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Federal Aid For Electric Cars - Good or Bad Idea?

24 messages,  Last post on Mar 12, 2013 at 7:41 AM

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What is this discussion about? Electric Cars

Messages Page 3 of 3

#18 of 24 Re: Value of Tax Rebate? [gagrice] by hpmctorque

Jan 17, 2011 (5:56 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (Jan 17, 2011 5:05 pm)
True, but on the other hand the Prius owners I know are very careful, responsible drivers who are easy on their cars.

#19 of 24 Edmund CEO testifies for Congress by mike_buko

Oct 13, 2011 (3:54 pm)

So the CEO of Edmunds testified today and he says that people don't want energy efficient cars or alternative energy cars because people aren't buying hybrid cars as much as gas SUV's/Minivans.
 
Duh!!!
 
Show me an SUV/Minivan that is electric powered and is the same price and will cost me $5-$10 (electric cost) a week to operate instead of $80 - $100 (for gas). Which would you buy?
 
The CEO so naively asks why does the government need to regulate fuel efficiency? Another ridiculous question... If you don't the car makers along with the oil companies would just continue to collude to make inefficient cars so that they can drive profits higher. Sorry CEO man. Fail.
 
Gil

#20 of 24 Re: Edmund CEO testifies for Congress [mike_buko] by hpmctorque

Oct 14, 2011 (6:04 pm)

Replying to: mike_buko (Oct 13, 2011 3:54 pm)
I think your conclusions fail.
 
"Show me an SUV/Minivan that is electric powered..."
 
They're unavailable because they can't be produced, profitably, at a cost that's competitive with what's on the market. If electric SUVs/minivans offered consumers a better value proposition than internal combustion powered ones they'd dominate the marketplace.
 
"The CEO so naively asks why does the government need to regulate fuel efficiency? Another ridiculous question..."
 
I guess only government has the wisdom to make sound business decisions, free of negative influences.

#21 of 24 Re: Edmund CEO testifies for Congress [mike_buko] by steve_ HOST

Oct 15, 2011 (6:17 pm)

Replying to: mike_buko (Oct 13, 2011 3:54 pm)
Here's the link and a blurb:
 
CAFE Standards Debated by Congress, Edmunds.com CEO
 
"Anwyl argued that proponents of the new CAFE standards mistakenly overestimate the importance of fuel economy to consumers by relying on customer surveys while vehicle sales figures show that utility and vehicle features supersede fuel economy for many customers. Anwyl added that automakers who had professed support for the CAFE standards in July were strong-armed into taking that stance because of the very expensive threat of California enacting a separate set of fuel-economy standards if such federal regulations aren't adopted."

#22 of 24 Expensive Savings by hpmctorque

Jun 07, 2012 (7:05 am)

From today's Detroit Free Press...
 
"At an equivalent of 118 m.p.g., the electric Honda Fit is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the U.S. But getting that mileage isn't cheap.
  
Honda announced the eye-popping figure Wednesday, making the small, four-door hatchback more efficient than electric rivals like the Ford Focus, Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It goes on the market this summer in Oregon and California.
  
The electric Fit has an estimated price tag nearly twice as high as the gasoline-powered version. It would take 11 years before a driver makes up the difference and begins saving on fuel.
  
With gas prices falling, high sticker prices for electric vehicles are becoming more of a barrier for American buyers, even though the vehicles are far more efficient than their gas-powered counterparts.
  
Through May, carmakers sold just over 10,000 electric vehicles, less than 0.2% of U.S. car and truck sales.
  
That's because the numbers don't add up for the average consumer.
  
• The electric Fit needs 28.6 kilowatt hours of electricity to go 100 miles. At a national average price of 11.6 cents per kilowatt hour, that costs $3.30.
  
A gas-powered Fit, which gets 31 m.p.g., needs to burn 3.2 gallons to travel 100 miles. At the national average price of $3.57 per gallon of gasoline, that's $11.52.
  
• People drive an average of almost 13,500 miles a year, so a typical driver would spend $445 on electricity for an electric Fit over a year, and $1,552 on gasoline for a regular Fit.
  
• The price of an electric Fit is $29,125 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. That's $12,210 more than the gas-powered Fit -- a savings of $1,107 per year to make up the difference between the electric and the gas-powered version.
  
'Customers don't want to spend the extra money up front and wait for years for payback,' said Geoff Pohanka, who runs 13 dealerships in Virginia and Maryland.
  
'People are smart. They're looking for the deal,' he said. 'Is somebody going to fork out $15,000 more for something that gets them less range than their car now? It's not happening.'
  
At first, Honda will be leasing Fit EVs only in Oregon and California, for $389 per month. The subcompact seats up to five people and can be recharged in three hours with a 240-volt charging station. A fully charged Fit EV can go 82 miles, meaning a daily commute could cost nothing for gasoline.
  
Jesse Toprak, vice president of market intelligence for the car buying site TrueCar.com, said he tested an electric Chevrolet Volt, driving it less than 35 miles a day from his Los Angeles-area home to work and back. The cost of leasing it -- $369 a month -- is comparable to the $300 he would spend on gas.
  
'In a lot of these cases, I'm surprised that people are not lining up to get these things,' he said.
  
The comparison between gas and electric cars also can vary with geography, largely because energy prices vary wildly across the country. In Oregon, where gasoline is 18% more expensive than the national average and electricity is 16% lower, an electric Fit will save $121 per month in fuel. In Connecticut, which has the highest power prices in the country, the monthly savings are just $83."
  

#24 of 24 Re: Value of Tax Rebate? [cybersaurusrex] by greenroger

Mar 12, 2013 (7:41 am)

Replying to: cybersaurusrex (Jan 16, 2011 6:52 am)
You could lease a Hybrid or an EV.
 
I know Ford Gave us $10,750 in lease incentives on our new Focus Electric.
Basically the manufacture gets to keep the tax rebates, but Ford then offers it to you as an incentive to buy by reducing the purchase price.
 
The C-max Energy has about $4,000 in incentives.
Check it out on Fords web site.

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