Plug-in Vehicles

Chevy Volt sales good, but way below forecasts

Not living up to the hype yet

California HOV access still providing a lift for the Volt

If you could imagine the perfect car for today, it would be one that would enable most to meet all their driving needs using nothing but cheap, off-peak electricity, but that is still backed up by a gasoline engine. Add a Toyota Prius-like price tag, and you have a home run.

The Chevy Volt is half that car. Technologically, it’s almost perfect. But in terms of price it’s a miss.

Thus, while June demonstrates that Volt sales seem to be stabilizing, they are still way below forecasts. Read more…

Goodbye to a key Chevy Volt figure, Tony Posawatz

The early days of the Volt.

Nothing but fond memories of GM’s Tony Posawatz

After 9/11 I knew I needed to make a change in my life. Eventually, that led to me becoming obsessed with US foreign oil dependence, especially US OPEC dependence. Inevitably, that made GM enemy #1. Whether it was Bob Lutz’s statements regarding the Prius, or GM’s decision to introduce its most gas-guzzling fleet of vehicles not long after 9/11, I couldn’t stand GM.

But then came the Chevy Volt. And Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz. Read more…

Just a PR move for Mercedes, but another win for Tesla

The modern, electric station wagon.

Elon Musk for President!

Ok. Elon Musk isn’t Presidential material. His foreign birth simply makes him ineligible, but it’s the vision of guys like Musk that should be driving America forward.

Vision. What is America’s vision?

There I go again tangentalizing. My apologies, por favor. Read more…

Toyota Prius c leads list of hardest to find hybrid cars

Supplies of this hybrid are below a c

Toyota dominates list of scarce hybrids

With the July 4th holiday quickly approaching, many Americans are preparing to go car shopping. Unfortunately, some hybrid shoppers might have a hard time finding their preferred hybrid.

For instance, there is only a 9 day supply of the Toyota Prius c according to the latest research compiled by Forbes, making the c hybrid the hardest to find hybrid car. Read more…

What to expect from plug-in car sales through 2020

The plug-in built for America, but not Japan?

At least according to the latest plug-in analysis from Pike Research

President Obama’s goal of 1 million US plug-in sales by 2015 will not be met, at least based on a new Pike Research Report. Instead, total US plug-in sales through 2015 should reach about 410,000 plug-in vehicles. However, 1 million US plug-in sales should be achieved in 2018.

Overall, according to Pike, plug-in adoption — at least through 2020 — is going to be slower than expected, or at least expected by early advocates. Read more…

An electric car that just might not be up to Coda

The dull lighting at Coda’s LA debut was sadly fitting

NY Times thrashes EV startup

During press days of auto shows like the one in LA, journalists are often given an opportunity to drive many of the green vehicles on display. Unfortunately, there is limited time, so one has to choose carefully.

One electric car that has just never tempted me at these drives was the Coda, and after reading a recent NYTimes review of the 2012 Coda, I think I made a wise decision. Read more…

Crazy weather car advantage: Hybrids versus electric cars

Best car for crazy weather?

What’s the best car to own in a power outage?

With the lights still out in many parts of the Eastern US, many aren’t just having a hard time due to a lack of power, but also a lack of gasoline. So, what’s the best kind of car to own in these situations?

Of course, I’m only considering hybrid and electric cars, each of which has unique advantages compared to conventional gas-guzzlers in many scenarios. Read more…

Electric! Weaving Toyota, BMW together in a fiber of carbon

Is carbon fiber the key to electrification?

New Toyota and BMW collaboration could be more than a light duty partnership

What do fuel cells, electrification and carbon fiber have to do with each other? Combined they result in almost perfectly efficient automotive harmony. And that makes the tie up between Toyota and BMW a pretty serious knot to untie.

OK. And there’s also a sport’s car, but that’s mostly to just throw everyone off the scent of what’s really going on. Read more…

$389 per month to lease the 118 MPGe 2013 Honda Fit EV

Honda’s new EV finally Fit enough for the streets

But only available in California and Oregon

When the 2013 Honda Fit EV hits dealerships on July 20, only dealers in California and Oregon will be taking deliveries. However, 6 East Coast markets will also be added into the sale’s mix sometime in early 2013.

To begin, the Fit plug-in electric car will only be available as a lease, starting at $389 per mos for 36 months. Read more…

Impossible to forecast the future price of hybrids and EVs?

Tesla Model S: The smartest battery-powered car around?

Using the Tesla Model S as a battery price metric

It seems pretty clear that batteries for hybrid and electric cars will become cheaper over time. New technologies, better manufacturing, and scale all seem on an inevitable path towards making batteries cheaper. But when? Also, are there any confounding variables lurking?

If Tesla’s Model S battery packs are any indication, then it seems that predicting the future price of hybrids and EVs is largely impossible. At least that’s the conclusion New York Times writer Paul Stenquist reaches after reviewing the pricing of the Model S and its corresponding battery price tell. Read more…