Here's a list with a good summary of currently available cars and prices: http://www.plugincars.com/cars It's tempting to get an entire collection of the cheap ones(Spark, Fiat, Focus, MiEV, Leaf, Smart, Golf and maybe the RAV4(price)). RAV4 almost seems like an early taste of the Model X. i3 might be a big seller if they can produce in volume(not a bad price).
Notice the mileage of the cars(lowish). Once the next gen batch of cars comes out with marginally bigger packs; a price/range tipping point will happen. The electric segment will be highly competitive. Nissan has a slight edge building their own batteries in Tennessee(at any price, their price, or the cost of materials). The Golf is going to be a huge seller.
If Mitsubishi and Nissan had any clue; they would redesign the look of their offerings to make them a bit more palatable and acceptable in the markets they are trying to sell them in. Once an OEM puts a pack in an existing car, truck, or SUV and sells it not at a price penalty; it will be a big deal. An untapped electric truck market is out there.
We won't run out of gas nor will the price get to high. The insane CAFE standards will require OEM's by ~2025(10 years!) to make 100 mpg cars if they want to continue to sell their current(junk) 40 mpg hybrids. That is what will kill off the gasoline car and transition transportation to electric. Maybe they didn't want to; but they had too. Carburetors, leaded gas, and no emission equipment? Watch as gas powered cars go the way of the steam cars. Air burners as I refer to them. So old tech and last century.
If you can afford to buy one of these cheaper ones(from your favorite manufacturer); by all means do so. It makes you a paying customer and puts you in their feedback loop. Just look at the Leaf an MiEV forums. When all their customers tell them "I need more range! I need more range!". How will they not bump up the range? All those other cars have really quite small(in size) packs in them at the moment. Really first gen cars too. They are learning so much from these early models. Exciting times. Enjoy them.
Notice the mileage of the cars(lowish). Once the next gen batch of cars comes out with marginally bigger packs; a price/range tipping point will happen. The electric segment will be highly competitive. Nissan has a slight edge building their own batteries in Tennessee(at any price, their price, or the cost of materials). The Golf is going to be a huge seller.
If Mitsubishi and Nissan had any clue; they would redesign the look of their offerings to make them a bit more palatable and acceptable in the markets they are trying to sell them in. Once an OEM puts a pack in an existing car, truck, or SUV and sells it not at a price penalty; it will be a big deal. An untapped electric truck market is out there.
We won't run out of gas nor will the price get to high. The insane CAFE standards will require OEM's by ~2025(10 years!) to make 100 mpg cars if they want to continue to sell their current(junk) 40 mpg hybrids. That is what will kill off the gasoline car and transition transportation to electric. Maybe they didn't want to; but they had too. Carburetors, leaded gas, and no emission equipment? Watch as gas powered cars go the way of the steam cars. Air burners as I refer to them. So old tech and last century.
If you can afford to buy one of these cheaper ones(from your favorite manufacturer); by all means do so. It makes you a paying customer and puts you in their feedback loop. Just look at the Leaf an MiEV forums. When all their customers tell them "I need more range! I need more range!". How will they not bump up the range? All those other cars have really quite small(in size) packs in them at the moment. Really first gen cars too. They are learning so much from these early models. Exciting times. Enjoy them.
