissan plug-in sales declined. The Prius plug-in, however, saw a nice uptick in sales, which makes me wonder. Did Toyota’s plug-in steal some plug-in sales from either Nissan or GM?

Regardless, there is now a new plug-in competitor being added to the plug-in mix. Ford is finally ready to start selling the Ford Focus electric. Read more…

VMT tax on hybrids and EVs sooner rather than later?

America's crumbling infrastructure needs help

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) foresees $57 billion gas tax shortage

There is no doubt greater fuel efficiency is a good thing, but there are unanticipated consequences. One of those is a loss of gas tax revenue, and the CBO is forecasting that greater fuel efficiency caused by new fuel economy requirements will decrease gas tax revenues by $57 billion through 2025.

To offset the problem, the CBO suggests a $.05 gas tax increase and a VMT tax on plug-in cars. Read more…

Dealer markups are back for some hybrids and plug-ins

Will you have to pay more than sticker on a Toyota Prius c?

To the highest bidder wins?

If you’ve been following the battery-powered scene for the last several years, then I’m sure you remember the sad old days of 2007-2008 for hybrid car buyers. Thanks to the gas spike then dealer markups on hybrid cars were a common occurrence. In the worst case scenario Toyota Prius hybrids were being marked up $5,000 or more above MSRP with an additional $5,000 worth of dealer add-ons.

Unfortunately, dealer markups on hybrids and plug-ins appear to be back. Read more…

Pocket change: Taxpayers spent $150 million on plug-ins in 2011

$150 million versus how much in oil subsidies?

But billions more securing OPEC shipping lanes

I believe in the theory of free market capitalism. Ultimately, if not free markets, then it’s a handful of people dictating life for the rest of us. Unfortunately, today’s free markets aren’t very free and for the most part, a handful of people are dictating life for the rest of us. Nevertheless, I understand the end all tax subsidies argument, just as I empathize with the need for tax subsidies counter-argument.

And that makes the $150 million that taxpayers spent subsidizing plug-in sales in 2011, according to InsideLine, a pretty interesting conversation point. Read more…

Oxford Study – Electric car revolution will be extremely difficult

GM's EN-V: The key to the plug-in revolution?

Major changes in policy and industry support, plus a much better understanding of consumer behavior needed

While I am a big fan of plug-in cars, I’m a bigger fan of US energy independence, especially finding a way to end OPEC dependence as quickly as possible. In theory, plug-ins offer a great way to overcome this challenge. The real world, on the other hand, is a far more difficult place.

It’s not that plug-ins don’t have an extremely important role to play, it’s just that much more needs to be done — and should have already been done — along the path to the plug-in revolution. Like it or not, however, but the auto industry and policy makers have used plug-ins as an excuse not to do more. And the latest Oxford plug-in study, unfortunately, supports this position. Read more…

Toyota Prius plug-in tops April plug-in sales

Prius is hybrid and plug-in king in April

Chevy Volt recedes a bit from last month’s big numbers

Sales of both GM and Nissan plug-in cars declined last month compared to the month before. However, the Toyota Prius plug-in achieved its best month of plug-in sales yet at 1,654 units.

GM claimed limited California supplies. Nissan stood by its 20,000 sale’s target. And Ford, well Ford just decided not to sell any plug-ins in April. Read more…

Lead acid batteries the new key to mainstream electrification

Maybe the car just isn't the future for most of China

It’s all about China and plug-in electric bikes

In the last 10 years, plug-in electric bikes, or e-bikes, have become a huge market in China, yet that growth is set to explode over the next 5 years according to a new Pike forecast. And I do mean explode.

By 2018, for instance, sales might reach a whopping 65 million units per year, achieving a collective 355 million total plug-in electric bikes in China, mostly powered by lead acid batteries. Read more…

Where is the auto industry taking us?

Energy density according to Exxon.

Hybrids, EVs, fuel cells. Or gas-guzzlers forever?

I was cleaning out some bookmarks and came across this graph in an interesting article regarding energy density. The article and the graph come from Exxon, which used the graph to explain why by 2040, 90 percent of transportation would still be fueled by liquid fuels.

Now, there are countless arguments to make as to why Exxon is wrong, and I’m not going to make any of them. Instead, I wonder just one simple thing: Where is the auto industry taking us? Read more…