Toyota and Nissan Shift From Electric Vehicles; Death Knell for Chevy Volt?

According to Toyota Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, "Because of its shortcomings - driving range, cost and recharging time - the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars; we need something entirely new." Uchiyamada is considered the "father of the Prius."

An article by Reuter's exposes the limitations of EVs and focuses on Toyota's, along with Nissan's, change in strategy, which is now moving away from EVs. Even the most ideological and extreme green energy proponents and backers of the Chevy Volt will have to open their eyes to the sad truth uncovered by the latest report.

The truth is that the technology of lithium-ion based, pure electric vehicles is not the most efficient manner to power motor vehicles. This is something that has been said before by many credible sources. In fact, I previously reported that auto industry executives and engineers voiced similar concerns . Even General Motors' executive director of powertrain-engine engineering, Sam Winegarden, once presented evidence that lithium-ion batteries, used in electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and GM's plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, were ranked close to zero compared to gasoline and diesel fuels, which delivered the most energy for the least amount of weight and cost to the consumer. Now, Uchiyamada becomes the most credible source to weigh in and attention should be paid to his opinion.

The recent Reuter's article states the obvious, "The reality is that consumers continue to show little interest in electric vehicles, or EVs, which dominated U.S. streets in the first decade of the 20th century before being displaced by gasoline-powered cars." Also, "Despite the promise of 'green' transportation - and despite billions of dollars in investment, most recently by Nissan Motor Co - EVs continue to be plagued by many of the problems that eventually scuttled electrics in the 1910s and more recently in the 1990s. Those include high cost, short driving range and lack of charging stations." It is important to note that the criticisms are aimed at plug-in EVs and not hybrids like the Toyota Prius.

American taxpayers and voters should open their eyes to the insane waste of taxpayer money on a pursuit by the Obama Administration to electrify the US auto fleet before considering whether or not this is the most efficient manner in which to wean America off of fossil fuels. The criticisms (i.e. reality) are coming from non-biased sources, not from right wing extremists or oil proponents. Why is the truth so hard to see? Why aren't Republican representatives questioning the green farce? How many billions of dollars need to be wasted on the green folly before the truth is exposed? No one in government is fighting to end the madness, even though a recent congressional budget office report showed that EVs are costing taxpayers billions of dollars with little benefit.

January's dismal sales figures for the Chevy Volt confirm the lack of interest by consumers in costly plug-in vehicles and some Chevy dealers have pulled the plug on the car . General Motors has been dishonest regarding demand for the vehicle and has had to manufacture demand with incentivized leases. Taxpayers pay $7,500 in federal subsidies on each plug-in EV sold (or leased) and sales are still swooning. Nissan has thrown away almost $6,000 on incentives on its competing Leaf, and the car sells even less than the Volt! What is it going to take to get the picture?

The saddest part of the green boondoggle story is that our own government is responsible for the wasteful focus on plug-in vehicles. General Motors still has Obama-appointed management that will not back off on the plug-in EV technology. In fact, they are doubling down on the losing hand. But Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Nissan executive vice president, sheds light on the true driving force behind the EV madness. Reuter's quotes Yamashita as he blames rising government fuel efficiency standards, "It is not possible to meet (future) regulations unless vehicles are electrified."

So, there you have it. Our government forces automakers to build cars that few want in a misguided strategy that has cost taxpayers billions of dollars backing a technology that was unproven and now admittedly not the best alternative to gas-powered vehicles. Auto manufacturers are not trying to make money selling the cars, nor are they even concerned with the low sales, with the exception of GM which has staked its reputation on the Volt and has had political motivations. The automakers don't have to sell a lot of these cars to meet rising government standards; they only have to offer them, which does nothing to actually help the environment or oil dependence. Now how stupid is that?

From your post:

“We had one in Demo service and it was driven many times 70 miles one way and back, 140 miles total without being recharged and it did just fine. Drove fine on just gas also.”

LOL.....”Drove fine on just gas also”

Come on, man. quit digging.

Funny how GM guys claim the Volt is all electric and not a hybrid until it is no longer convenient. How about the claims that the gas engine only is a generator and never kicks in to give power to the drive train. That’s not true either, is it?

You know what the article is talking about, plug-in vehicles that qualify for the $7,500 tax credit because of the size of the battery. If it walks like a lame duck and quacks like a lame duck...

Only 140 miles?

Chevy Volt has a 9.3 gallon gas tank, which should give 350 miles on the 1.4 liter gas engine alone.

And, you are so right. As a matter of fact if you just fill the gas tank up it has unlimited miles to a charge Without recharge. Just keep filling it up. You and your buddy are the ones that said it’s impossible to go 140 miles without recharge.

“Your plaid jacket is looking nice today, by the way.”

Actually I’m wearing a golf shirt and blue pants and a sweater if it’s any of your business.

“Come on, now.....what’s it going to take to get you to drive this baby home today?”

So, here come the car salesmen jokes then?

You know, i’ve been on this news site for several years. And I believe this is the first time I have ever seen someone here belittle someone else’s legitimate job. But that’s ok. I pay taxes pay my bills and support my family. So, you can kiss my ass.

My dad’s a pediatrician. Class president and top of his graduating class. My uncle was president of his class. Bobby Bowden (long time coach of Fl. State) was Vice president. My brother is a PHD. My other brother works with AT&T. Used to fly to Atlanta once a week on the company jet, now he flies to Dallas once a month to trouble shoot their network. My mother decided later in life that she wanted to learn French and did and in her fifties started teaching French in High School. Oh BTW she was also Valedictorian of her high school. Her mentor was a French lady who married one of General Pattons aids and moved to the United States after the war. And, I can out fish, out hunt, out shoot and out sell any of them. And I can also beat any of them in Trivial Prusuit. Not to brag but the truth is the truth.

So anyway, your little Engineer tag doesn’t intimidate me in the least. Hell, everybody’s got to do something for a living.

You continue to divert, friend.

You said the Volt will go 140 miles without needing a recharge and works great on gas only too......

That’s where you’re being teased, because of your hard-headed refusal to admit you were full of it on the Volt.

You’re still going strong with that. Tell you what, I’ll stop teasing you - that’s my final offer - now go check with your sales manager and see if we can work this out - and I’m not paying for the undercoating.

this is baloney...auto dealerships and makers are web financially to the oil companies. Also, dealerships makes tons of profit off of maintenance, which is greatly reduced with electric cars. We have batteries almost ready that will far exceed the 100 miles per charge now and it is far cheaper than gasoline. This article is full of holes. Probably written by an oil company person.

To: jazusamo

“The Volt may be an overpriced car that nobody wants, but it is not a pure plug-in electric car. That is what the article is talking about.

The Volt runs on gasoline if it is out of charge. The Leaf does not.”

Here’s one, Post #5 that makes the same point I’ve been making, and you know thats the point I’ve been making.

You, as an engineer, should be proud of the Volt. It is a damn good engineered vehicle, as far as the technology can take it. Meaning the batteries. I don’t give a damn if they ever sell another Volt. GM was pushed by the government to market the vehicle as something it is not. It is a “niche” vehicle and should have never been marketed as a mass production vehicle. None of the dealers ever thought it would sell in mass and it has not. It is not a joke. It is an engineering experiment, basically. And it showcases techonology as it is now. For a really dang good car for the technology look at Fiskar. But they’re 100 grand. You know this. Engineering cannot overcome physics and the laws? of electricity. Maybe you just can’t admit that?

I am sure no fan of the Volt. I really don’t care. I sell cars that work to the masses. Some folks gotta have a Mercedes. Great. Some gotta have a BMW. Fine. I sell Toyota’s. GM’s too but not many. Anyway. I’ll say it again. Volts cannot drive 140 miles on a single charge!!!! It ain’t freaking happening!!!!! Ya gotta use gassssssss!!!! They will drive a long way if you use gassssss!!!!!! WTF do you want from meeeeee!!!! DAMN!!!!!

Peace....

Sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about. The Volt is a hybrid. And it qualifies for a 7500 credit I guess. I don’t work for GM so how would that have anything to do with me? I don’t work for the govenment so the tax credit...well I didn’t have anything to do with that either. I have no idea what size battery the Volt has in it. Maybe you need to talk to someone who “claims” the gas engine never kicks in?

And finally, no I didn’t realize the article was talking about, as a matter of fact I didn’t pay attention, I guess, to anything about the cars that qualify for a 7500 tax credit. Heck, that doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. But then again I’m a conservative and I dont’ think the govt. should be picking winners and losers.

“You, as an engineer, should be proud of the Volt. It is a damn good engineered vehicle, as far as the technology can take it.”

It is a triumph of subsidy over sense and government over math.

If one were to engineer a bad idea for maximum waste, the Volt would definitely be a finalist.

That explains a lot. Like many others, you take the criticism of the Volt personally and automatically attack the messenger as having ulterior motives, like working for an oil company or having a right wing agenda. I’m sure GM condones that, as they have tried to falsely blame low Volt sales on a Republican conspiracy at one point.

So, let me try to clarify. Many of us feel it is wrong to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on what you would call, “an engineering experiment.” The wealthy buyers of Volts should not get $7500 each from the rest of us. It is also wrong for GM and the Obama Administration to lie to the public about the potential and the demand for the Volt, just as it is wrong for GM and the UAW to take billions of taxpayer dollars and then help reelect Obama.

The Volt is in no way going to wean America off of oil. It is not worth the billions of taxpayer dollars that have been poured into it. GM should stop being dishonest about demand. As you well know, most of the Volts “sold” were actually short term leases subsidized by taxpayers, GM, and Ally Financial. I’m sure GE will play it’s part by continuing to purchase the cars as they sell charging stations in a further example of cronyism.

Let me ask a question you do have an answer to, what is the residual on a 2 year Volt lease? I’ll bet it is a lot higher than government-owned Ally Financial will get for the Volts once the lease is over.

I don’t care about what an engineering marvel the Volt is, even though I am not impressed with a car that cost twice as much as a comparable gas powered car, goes 35 miles (less than 25 in the cold) on an 8 hour charge and then gets about 30 mpg (from CR) on premium fuel after that. Stop wasting taxpayer money on this green boondoggle and admit that the Volt is not what it was cracked up to be.

What explains a lot? I don't care about the Volt one way or another. I have nothing to do with GM other than sell cars. And not many of them at that. I work at a Toyota store that also sell Buick and GMC trucks. It's a small store, our objective averages 35 Toyotas a mo. Our objective for GM is 3, that's right three a mo. Our sister store, which is 70 miles down the road sells Chevrolet. All i’ve said is the Volt is a hybrid. Not a pure electric. And because of that I have been called a liar because I supposedly said it could go 140 miles on a charge.

I'll try again. Pt A is sister dealership 70 miles from Pt B. Pt B is our dealership. Leave pt a driving a volt. Somewhere between pt a and pt b the Volt runs out of charge. It runs the rest of the way to pt b on gas. It sits at pt A all day, runs back to pt B on gas, and is put back on charge. Rinse and repeat. It's not that complicated.

I don't give one good damn about a Volt or GM for that matter. I personally think GM’s going down but that's for another day. But, I'm not gonna let people put words in my mouth that I didn't say.

And as for this from you.

“Like many others, you take the criticism of the Volt personally and automatically attack the messenger as having ulterior motives, like working for an oil company or having a right wing agenda. I’m sure GM condones that, as they have tried to falsely blame low Volt sales on a Republican conspiracy at one point.”

Where did that come from? Criticize all you want. I just state a fact. That the Volt is a gas/electric hybrid and does not have the range limitations of an electric and I'm attacked, apparently now as a GM shill or something.

I don't give one good damn about a Volt or GM for that matter. I personally think GM’s going down but that's for another day. But, I'm not gonna let people put words in my mouth that I didn't say.

And as for this from you.

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