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from the can-you-plug-me-in,-i'm-a-little-low dept.
Shad Balch, Manager of New Product and Public Policy Communications at GM, has told the nice folks at Autoblog that:
"It's very safe to assume that this car is going to be here sooner rather than later," Balch said. "We've also committed that it's going to be a 50-state vehicle at launch. That's to show our commitment to the technology. Our hope is that it becomes a high-volume-selling car, and that it's not just for the coasts, it's not just for a certain income level, but it is a long-range EV that anybody can get themselves into. ... [This is] a good alternative to the luxury long-range EVs that are available now. It's something that people can see themselves actually affording to get into. That's the message from this car."
If true, this is great. The Bolt is predicted to have about 200 miles of driving range and cost about $30,000 after incentives (so probably around $37,500 if we only take into account the federal tax credit, but maybe more if they're including some amount for the most common state incentives).
The Bolt is set to be released in 2017, but the article does not address how Chevy will get around the bottleneck in battery production other EV makers are facing.
(Score: 4, Informative) by slinches on Monday November 09 2015, @08:23PM
This is the problem with EVs right now, the up front price premium will pay for a lot of gasoline (even after the $7500 subsidy). The next generation of electric vehicles may be able to pay back that difference in reduced net operating costs over their life, but it'll still take ~100k miles to do so and that result doesn't even take into account opportunity cost. Maybe in a few more years battery costs will drop and/or gas prices will increase to the point where EVs make sense, but they aren't quite there yet.
Until then, I plan to buy an Elio [eliomotors.com], which will cost less than 1/2 of any electric car on the market right now, can be driven at freeway speeds safely (top speed >100mph) and gets excellent gas mileage (~60-70 mpg combined, 84mpg hwy target) and the range is better than most gas cars (8 gal tank, 480-672 miles). Plus it technically qualifies as a motorcycle, so you can drive it in the HOV lane. Basically, it's what a Smart car should have been if it was designed for the US market.
P.S. I'm not affiliated with Elio Motors in any way. I just like the concept and want to promote it.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by VLM on Monday November 09 2015, @09:00PM
This is the problem with EVs right now, the up front price premium will pay for a lot of gasoline ...
.... blah blah accounting stuff blah blah. Thats the real problem EVs have right now.
Its forbidden to want one because its cool or because it'll piss off the anti-ev astroturfers all over the internet or for no dang reason at all (perhaps my wife likes the dash mounted flower holder, who knows).
Only EVs and hybrids "need" to be economically justified. Sports cars, minivans, giant trucks, SUVs, commuter cars, none of those "need" an economic justification.
I'll just come right out and say it. My wife ended up with a Prius because I have an EE background and the powertrain is too cool not to buy. If it cost ten times as much as a non-hybrid I'd care just as much as your average pickup truck driver cares about the environment and I'd get it anyway. Its just too cool. Also it looks nicer than many other cars, has pretty good low speed acceleration/torque because of the electric motor, and carries a hell of a lot of stuff, more than we need to carry anyway. Its actually a little large and uncomfortable to park, lacking the need to compensate, I'm used to smaller cars.
Its quite possible EVs will never be successful until the marketing changes from "well sure you'd rather buy absolutely anything else, but you can save the planet with this PoS on four wheels". "Sure its nerdy, and nerds suck and we hates them, but thats OK because you're only buying it because you're a bean counting hippie". What those morons call marketing is back handed compliments at best or pure WTF at worst. Like non-EV companies are planting agents to F up EV sales. Not sure they could sabotage the marketplace better if they intentionally tried.
Maybe they are intentionally trying, knowing they don't have the mfgr capacity and despite anti-advertising the things sell themselves so well that the demand outstrips the supply. If they didn't sabotage their own product the wait lists would just be longer...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by slinches on Monday November 09 2015, @10:02PM
True, the transportation market (autos and motorcycles included) is not a bastion of rational decision making. Even though "cool factor", image and how people feel about vehicle in general are major contributors to buying decisions, EVs are at a disadvantage due to the price premium they carry. Most vehicle purchasers have a budget with a hard upper limit and you can buy a lot more of the "cool" or "fast" or "luxury" they're looking for in a gas powered vehicle within that same budget. That's why EVs are being marketed to those looking for the "eco" mindset. Those are the customers who will be willing to overlook the drawbacks in other aspects to have their vehicle match their "identity" at this point. That may start to change in the next couple of iterations and I expect that the marketing will adapt and emphasize more of the traditional market differentiators.
Of course those of us who try to make rational decisions will continue to be ignored for the most part, as we aren't a very profitable demographic. That's one of the things I that I really like about the Elio, the sales pitch is pure logic. Buy an Elio to commute in and it'll save you money over just driving your current car. Plus on top of that, you'll be keeping the miles off of your nice big SUV, sports car or luxury sedan so that it lasts longer and maintains value.
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Monday November 09 2015, @10:55PM
I think this is the right calculation, if you cannot be assured to hit charging stations, and maybe not able to have multiple vehicles. For example, probably 100 miles/day covers most people, but having a vehicle that can go 400 miles on a tank? Priceless.
And I live somewhere with above average numbers of charging stations! But if I drive to the other end of the state, you run out of espresso shops...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @07:04AM
> but having a vehicle that can go 400 miles on a tank? Priceless.
Rent one for the 4-5 times a year that a normal person needs to drive 400 miles on a tank. Everytime I drive cross-country I rent a car anyway, most of them are rented without any mileage limitations.
(Score: 3, Funny) by FatPhil on Tuesday November 10 2015, @09:52AM
What changed such that you do now need to compensate?
> My wife ...
Got it, no need to answer the above. Midlife crisis in full swing, clearly.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @07:02AM
> This is the problem with EVs right now, the up front price premium will pay for a lot of gasoline
Do not underestimate the value of near zero maintenance. Never having to drop it off at the shop to be worked on or even worry about stuff breaking. No oil changes, no belt changes, no spark plug changes, no filters, no transmission fluid, etc. It is pretty much just tires and brakepads. If you are a lazy fucker like most westerners that is a major perk. Its gonna suck to be a mechanic in 20 years though.