Wednesday, May 18, 2011

New posts from Gas 2.0!

New posts from Gas 2.0!

Energy Secretary Says 350 Mile, $25,000 EV Possible by 2017

Posted: 18 May 2011 01:07 PM PDT

Opponents of electric cars say that EV's are too expensive and don't go far enough for most people. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, however, thinks an affordable EV with a 350 mile range is just years away.

That seems awfully optimistic to me, as the closest thing to a mass market EV, the Nissan Leaf, has about 100 miles of usable range and has an MSRP of about $33,000. Only after a generous $7,500 tax credit does the price approach $25,000. Chu, however, thinks that automakers can achieve 350 miles of range on a single charge, and turn a profit on an EV at $25,000. We're about halfway through 2011, which would give automakers about six years to accomplish just such a task.

Mind you, I'm not saying this is impossible. No, I've always believed that the automakers have been sandbagging us in regards to new technologies. American automakers in particular have shown that while they often experience growing pains with new technology, such as the primitive emissions systems that gave us the "malaise" era of automobiles from the mid-70's to the mid 80's. However, they eventually adapt and go back to making good cars (for the most part.) Battery technology is improving daily, but I'm still not sure the prices are going to come down as rapidly as Chu and automakers hope.

I think Chu may be right in his statement, though only if you separate the two distinct parts. I believe that there will be a 350 mile electric vehicle on the road by 2017. And I do believe that we will see $25,000 EV's without government assistance. However, if all the automakers follow Tesla's path, and price EV's according to their battery size, then I am thinking 350 miles will probably put you closer to $35,000 MSRP. For $25,000, I'd be perfectly happy with a real 200 miles of range under normal driving conditions.

What do you guys think? Is Chu off his rocker, or does he have it right?

Source: LA Times

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.

Corporate Vehicle Fleet Managers to Add EVs to Fleets

Posted: 18 May 2011 07:12 AM PDT

Fleet managers rated rising, volatile fuel prices as their top concern for 2011, over driver safety and cost savings, according to a survey conducted by General Electric Capital Fleet Services during the 2011 NAFA Institute and Expo. The survey shows that 28% of the 105 corporate fleet managers they questioned will introduce electric vehicles into their fleets within a year, possibly as one solution to the spike in gas prices.

Fleet vehicle heavy hitters like Ryder, UPS, FedEx (and even the USPS!) already boast EVs in their fleets. Back in November, General Electric Co. (GE) pledged to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles for its own fleet and for global fleet customers by 2015- almost have of which will be purchased from General Motors Co. The first model will be the Chevrolet Volt- which has been earning rave reviews from owners.

While 25,000 vehicles may be a drop in the bucket, Deb Frodl, Chief Strategy Officer for GE Capital Fleet Services, claims that GE might be in a “strong position” to promote EV adoption and growth, presumably by example. GE owns one of the largest fleets, operates a global fleet management business, and offers a multitude of EV-related products that may contribute to the development of an EV infrastructure. There are also now more plug-in and electric vehicle options for fleet managers to choose from than just five years ago, giving the market more choice in which direction they choose to go.

Source: Green.Autoblog.com
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)