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What movers, shakers and bakers were saying at the Business of Plugging In, part II

Gary Witzenburg — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, At Witz End, Business of Plugging In

Bright Idea PHEV van - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last time, I reported some of what key presenters had to say at the October Center for Automotive Research (CAR) "Business of Plugging In" (BPI) conference in Detroit. This time, I will offer a bit more of that from an interesting afternoon session.

With a nod toward the inspirational 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams, last year's inaugural BPI conference asked the question: "When We Build It...Will They Come?" This year's afternoon session was, "We're Building Them - so Who's Going To Buy Them?" The session description explained:

This year, several manufacturers are introducing PEV models into the market. The question now becomes, 'So...Who's going to buy them?' Possibly the most challenging variable in the business of plugging in equation is consumer acceptance. Beyond an early price disadvantage, the PEV will also present some different use characteristics. This panel will address near-term (and longer) consumer acceptance.

What happened? Read on after the jump to find out.

Continue reading What movers, shakers and bakers were saying at the Business of Plugging In, part II

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At Witz' End: 2010 Business of Plugging In, notes and quotes

Gary Witzenburg — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:51:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, At Witz End, Business of Plugging In

What EV movers, shakers and bakers were saying

2011 Chevrolet Volt plugs in at the RenCen during BPI 2010 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this fall, a day before attending press events for Ford's new, more fuel-efficient truck engines and Chevy's Volt (interesting contrast), and the week before traveling to Nashville for quality time in the Nissan Leaf, I took in a day of seminars and panel discussions at the second annual Center for Automotive Research (CAR) "Business of Plugging In" conference. You have seen the news that came out of that 2010 BPI, which was sponsored by DTE Energy and General Motors, but you might find some notes and quotes from it as interesting. I did.

CAR President, Chairman and CEO Dr. Jay Baron opened the "Vision Panel" first session with a brief welcome talk. Among other things, he asserted that electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids will be needed for automakers to meet future CAFE standards, but questioned whether they can be cost-competitive without continuing government incentives. (My take: he's correct on both counts.)

Tony Earley, chairman and CEO of Detroit-based DTE Energy, and chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, said:

There is plenty of generation capacity in the U.S. to handle millions of EVs, but only if we manage the demand curve. Without controlled charging, we may experience local problems [eg. transformers] in some neighborhoods. Managing a controlled process will be critically important.... [However], the revenues that would be generated by public charging will never recoup the investment in installing the charging stations. The cost of that infrastructure will have to be born by the public at large.

Read on to see what else caught my ear.

Continue reading At Witz' End: 2010 Business of Plugging In, notes and quotes

At Witz' End: 2010 Business of Plugging In, notes and quotes originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In deep with Better Place: how to profit while swapping batteries selling miles

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Q & A, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Better Place, Business of Plugging In

Renault Fluence Z.E. - Click above for high-res image gallery

Some of the people who work for Better Place see their job as something bigger than themselves. Take, for example, Jason Wolf, North American vice president, John Proctor, communications and Michael Granoff, head of oil independence policies. AutoblogGreen interviewed these three at the Business of Plugging In conference and they all spoke on top of each other as they answered our questions. So much so that they said they're happy to share quote attributions for this story. It's illustrative for how the company thinks: we've got big problems facing us, so let's work together to solve them.

As the story goes, Shai Agassi, the founder and chief executive of Better Place, wanted to answer one seemingly simple question: "How do you run a country without oil?" The solution he came up with involves electric cars with swappable batteries. From there, he worked in a holistic manner and thought through the issues of overpowering transformers and charge spots, convenience and affordability, and he now has two automakers publicly committed to the strategy and a lot of people unsure that he's on the right track. Does his vision have a chance to work in an era of ever-cheaper batteries and auto companies that use proprietary battery chemistries and styles? His employees sure think so, as you can read after the jump.

Gallery: Renault Fluence Z.E.

[Source: Better Place]

Continue reading In deep with Better Place: how to profit while ~~swapping batteries~~ selling miles

In deep with Better Place: how to profit while ~~swapping batteries~~ selling miles originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magna E-Car Systems purchases first ChargePoint CT3000 DC fast-charge station

Eric Loveday — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Business of Plugging In

Coulomb Technologies, along with partner Aker Wade Power Technologies, is now taking orders for the ChargePoint CT3000 networked DC fast-charge stations. Deliveries of the CT3000 will commence early next year. The CT3000 offers the convenience of 30-minute charging and is designed to accommodate the proposed CHAdeMO standard, which supplies up to 62.5 kilowatts of DC power through its specialized connector.

Magna E-Car Systems, an automotive supplier focused on developing components for hybrids and electric vehicles, placed the first public order for a ChargePoint CT3000 station. The fast-charge station will be installed at the company's new 82,000-square foot development facility in Auburn Hills, MI. Installation is scheduled for early next year and both Magna employees and site visitors will be permitted to use the DC fast-charge station. The ChargePoint CT3000 system was on display at the 2010 Business of Plugging In event in Detroit, MI. Hit the jump for more on Coulomb's CT3000 fast-charge system.

[Source: Coulomb Technologies]

Continue reading Magna E-Car Systems purchases first ChargePoint CT3000 DC fast-charge station

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Business of Plugging In 2010: Details on upcoming enhAT-PZEV and E85 Chevy Volt models, overnight staggered charging

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Business of Plugging In

Gov. Granholm gets into a Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

The way General Motors will deal with the separate emissions regulations for California and the rest of the U.S. is by offering the Chevrolet Volt in at different powertrain flavors by 2012. Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line director for the Volt, explained these three slightly different powertrains to AutoblogGreen:

First, we'll have the standard, 50-state Volt that is coming out later this year.
We'll also get a version that meets California's Enhanced Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (enh-ATPZEV) standard
Finally, there will be an E85-capable Volt

We've heard about all of these models before, but Posawatz said GM will introduce the enhAT-PZEV Volt in early 2012 - or "around that time frame" - and that the vehicle will qualify for HOV lane access in California. Another tweak is that the enhAT-PZEV rules require any car with that designation to have a battery with a 10-year, 150,000-mile warranty, "and we have no problem with that," Posawatz said. The standard Volt battery will have an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Anyone in the U.S. will be able to check a box on the Volt order form and order the enhAT-PZEV package, but pricing for this version and other details have not been decided.

Posawatz also talked about how the Volt will attempt to prevent overloading the local grid. The Volt's software charging options allow drivers to set up a "charge by departure time." This option will then pick a random time between the present and your departure time to start charging the battery. By choosing a random time, instead of kicking in as soon as nighttime rates begin, the system will stagger the times when all the plugged-in cars on the block draw down a lot of juice. In effect, Posawatz said, this will prevent a new evening spike while still making sure your car has a full battery when you need it for work in the morning. This is not a new idea (see an in-depth paper on the idea here), but it is a good one.

Gallery: Michigan Governor Granholm drives plug-in cars

[Source: GM]

Business of Plugging In 2010: Details on upcoming enhAT-PZEV and E85 Chevy Volt models, overnight staggered charging originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Business of Plugging In 2010: MI Gov. Granholm grooves on plug-in vehicles

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Business of Plugging In

Gov. Granholm learns about plug-in vehicles - Click above for high-res image gallery

Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm visited the 2010 Business of Plugging In conference in downtown Detroit yesterday, capping her trip with a short drive in a white 2011 Chevrolet Volt. She also stopped and learned about a number of the vehicles on display - the Ford Focus EV, the Smart ED, the Mini E and more - before giving her assessment that these early plug-in vehicles represent the cusp of something very big.:

In the next wave, you're going to be able to drive into your home and plug in your vehicle and that battery is going to be an assist for you to power your home. Perhaps you will be powering your car through solar panels on your roof or the small wind system that's attached to the side of your house and so you will be completely free of oil.

Granholm, whose administration has worked hard to bring companies to the state that will move the auto industry from its traditional petroleum-powered roots to one that plays well with electrons, said she hopes the trend continues once a new governor takes power early next year (she is term-limited out after serving for eight years):

It had better continue on beyond our administration. We've got 17 companies in Michigan just in the past year that are coming to do the infrastructure for the battery. So we've got those who are supplying the electrolytes, the cells, the anode, the cathode, the separators - all of that ecosystem of a battery is happening in Michigan. Those 17 companies would not have been here, frankly, but for the state and federal incentives. But now that they're here and they've made the investments in the technology and the equipment, they're going to stay and for us, in the next ten years, those 17 companies are projected to create 63,000 jobs.

(This post continues after the jump.)

Gallery: Michigan Governor Granholm drives plug-in cars

Continue reading Business of Plugging In 2010: MI Gov. Granholm grooves on plug-in vehicles

Business of Plugging In 2010: MI Gov. Granholm grooves on plug-in vehicles originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Business of Plugging In 2010: GM has 100+ plug-in vehicle chargers installed around Michigan, 5,200 more on the way

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:50:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Business of Plugging In

2011 Chevrolet Volt plugs in at the RenCen - Click above for high-res image gallery

To kick off the 2010 Business of Plugging In expo in style, General Motors announced a big push for electric vehicle chargers that will help give the 2011 Chevrolet Volt models plenty of electric juice as they sit in parking spots around Michigan, including right in front of GM's world headquarters in downtown Detroit.

GM vice chairman Tom Stephens was on hand to plug in a white Volt on a crisp and sunny afternoon as part of the announcement that more than 5,300 home and workplace charging stations will be installed in Michigan in the coming years. The numbers break down with 2,500 installed by both DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, with GM installing around 350 more on various properties it owns around the state. Two stations are already operable in front of the Renaissance Center, and there are over 100 more already installed. By the end of next week, the RenCen will sport 18 stations. Even with all of these public chargers dotting the landscape, Stephens said that, "We feel that the home charging station is the most important, the second most important would be able to charge at work."

Stephens would not say exactly when the first customer will take delivery of the first Volt, except that it will happen when the vehicle passes all of GM's quality production standards. Most likely, this will happen next month or possibly December. "It's whenever we complete that process," he said. "I would hope it would not take into January," he said in response to a reporter's question about the timeline.

The RenCen charging station, from ChargePoint, will be able to handle any modern electric vehicle, so we're starting our stopwatches now to see how long it takes someone to snap a photo of a Nissan Leaf or Tesla Roadster charging in front of GM's iconic HQ.

Gallery: Chevy Volt Charging at the RenCen

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Business of Plugging In 2010: GM has 100+ plug-in vehicle chargers installed around Michigan, 5,200 more on the way

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At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2

Gary Witzenburg — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, At Witz End, Business of Plugging In

2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

A New World of Opportunity

Anyone out there read Inc. magazine? I don't either.

But I picked up the November 2009 issue at the October CAR "Business of Plugging In" event because it contained a very interesting feature called "The Connected Car" by Bernard Avishai, a business professor and writer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "Want to get into the car business?" the subhead asks over a two-page photo of a Volt rolling chassis. "The imminent introduction of electric vehicles will make possible - in fact, will require - the creation of a vast ecosystem of entrepreneurial businesses."

"At ground level," the article begins, "electric cars like GM's Chevrolet Volt - due to be launched in November 2010 - are pretty much everything the U.S. economy is banking on. The cars promise innovative engineering and a resurgence of the American auto industry. They mean an America that is manufacturing things rather than just bundling financial instruments. Cosmetically, electric cars mean green technologies that will migrate to China, India and Brazil, where they will allow for Western styles of personal freedom...."

To be fair, the U.S. economy and manufacturing base need a lot more than EVs, beginning with tax breaks and incentives for all businesses, small and large, to begin hiring again. Once that begins and regular folks have money and confidence enough to invest in new vehicles, we know that a growing percentage of them will be EVs, many manufactured here. (more after the jump).

Continue reading At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2

At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In"

Gary Witzenburg — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, At Witz End, Business of Plugging In

Bright IDEA PHEV at the Business of Plugging In conference - Click above for high-res image gallery

EV business may be booming soon

I dropped by the Center for Automotive Research's (CAR) "The Business of Plugging In" conference in Detroit recently and came away with a collection of quotes and useful information from movers and shakers working to make vehicle electrification happen.

Most reasonable observers understand that electric vehicles will not replace liquid-fueled vehicles in large numbers any time soon due to their three key disadvantages of high battery cost, limited driving range and long recharge times. But everyone sees that they will become an increasingly viable alternative as automakers respond to growing consumer demand and ever-toughening fuel economy standards.

Respected research firm J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that, while 90 percent of U.S. light vehicles sales today are gasoline-powered (most of the other 10 percent are flex-fuels and diesels), the gas-only share will decline to about 80 percent in 2012 and less than 75 percent by 2016. Part of the alternative-energy 25 percent will be 1.5 million gas-electric hybrids (about nine percent of projected total sales), including plug-ins.

Power's good-news predictions: the number of hybrid models available in the U.S. will increase from 22 today to more than 100 by 2015, and the number of "pure" (battery only) EV models will swell from one (the Tesla roadster) to at least 13 by 2012. Bad news for pure EV fans: Power says just 0.5 percent of sales (fewer than 100K units) will be pure EVs by 2015. There's more after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In"

At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PEV 2009: 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe hybrid on display

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Business of Plugging In

1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

At the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit last week, attendees were treated to a bit of history in the shape of the 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe. This car was moved by both a set of batteries that powered an electric motor and a gasoline-drinking 4-cylinder internal combustion engine. Wikipedia tell us that the silent electric powertrain moved the car unti it got to 15 mph, and that the gas engine took over up to the Coupe's top speed of around 35 mph.

The man behind Woods Motor Vehicle Co. - and the previous company, American Electric - was Clinton Edgar Woods who "wrote the first book on electric vehicles." Woods Motor Vehicle Co. was founded in 1899 and built 30 models, including pure electric vehicles and these dual power vehicles between 1911 and 1918. The hybrids cost around $2,700.

Gallery: 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe

PEV 2009: 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe hybrid on display originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PEV 2009: David Cole explains why adding plugs to cars is anything but simple

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:49:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, Business of Plugging In

David Cole is the chairman of the Center For Automotive Research. As such, he is deeply connected to the industry and played a big role in organizing the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit last week. We've talked with Cole in the past, and caught up with him at the expo to hear what the Michigan-centric conference can tell us about the future of plug-in vehicles in the mitten state.

There are six big companies with "significant" R&D facilities in Michigan - the three big domestic manufacturers plus Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai - and Honda has a major facility in Ohio. On top of this, there are about 300 tech centers for suppliers in the area, so it makes sense to try and bring these players together at a conference. Adding a plug to the vehicle means involving a larger cast of characters than has been common in the past, and new relationships must be developed. This is not easy to do.

"People tended to trivialize the complexity of the industry because it's so easy to drive cars," Cole said. Not true, he said, not true at all. Read more of his thoughts after the jump.

Continue reading PEV 2009: David Cole explains why adding plugs to cars is anything but simple

PEV 2009: David Cole explains why adding plugs to cars is anything but simple originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PEV 2009: Henrik Fisker explains how his company will be profitable, plans for 2010

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Fisker, Business of Plugging In

With his company about to announce its first U.S. plant in Delaware, CEO Henrik Fisker was in high spirits and high demand at last week's Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit. We were able to pull the busy man aside for a few minutes to ask for more information on how his company plans to make money - will they really find 5,000+ people willing to pay $89,000 for the Karma plug-in hybrid? - and how the unusual development path that the Karma has been on has been good for the small automaker. Get the details after the jump.

Continue reading PEV 2009: Henrik Fisker explains how his company will be profitable, plans for 2010

PEV 2009: Henrik Fisker explains how his company will be profitable, plans for 2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: Myers Motors NmG - redefining fast and small for the future

Sebastian Blanco — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily, Business of Plugging In

Meyers Motors NmG - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's ironic that the NmG we got to take for a spin during the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit last week might be the last one-seater that Myers Motors ever makes. The company is getting ready to focus on building the NMG2, a wider, more practical version of the easily-identifiable all-electric NmG. Since the lime-green NmG we got to cruise around the parking lot in was fresh off the assembly line, we figure it's helpful to use this vehicle to understand as much as we can about the company's next vehicle. Follow us past the jump to find out what scooting around in an NmG is like.

Gallery: Meyers Motors NMG

Continue reading Quick Spin: Myers Motors NmG - redefining fast and small for the future

Quick Spin: Myers Motors NmG - redefining fast and small for the future originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: GGT Cozmo NEV - rickety things come in pricey packages

Sebastian Blanco — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle), Business of Plugging In

GGT Cozma - Click above for high-res image gallery

GreenGo Tek is a boastful little electric vehicle company. A press release issued by GGT over the summer to announce the new Cozmo neighborhood electric vehicle stated that, because the company also does EV conversions: "GGT is the only company in the world with the technology and manufacturing ability to retrofit any standard truck or car into an electric vehicle, avoiding any speed regulations." Wrong. GGT isn't modest, that's for sure.

What GGT is, though, is a Milford, Michigan-based company that puts an ell-electric drivetrain inside a small vehicle imported from China. Once turned into an EV, the Cozmo is the very definition of a neighborhood electric vehicle, almost identical to many others on the market in the U.S. today. We recently spent a few minutes behind the wheel of the Cozmo during the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit. Follow us after the jump to learn more about this NEV and how it compares to competitors like the Wheego Whip.

Gallery: Cozmo NEV

Continue reading Quick Spin: GGT Cozmo NEV - rickety things come in pricey packages

Quick Spin: GGT Cozmo NEV - rickety things come in pricey packages originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some say "No plug, no deal," but not everyone is gonna buy that

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Biodiesel, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Natural Gas, Business of Plugging In

This week, the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers found that plug-in hybrids have to be "affordable" if automakers think that customers will want to buy them. People are interested, U of M says, but cost is paramount to people deciding to make a purchase. Speaking at the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit this week, Richard Curtin, from the University of Michigan's Institute of Social Research, said that at $10,000, 56 percent of the people surveyed said they wouldn't even consider it. At $2,500, a third were "very eager" to buy a PHEV. Note that the price difference there is the biggest tax credit that the federal government is offering for plug-ins with battery packs that have 16 kWh or more.

Curtin also said that this is not VHS vs. BetaMax redux, with the loser becoming obsolete - the way plug-in vehicles did in the early 1900s - but even if plug-ins don't immediately dominate, they can at the very least find a niche audience. With the right price, they will be tremendously popular because there are many people who want to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Price them too high, and people will be happy to keep dealing with the downsides of gasoline.

[Source: U of M]

Some say "No plug, no deal," but not everyone is gonna buy that originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: newly upgraded Bright IDEA delivers

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:17:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily, Bright Automotive, Business of Plugging In

Bright IDEA PHEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

The concepts that went into the Bright IDEA - a lightweight plug-in hybrid that serves a specific and large population - look great on paper. The vehicle itself, though, has never really looked all that good in the pictures we've seen. This week, during the Business of Plugging In conference, we had a chance to see and drive the IDEA plug-in hybrid ourselves, we can say that it's much better in person than any numbers or pictures can suggest. We've written in detail about Bright Automotive's business plan for the IDEA (read that post here), so it's time to dig into what this vehicle looks, acts and drives like. Most important, now that we've seen the IDEA up close, we have a better idea what it could do for fleets looking to curb their fuel usage. Follow us past the jump to find out more.

Gallery: Bright IDEA

[Source: Bright Automotive]

Continue reading Quick Spin: newly upgraded Bright IDEA delivers

Quick Spin: newly upgraded Bright IDEA delivers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PEV 2009: GM's Lauckner wishes for bigger incentives to get drivers out of gas-powered vehicles

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:52:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Legislation and Policy, USA, Business of Plugging In

At this point, it's no secret that the Chevy Volt and other plug-in vehicles are not going to come cheap. The least-pricey full-speed electric vehicle may very well be the Nissan Leaf, which after incentives might drop into the $27-28,000 range before the extra cost of leasing the battery. While the operational costs of these cars should be substantially less than any internal combustion vehicle, customers rarely think that far ahead when signing up for a car loan. That's especially true when gas remains well under $3 a gallon here in the U.S.

Speaking at the Business of Plugging In Conference in Detroit, Michigan this week, GM's VP of Global Program Management told the audience that incentives will need to be increased for plug-in vehicles to start gaining a real foothold in the U.S. market.

Although GM won't announce pricing until its launch a year from now, most observers expect the Volt to run about $40,000. With a $7,500 federal tax credit, it will still be well over $30,000, which is very expensive for a compact car. Unless gas prices get significantly higher or incentives are increased, most buyers are unlikely to find this or other plug-ins to be a good economic proposition.

[Source: Detroit News]

PEV 2009: GM's Lauckner wishes for bigger incentives to get drivers out of gas-powered vehicles originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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