New study – Plug-in cars and emissions across the US
Plug-ins help clean up dirty coal
Plug-ins are cleaner than gasoline, but not always hybrids
Do plug-ins just transfer CO2 emissions from the tailpipe to the coal plant? No, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Plug-ins are often much better than any other option, and almost always better than most conventional gasoline powered cars.
But, there are issues lurking — when plug-ins mainstream. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: co2, electric cars, emissions, plug-in hybrids
The legacy of Ghosn’s 10 percent electric cars by 2020
Just a piece of the US energy independence plan
And it’s impact on foreign oil dependence
To many in the plug-in community, I’m probably considered a bit of a flat-earther. I just can’t see the imminent revolutionary change that is plug-in vehicles — at least not yet. Perhaps these perfect-worlders are right, but I believe that science and logic prove their point of view even more dangerous than the typical flat-earth conservatives.
And I think Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn — the only electric car bull in the mainstream auto industry — and his 10 percent electric car prediction by 2020 proves my point quite perfectly. Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Chinese auto electrification looks more like a scare tactic
BYD Fe3 electric car
Hard to believe plug-in cars make sense in China
Whether you like him or not, Warren Buffett is a pretty savvy investor, and when Buffett took a big stake in BYD Automotive, I bought into the Chinese electric car domination theory. China has lithium, battery manufacturing capabilities, cash, pollution and a severe and growing dependence upon foreign energy.
What they don’t have is a consumer base that either wants or can afford plug-ins. Read more…
Categories: Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: china, electric cars, plug-in hybrids
Citi Study – Hybrids and Plug-ins 7.3 percent marketshare in 2020
Gas guzzlers, hopefully compact ones, still rule in 2020
And new CAFE standards will be profitable for Big 3
In 2020: The battery powered car wars finally heat up I suggested that hybrids and plug-in cars would reach about 10 percent marketshare by 2020, ushering in the real dawn of the battery revolution. According to a new Citi study, 10 percent might be too optimistic. Instead, Citi forecasts 7.3 percent marketshare by 2020.
However, in terms of increasing CAFE standards, Citi projects extra profits, particularly for the Big 3. Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, foreign oil dependence, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
NY Times – Hybrids, EVs cost-ineffective, except Prius, MKZ
There's a reason the Prius is the king of hybrid cars
Even at $5.00+ per gallon most hybrids and plug-ins make little financial sense
Here’s the bad news. Most hybrid cars and plug-in vehicles just don’t make financial sense at $4.00 or even $5.00 per gallon, according to a NYTimes study using TrueCar.com data.
Here’s the good news. The Toyota Prius and the Lincoln MKZ hybrids do make great financial sense at $4.00 per gallon, achieving hybrid premium cost-effectiveness in around 2 years. Likewise, some of TrueCar’s data might be questioned. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Hybrid Cars, Lincoln MKZ hybrid, Plug-in Vehicles, Toyota Prius, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags:
2020: Hybrids, plug-ins and foreign oil dependence
AlQaeda, Iran and Israel, Egypt: The dangers of foreign oil dependence.
2020 is becoming clearer and scarier
Why do hybrid cars and plug-ins matter? Will they create long term jobs in the auto industry? Can they end global warming? Or does it all boil down to the dangers of foreign oil dependence? That really depends on whom you ask, but the majority of Americans would settle on the dangers of foreign oil dependence.
In the last few days, we’ve learned a lot about the auto industry and we now have a better vision of what 2020 is going to look like and how it will impact US foreign oil dependence. And if you’re not scared. You should be. Read more…
Categories: Energy Independence, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, lithium batteries, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, foreign oil dependence, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Fisker crosses Atlantic to real plug-in competitiveness?
The Fisker Atlantic has the look of luxury success
In an image based world, the Fisker Atlantic plug-in has real wheels
Henrik Fisker is no stranger to jaw dropping automotive design lines. Few, if any, have a better eye for luxury car design than Fisker, and Fisker again proves his chops with the new Atlantic plug-in, an undoubtedly gorgeous looking car. But I continue to wonder if design alone can drive a real winning formula in the plug-in space.
Not that Fisker’s plug-ins don’t offer interesting battery technologies as well. Read more…
Categories: Fisker Atlantic plug-in hybrid, Plug-in Vehicles, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: Fisker Atlantic plug-in hybrid, plug-in hybrids
Chevy Volt sales climb, Toyota Prius hybrid sales soar
Prius family sales are starting to achieve impressive numbers
Volt posts huge percentage gain, Prius hits some big sales numbers
The Chevy Volt finally topped 2000 unit sales in one month, hitting 2,129 sales in March, which was a good step for the Volt. Still, in terms of pure numbers, the more interesting sale’s story was the Toyota Prius family. The Prius family reached 28,711 sales, while sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid cars, combined, topped 38,215.
The Prius isn’t yet ready to catch Toyota’s sales king, the Camry, but Toyota’s contention that the Prius will top Camry sales by the end of this decade is beginning to seem believable. And then there’s the Volt. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius C, Toyota Prius V, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: Chevy Volt, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids, Toyota Prius
Lux Research report squashes gov plug-in hopes. Conspiracy?
Lux Research versus Envia in the plug-in conspiracy
Is lithium-ion battery potential as capped as NiMH?
Lithium-ion batteries have been around for more than 30 years. While materials science, scale and other factors can impact lithium-ion prices, many experts believe that lithium-ion batteries will never result in plug-in vehicles that can challenge gas-guzzlers. For the most part, the government has agreed, but a price reduction to $150 kWh could help bring a lot more electric cars to market and the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) is targeting 2020 for such a price.
However, a new report by Lux Research claims that battery prices will only hit $397/kWh in 2020, leaving many plug-in fans crying conspiracy. Read more…
Categories: Plug-in Vehicles, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, lithium batteries, plug-in hybrids
Electric highway: Is it the right bang for the buck?
The only overnight parking solution for up to 60 percent of Americans
Trying too hard to turn electric cars into something they are not?
Aside from costs, an undoubtedly huge issue, electric cars make much more sense than most consumers believe. Still, EVs require managed expectations. Today and well into the future, most electric cars are pure commuter cars.
Consequently, does the electric highway, set to stretch from Canada to Mexico along the West Coast’s Interstate 5 change that, at least in that neck of the woods? Read more…
Categories: Charging, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, Tax Incentives, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
