Posted on 01/10/2015 9:32:02 AM PST by LogicDesigner
Plug-in electric car sales for calendar year 2014 rose above the 100,000 level, the third annual increase in full-year sales in the U.S. since modern electric cars first went on sale in December 2010.
The highest-selling electric car in the world, the Nissan Leaf, set a new U.S. record for plug-in sales of a single vehicle in one year, logging 30,200 deliveries during 2014.
That compares to a 2013 total of 22,610, and less than 10,000 units in each of its first two years on sale.
The balance of 70,000-plus was made up of sales of no fewer than 20 other cars with plugs.
(We also note that Hyundai leased 54 of its hydrogen-powered Tucson Fuel Cell crossover utility vehicles. Honda delivered 2 FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicles as well this year, against 10 leased in 2013.)
The bulk of them, however, remain quite low-volume, selling 250 or fewer units per month.
Only a small number of plug-in electric cars routinely racks up U.S. sales of 1,000 or more units a month.
The others include the Chevrolet Volt and the Tesla Model S. More recently, the BMW i3 sales hit that level for three months last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at greencarreports.com ...
I agree. The sound of the exhaust on a 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat reminds one of what a real car sounds like.
So I buy one....What’s it worth in 5 years as a trade in?? I’ll bet “0”.
It’s all about use cases. For those like me for whom a 30 mile range would handle 80% of transportation needs, an EV is a viable option for the right price. Also for those who wil maintain a conventional vehicle for longer trips. We’re too accustomed to looking at a car as a multi-purpose vehicle that can do everything from a run to the store to cross-country vacations.
“A roadster costs around a few hundred thousand dollars”
Sedan is 67k after incentatives.
Posting your comment in blue does not turn false statements into true ones.
In 2013, energy sources and percent share of total electricity generation were:
In summary, only 40% comes from “dirty” sources. Unless you live in the heart of coal country and get much more than 40% of your electricity from coal, then yes, EVs will be cleaner.
“All EV owners will get a sticker shock when batteries need replacing. I understand disposal of used batteries is a serious problem also.”
Nah, lithium ion batteries in cars are much different than the ones in your smartphone and laptop. Although the Nissan Leaf had problems early on, EV batteries in general have maintained their capacity quite well over time. The Chevy Volt's battery, for example, is pampered in such a way (controlled state of charge window, liquid-cooled temperature regulation) that after four years on the road they have seen virtually no capacity loss. Regarding disposal, EV batteries are often re-used as stationary power storage for solar panels and, beyond that, lithium ion can be recycled indefinitely.
It will be interesting to see how they handle supercharging. On the 60 KWH S model, it is optional. The 85KWH versions are fully enabled. The S owners won't be happy if they have to wait in line when traveling.
I would take that bet in a heartbeat. Care to name the size of your wager? =)
And my SUV tags will read
“These are just very fancy golf carts and an indulgence for the wealthy. They are not a working person’s vehicle.”
Historically racing and luxury priced vehicles use new technology first.
The things which work well eventually move down the price scale.
The result is that even the lower priced vehicles utilize technologies that appeared first on expensive luxury brands and models.
Things like four wheel disc brakes, ABS brakes, seat belts, radios, crush zones, aluminum, carbon fiber, etc.
Formula 1, and Le Mans racing categories mandate goals for fuel economy, which forces racing teams to design and build more fuel efficient cars.
Today both classes utilize various hybrid technologies.
Audi has won the 24 hours of Le Mans about 11 of the last 13 years, using gasoline, diesel and most recently diesel-hybrid engines and motors.
Audi is part of the VW Group, which has surpassed GM, moving into 2nd place among worldwide sales volume.
Mercedes has dominated Formula 1 for the last couple of years.
Check this turkey’s post history, ecotwit Owl Gore worshiper. He must get paid to post this crap.
I can't speak to five years, but the oldest Chevy Volts and Nissan Leafs are four years old, and according to autotrader.com they are selling for between $12k and $24k (the Volts sell for higher). Here is my search:
Or if that link breaks as a result of length, try this one.
Nah, I'm just an electric car enthusiast. After seeing all the blood and treasure spilled in Iraq, I'm ready for the U.S. to break our addiction to oil. If we bankrupt Russia, Iran, and Venezuela in the process then all the better.
Agreed. Less demand for imported oil has been driving oil prices down.
So conventional car owners indirectly benefit from those who drive EV/hybrid cars.
Anything we do that hurts our enemies in their pocketbooks strengthens our economy in the long run.
And I’m not a liberal tree-hugger.
Hybrids work, they cut fossil fuel use and don't stress our sadly inadequate electric grid. The one I've driven was a great drive and owner loves it.
Plug-ins, however, are nearly as complex (moreso?) and stress the national grid, wide acceptance at this time would crash the system. There are far too many other demands on electricity to make that path reasonable for a long, long, time. The other eco-fetish for corn based motor fuels "only" effected food price and availability (and older vehicles), black or brown outs threaten society itself - not to mention all those plug-in wonder cars.
Add to that the several published studies showing the very high pollution costs of electric generation and America's unwillingness to modernize production and plug-ins don't even score.
Finally, the comment about making a pit stop ever hour or so while in a long trip would leave the most patient driver babbling about demons before he or she got to El Paso.
Finally, gasoline powered powered cars are much more economical than EV's are at this time. Here is a car I bought new in 2008. I drove it out of the dealership for $9900 by using various discounts and credits. It gives me 33 MPG in city driving and 40 MPG on highway driving. It has a range of 350 miles in combined driving on a tank full. It requires no expensive battery replacements. Best of all, in 7 years of driving, it has never failed. It still has original battery after 6+ years! 
“Where does electricity come from?”
Ignore this. Seriously. Even if you say there are 100% losses - the performance of EV’s on a stored energy basis getting a car down the road is a more rational discussion. Yes, there are many electrical infrastructure and political issues around electrical generation. But still....
What IS impressive about EV’s is that they get significant range from limited stored power. A Tesla may have an 85kWh battery (an equivalent to about 2.5 gallons of gas), a Volt about 16kWh (about a half gallon of gas), a Leaf, about 24kWh - about three-quarters of a gallon of gas.
How do they do this?
Harder tires....to reduce rolling resistance - smaller profile to reduce wind resistance, and instrument feedback to encourage the driver to adopt a more efficient driving style, and instrument feedback to encourage the driver to use fewer power-hungry accessories (heat/ac). Maybe you add regenerative braking too - but that’s a driving style thing too.
If you adopted the same things in conventionally fueled vehicles, you’d end up with similar performance gains in gas mileage.
The bottom line is that if you make a smaller, lighter vehicle, lower wind and rolling resistance, you’ll get commensurate increases in range for a given power plant and fixed energy store. No matter if it is gas, diesel, electric, or whatever.
Companies don’t want to “blur the lines” between their EV’s and conventional vehicles right now. Government doesn’t encourage them to either.
All of these cars go 0 to 60 on this list in less than 3 seconds. Like I said, it’s an elite vehicle that puts all but a few to shame.
http://www.autosnout.com/0-60-Times/0-60mph-in-less-than-3-seconds.php
I would love the day when all these EVs, fuel cells, etc. get way cheaper than they are right now for a recent model.
The vast, vast majority of all electric car charging is done at night when there is more than enough excess capacity. Every electric car currently being sold has the ability to program “delayed charging” so that even if you plug it in as soon as you get home from work, it won't start charging until a later time. This is especially useful if you have one of the time-of-use electricity plans that are available in many parts of the country. These give you a discounted electricity rate at night... for the sole reason that there is excess capacity at night. Many times there is so much excess that electricity is wasted if it is not used.
“Add to that the several published studies showing the very high pollution costs of electric generation and America's unwillingness to modernize production and plug-ins don't even score.”
Please see my earlier posts in this thread about electricity generation, or just check out this article.
I guess you would have to plan on stopping for dinner and a few more things while you give the vehicle time to charge up. But that’s why I am enthusiastic about getting a hybrid for my next car. I could get a commuting distance on electric, and I could refuel the gas part pretty quick, while I can recharge some of the battery by regenerative braking, and the hybrid is good for a case that does waste a lot of gas: being stuck in congested traffic.
To be fair, I said it was the “fastest accelerating four-door production car in the world.” I would be interested to know if any of the cars in that list are four-door.
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