Electric Auto Sales Skyrocket as Oil Price Rises on Iraq, Libya Woes

[unhappycamper]

http://www.juancole.com/2014/07/hybrid-skyrocket-turmoil.html

Electric Auto Sales Skyrocket as Oil Price Rises on Iraq, Libya Woes
By contributors | Jul. 15, 2014
By Christopher DeMorro

It’s no secret that electric vehicle sales are on the rise, but it seems that EV sales may have hit a turning point, both in America in abroad. The estimated number of EVs sold since 2010 have crossed the half-million mark, and the Energy Policy Information Center has released a set of graphs charting the exponential growth of electric vehicles.

~snip~

Following two record-setting months in May and June of this year, total American EV sales have surged past 222,000 units since late 2010, and while the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt remain the dominant players, there are many more options now. Ford, BMW, Toyota, and of course Tesla have all offered EV enthusiasts a wider range of options, from the short-lived RAV4 EV to the much-celebrated Model S. Monthly EV and plug-in hybrid sales are now over 10,000 units a month; compare that to the less-than-10,000 Nissan LEAF electric cars sold in 2011.



As you can see in this next chart, the year-over-year growth of EV and plug-in hybrid sales is even more impressive, especially compared to last year. So far over 54,000 plug-in cars have been sold in 2014, compared with just over 41,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids at this time last year. At this pace, sales are well on their way to setting and breaking even more records, with analysts estimating over 150,000 sales of plug-in cars this year.



This next chart shows that not every brand is benefitting from the growth in plug-in car sales though, with certain contenders dominating the chart. The Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF remain top dog, though the Toyota Prius Plug-In, Ford Fusion Energi, and Tesla Model S are all making a mark. Meanwhile though, cars like the Cadillac ELR, Ford Focus Electric and the Mitsubishi i barely register on the charts.

[KeepItReal]

1. Cadillac ELR is beautiful, but overpriced.

$75k for a car based on the Chevy Volt?

You could get the cheapest Tesla Model S for that amount.

Sounds like GM is getting the message: Massive discounts as luxury Cadillac ELR refuses to sell

Cadillac dealers are offering increasing discounts in an effort to sell the brand’s new plug-in hybrid, the ELR, with some savings running up to $13,600.

Sales of the part-electric coupé have been pitifully slow, with just 97 examples sold in June and 390 this year. Members of the gm-volt.com forum have purportedly now been offered discounts of $12,000 (Florida, Texas) and $13,600 (Maryland), exlcuding the $7,500 Federal tax credit the car qualifies for.

As a result the ELR is available for around $55,000, a figure closer to what many believe to be a fair price. In addition to criticism of its inflated price, the ELR also endured the backlash of a poorly conceived marketing campaign which told viewers nothing about the car itself.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. From that article:

The ELR’s problem is two-fold. For a start, buyers aren’t convinced that it’s worth more than twice a much as the Chevrolet Volt on which it’s based. The Cadillac is marginally faster and much more luxurious, but underneath the attractive design the two cars share identical hardware.

Wouldn't that make it an electric Cadillac Cimarron?

[KeepItReal]

4. Ah yeah, the Cimarron was badge engineering at its finest/worst

The Cadillac Cavalier.

SMH

[Fuddnik]

3. I want one of these.

http://project.harley-davidson.com/

I've already had a Prius. Have a C-MAX now. But this is totally different.