Ghosn finally concedes 2012 EV targets will not be met

[RegGuheert]

After denying it for so long, he has finally thrown in the towel on the 2012 numbers: Nissan CEO abandons '12 electric vehicle sales target.

Warning: The EV haters are all over this in the comments.

 

[mwalsh]

It could have all been avoided so easily.

Am I beginning to sound like a broken record? :?

 

[eclecticflower]

Just a thought, did the entire auto industry suffer diminished sales, as well??

 

[HairyCairy]

I think my favorite part is reading through the comments.
It's unfortunate to show unstable leadership from our leaders in the industry, Nissan. The ignorant EV hater's will seize every affordable opportunity to make there nine mpg SUV, paying eighty dollars at the pump twice a week, seem like it's the only way to go.

 

[Nubo]

Here is the antidote. Apparently Volt sales were going to drop to zero permanently sometime last fall..... :roll:

http://www.ihatethemedia.com/chevy-volt-shocking-sales-only-281-electric-cars-sold-in-february" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[ewodraska]

After reading those comments, it amazes me how some of those people could actually use a computer. It also reinforces just how ignorant most people are in regards to electric cars.

 

[RegGuheert]

After reading those comments, it amazes me how some of those people could actually use a computer. It also reinforces just how ignorant most people are in regards to electric cars.

+1

That's exactly how I feel. It's really sad.

 

[surfingslovak]

It could have all been avoided so easily.

Am I beginning to sound like a broken record? :?

Not at all, Mike. Some of these things cannot be said often enough

After reading those comments, it amazes me how some of those people could actually use a computer. It also reinforces just how ignorant most people are in regards to electric cars.

+1

That's exactly how I feel. It's really sad.

Not to worry. People were saying the same things about the Internet too, and now you literally cannot live without it.

 

[adric22]

One of the things I realized recently and had to come to terms with is that the comments section of news stories do not represent the general public's feelings towards something. Only those with very strong opinions will bother to make a comment, especially being many news sites require people to create an account, etc. I've recently begun to notice that any news story is typically filled with ignorant, hateful comments. For example, when Apple announced the iPad a few years ago, most of the comments were negative talking about how nobody would ever buy the stupid things, etc. But once they were successful and now we see a news article about Apple selling millions of iPads, the comments are just as hateful and ignorant. But instead of talking about it being a failure, they'll be claiming it was built with slave labor, or that only Apple fanboys buy them because they're too stupid to use the better products, etc.

So.. All I can say is that lets hope a few years from now the haters will have changed their tone. Instead of talking about how nobody is buying electric cars, they'll just have to continue to drivel on about coal-powered and all that nonsense.

 

[cwerdna]

One of the things I realized recently and had to come to terms with is that the comments section of news stories do not represent the general public's feelings towards something. Only those with very strong opinions will bother to make a comment, especially being many news sites require people to create an account, etc. I've recently begun to notice that any news story is typically filled with ignorant, hateful comments. For example, when Apple announced the iPad a few years ago, most of the comments were negative talking about how nobody would ever buy the stupid things, etc. But once they were successful and now we see a news article about Apple selling millions of iPads, the comments are just as hateful and ignorant. But instead of talking about it being a failure, they'll be claiming it was built with slave labor, or that only Apple fanboys buy them because they're too stupid to use the better products, etc.

So.. All I can say is that lets hope a few years from now the haters will have changed their tone. Instead of talking about how nobody is buying electric cars, they'll just have to continue to drivel on about coal-powered and all that nonsense.

I wouldn't be so sure about the first point. Since you were a Prius owner, I'm sure you've seen enough of the anti-Prius, anti-hybrid bashing in the past, along plenty of misinformation. Unfortunately, all of that still goes on today and now has spread to EVs.

I've spoken to a # of people, sometimes just acquaintances or people I just met about my Prius and although I wouldn't put them in the hater camp, many of them have been influenced by the misinformation (e.g. battery is $5K-10K to replace, must be replaced every few years, :roll: where do you plug it in? (this is before the PiP), etc.)

On other car forums where the automaker has no hybrids, no meaningful hybrid presence or where the type of car is antithetical to hybrids, the hybrid and EV bashing and misinformation is rampant. They didn't go out of their way to create and account to make negative comments on EVs and hybrids. They've had an account all along and are active in other threads.

 

[mkjayakumar]

Here is a opinion piece that came two months ago - the usual, right wing, Obama-car hating crap. What really caught my attention and was heartening, are all the extremely positive comments below. Comment after comment was from volt owners who put this author in place. I have noticed that Volt owners are much more passionate and a more vocal group now-a-days, and are not to taking this right wing propaganda **** anymore

http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmichaels/2012/09/19/notwithstanding-gms-protests-no-one-wants-the-chevy-volt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perfect anti-dote to all the haters comments on that Detroit news site.

 

[Nubo]

One of the things I realized recently and had to come to terms with is that the comments section of news stories do not represent the general public's feelings towards something. Only those with very strong opinions will bother to make a comment, especially being many news sites require people to create an account, etc. I've recently begun to notice that any news story is typically filled with ignorant, hateful comments....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[x10guy]

I wouldn't be so sure about the first point. Since you were a Prius owner, I'm sure you've seen enough of the anti-Prius, anti-hybrid bashing in the past, along plenty of misinformation. Unfortunately, all of that still goes on today and now has spread to EVs.

I've spoken to a # of people, sometimes just acquaintances or people I just met about my Prius and although I wouldn't put them in the hater camp, many of them have been influenced by the misinformation (e.g. battery is $5K-10K to replace, must be replaced every few years, :roll: where do you plug it in? (this is before the PiP), etc.)

On other car forums where the automaker has no hybrids, no meaningful hybrid presence or where the type of car is antithetical to hybrids, the hybrid and EV bashing and misinformation is rampant. They didn't go out of their way to create and account to make negative comments on EVs and hybrids. They've had an account all along and are active in other threads.

I would actually separate the hybrid camp from the purely EV camp. I find that the acceptance of Hybrids by the general public is pretty well established. Of course there are still hybrid/prius-haters out there but just the sheer number and the sales numbers of hybrids (esp the Prius) generally bodes well for this type of vehicle.

As for EVs, as a recent EV leasee, I really hope the push for additional EVs and better technology continues. But I don't quite think the public has accepted it like hybrids. Just an anecdotal evidence is that about half the people I showed my Leaf to ask the question "do you think EVs are really viable?". That alone tells me that the needle needs to move quite a bit more before EVs hit the mainstream public consciousness.

Additionally both Chevy and Nissan really had to resort to incredible discounts to get them out the door. Admittedly I would never have leased one if the this wasn't the case. But now that I have one, I can really see the benefits of EV. But I'm realistic to know that there are still limitations to driving an EV car that the public still has not gotten over.

 

[Stoaty]

OAs for EVs, as a recent EV leasee, I really hope the push for additional EVs and better technology continues. But I don't quite think the public has accepted it like hybrids. Just an anecdotal evidence is that about half the people I showed my Leaf to ask the question "do you think EVs are really viable?".

Amazing, since for the right application (and the right climate, in the case of the Leaf) EVs aren't just viable they are actually a more cost effective solution.

 

[camasleaf]

After reading those comments, it amazes me how some of those people could actually use a computer. It also reinforces just how ignorant most people are in regards to electric cars.

+1

That's exactly how I feel. It's really sad.

Relax, it is the DETROIT news. What did you expect? Most of their jobs and retirement depend on the EV movement failure.

 

[Nubo]

After reading those comments, it amazes me how some of those people could actually use a computer. It also reinforces just how ignorant most people are in regards to electric cars.

+1

That's exactly how I feel. It's really sad.

Relax, it is the DETROIT news. What did you expect? Most of their jobs and retirement depend on the EV movement failure.

That's like saying their jobs depend on focusing on SUVs and not bothering to react to market changes. We see how well that went.

I'd say the reverse is true. Ultimately Detroit jobs depend on on EV movement's success.

 

[KJD]

Now about Nissan missing their 2012 sales targets, they could have done many things differently.

1) They need to get more involved with installing public charge stations everywhere. As long as there are 10,000 gas stations for every one EV charge station, EV sales are going to be small.

2) They should offer more than one size of battery pack. For me 24kwh is more than enough, but there are many people where this is not enough. A higher priced LEAF++ with a 36kwh pack would be a great way for people to trade up to longer range.

3) Make the car a Lease only vehicle in cities like Phoenix where they have so many battery issues.

 

[TomT]

No, sales in general are up considerably.

Just a thought, did the entire auto industry suffer diminished sales, as well??

 

[x10guy]

OAs for EVs, as a recent EV leasee, I really hope the push for additional EVs and better technology continues. But I don't quite think the public has accepted it like hybrids. Just an anecdotal evidence is that about half the people I showed my Leaf to ask the question "do you think EVs are really viable?".

Amazing, since for the right application (and the right climate, in the case of the Leaf) EVs aren't just viable they are actually a more cost effective solution.

Well that's only partially true. Take away the incentives and all massive discounts from Nissan and Chevy and most of the cost effectiveness goes away. The Federal tax credit and the additional state rebates aren't going to last forever. Neither can Nissan and GM continue to discount their cars so much. Fortunately for many of us, we are benefiting from all these incentives and it indeed is cost effective. But long term, I don't think they are sustainable.

And if you look at the sales of the Leaf and Volt in particular, the sales numbers before the deep discounts by Nissan and GM were extremely low. Believe me, I WISH EVs were more popular. But right now, IMHO the economics are the biggest obstacle.

 

[Stoaty]

Well that's only partially true. Take away the incentives and all massive discounts from Nissan and Chevy and most of the cost effectiveness goes away. The Federal tax credit and the additional state rebates aren't going to last forever.

Still, they are cost effective for the buyer now. The plan is to get costs down with mass production, as well as coming advancements in battery technology, so that the Leaf can be cost competitive when the incentives expire. Judging by the Prius, it will probably take about 10 years from first sales to see if this pans out.