“I am fully aware of plug-in hybrid tech and I personally think they’re more ready for prime time than 100% EV as it stands today.”
True dat, Right now EVs are at the same place in the Learning curve
Hybrids were in 97-03. Remember the hybrids of that era? Insight,
Prius and GM had recently shutdown the EV-1.
The Prius 1 was ugly, small and underpowered and cost $5K more then
a standard tercel and was losing $10K/unit for toyota.
The Insight 1 was a 2 seater, underpowered and looked like a wind up toy.
Okay, But engineering was pushed, mechanics learned about them,
and now the Prius Synergy drive undergirds the Toyota line from Prius to the Highlander and hybrid sales are now over 50% of Lexus unit volume.
Honda has been pushing the Hybrid up into the Civic, Accord,,,
I got a 2010 insight and it’s a lovely car. A little pricy on maintenance,
but it does just about everything i ever want and drives great.
I average 47 MPG.
The issue for EV’s is the battery price curve won’t be there until 2020, at which
point, EVs will be on the same place on the curve Hybrids were.
You like the Tesla S, right now the High Speed charger is 100 KW, they are working on a 250 KW charger, which will let you put 400 miles into the battery in half an hour. Seems nutty to me, but, then again the 100 KW charger did too.
I think Tesla has set the bar for high end and they are seriously getting traction amongst upscale buyers.
Right now EVs are upscale purchases, same as Solar and other green tech, but, it’s moving along.
