Nope. Nissan’s coming out with a pure EV, GM and Toyota will have plug ins, and I think Mitsubishi will have an EV. I don’t buy your ‘engergy/car company conspiracy’ nonsense. They’re going as fast as they can, not as slow as they can.
The local university here has some sort of vehicle that’s sort of the same configuration as one of those mini-trucks, is all-electric and has a Ford badge. I don’t know what it is or where it came from, but it looks new.
The “Homestead” resort at Hot Springs,Va. uses these little “Microtrucks” to good effect-Kevin
“The second shopping car is a low use (cheap) vehicle and mileage is not really that important.”
I think that baumgrenze wants another car that gets great gas mileage. Her problem is that the Prius does not get “good” mileage for her first few miles. I do not know why that is the case, but baumgrenze seems to think it is so. It seems to me that any gas-only car would have the same warm up issues.
I don’t buy your ‘engergy/car company conspiracy’ nonsense.
Conspiracy no, good business decision yes. Just to repeat…energy companies are at the front promoting fuel cell/liquid hydrogen technology and car companies are delaying your plug in and all EV Volt for what…a 40 mile range. Hardly competitive with gas when present battery technology can give you a 100 mile range now. Auto companies CANNOT survive making EVs that are competitive with their gas products. I guess you don’t get where companies make their profits. It’s only partially in sales.
Um… I guess not. Where do car companies make their money if not in selling cars?
I would say that precisely because of the differences in range, etc, that electric cars don’t compete with regular cars. And even with hydrogen cars, a hydrogen car would no more compete with a gasoline car than, say, a diesel does. And yet car companies sell plenty of those (well, they do most places anyways).
I guess you have to read all “It’s only partially from sales.”
According to Toyota Sales: 2007 profits were 39% from new car sales and 38% parts and service. The rest came from secondary income, like used car sales and finance.
2009 through July, Toyota made only 28% from new car sales but 48% from parts and service.
There is a telling future in the auto industry in this trying economy. It doesn’t take a genius to realize EVs like any vehicle, WILL not reap sufficient profits in sales for companies. How can you profit from a car that needs so little service such as an EV. Service on EVs is as close to unskilled as you can get compared to auto technicians of today. The competition from Walmart, VIP and the like in this area will be too great for them to profit at anywhere near 48%.
Sales from at least Toyota were not, in the recent past, even half of their income.
GM got caught divesting into the housing loan market and elsewhere, a big reason for their downfall, and not just their sales of “crappy” cars as some would have you believe. Selling and servicing Volts is not going to save GM or any major car company. My relatives who managed the service departments for 7 different dealer franchises tell me the same story.
So give me a break on the why car companies would not want to go kicking and screaming when forced to deliver a competitive EV . The best will come from abroad and small business ventures at home…not from major car companies. They will continue to stifle their growth in every way they can. It’s just a good business decision for them.
A new or used electric 3 or 4 wheel electric scooter with a basket could work if you have sidewalks. Use this in nice weather and take the Prius other times. A typical electric scooter will run about 11 or 12 miles total on a battery charge. Some with lawnmower starting batteries will go even further. Electric bicycle is possibly another option. Check Craigslist to begin looking for a scooter.
We found one for someone for only $250; needed new batteries for $100 is all.
I want an apology when it’s obvious that Volt technology is old technology, put on hold, not because batteries are not available for 40 miles (they are and longer with lead acid) but because the gas prices will be more stable and the American public is more than willing to buy that “great” Malibu with it’s 25 mpg and think they are saving the world. In reality more profit can be made off ICE. The reason the Volt will cost $40K is to cover the lost profit on service. Some of us still believe what ever GM says is true. Sad. They have a history of deceit with their products (as do most car makers).