Electric car revolution struggling

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/electric- ... 3QD;_ylv=3

Interesting article about the current status of electric car sales, problems, cost and hype. I actually like pure electrics over hybrids, but it's looking like the technology and costs are not there yet. Expectations pushed by the politicians are too optimistic as far as how soon this is going to be adopted large scale in the marketplace. IMO

And even with rising gasoline prices -- topping $4 a gallon in parts of the country -- EVs are just not competitive, according to the Lundberg Survey. Gasoline prices would have to rise to $8.53 a gallon to make the Leaf competitive and hit $12.50 for a Volt to be worth it, based on the cost of gasoline versus electricity, fuel efficiency and depreciation, the survey said.

Obama's vision, which he laid out at a Daimler truck plant in North Carolina this month, includes a car battery that costs half the price of today's versions and can go up to 300 miles on a single charge. The industry is far from achieving that.

Thanks for the info. I was wondering what the gallon of gas price points were for the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.
Sure looks like the Japanese still have the tech level.

If Obama gets that second term and he keeps letting gasoline prices increase, we could reach the point where the Chevy Volt actually makes sense. So far, in the commerical, the only advantage I see is you don't have to visit gas stations as often. And I can do that too with a scooter for a lot less money.

FredHayek wrote: Thanks for the info. I was wondering what the gallon of gas price points were for the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.
Sure looks like the Japanese still have the tech level.

If Obama gets that second term and he keeps letting gasoline prices increase, we could reach the point where the Chevy Volt actually makes sense. So far, in the commerical, the only advantage I see is you don't have to visit gas stations as often. And I can do that too with a scooter for a lot less money.

I was comparing new Honda Civics at the dealership last month and economically it makes no sense at all to pay the premium for the Hybrid model, unless gas goes to $6 a gallon.

Interesting article. I'm personally not sold on the concept of electric cars. While they may be useful for short-distance and around the 'hood, I don't think that they would serve the general driving public very well. And to me the "green" aspect is questionable. First, there's the incredibly toxic components of the batteries. Parts can be recycled but that's a toxic proposition as well. Then there's the electricity itself. Most electricity in the US comes from coal-fired generators. Nothing "green" about that. A better option may be natural gas.

Natural gas powered autos do seem to make more sense. Currently you have to pay a premium for them, because they are more rare, but I am betting as they become more popular, the premium will decrease, and you do get a tax break for buying the CNG cars.

Coal fired power plants, they are slowly being replaced throughout the country and more US coal is being exported to China and India. So we still get the pollution, it just arrives un-scrubbed from these nations.

FredHayek wrote: Coal fired power plants, they are slowly being replaced throughout the country and more US coal is being exported to China and India. So we still get the pollution, it just arrives un-scrubbed from these nations.

Well, THAT's comforting!! :VeryScared:

I think maybe when I retire I'll get a pack mule. tongue:

cydl wrote: Interesting article. I'm personally not sold on the concept of electric cars. While they may be useful for short-distance and around the 'hood, I don't think that they would serve the general driving public very well. And to me the "green" aspect is questionable. First, there's the incredibly toxic components of the batteries. Parts can be recycled but that's a toxic proposition as well. Then there's the electricity itself. Most electricity in the US comes from coal-fired generators. Nothing "green" about that. A better option may be natural gas.

I agree, I think there is a niche market for a small compact city commuter car, maybe 30-50 mile range. But the cost has to be closer to $20K, and electric source not from Coal. Most of the products being introduced are trying too hard to compete with regular cars, long range, etc.

I'm ok with natural gas too, as a medium term solution and for big Trucks.

FYI This was a good technical article written by a Tesla Engineer comparing the efficiency and emissions of various technologies.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/greendorm ... eading.pdf

Electric cars will work great when everyone has massive solar panels and wind generators on their homes. I'm waiting for some Obama money to pay for mine. Then I'll get an Obama subsidy to lower the price on the car.

Joe wrote: FYI This was a good technical article written by a Tesla Engineer comparing the efficiency and emissions of various technologies.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/greendorm ... eading.pdf

Thanks for the link! I took a quick scan - will have to take a more thorough look this evening. The Tesla guys seem to have a lot on the ball in terms of electric vehicles. It'll be an interesting read!

Some interesting info in there - especially the Lithium aspect.

If the Lithium powered cars ever start to gain a substantial market share, start investing in Bolivia and Chile - in fact you might want to start now. Interestingly, Afghanistan is said to have very large deposits.

Secondly, if this does happen, the American consumer will probably continue to send energy dollars outside of the U.S., still not addressing energy independence. Information on the actual reserves in the Borate Hills has been nebulous at best, and who knows what government regulations will interfere with mining and development.