A Kodak Moment for the Auto Industry

Plug In Drivers Not Missin' the Piston
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EVs are here to stay. It is adapt or die time.

Very good comparison. I remember Nikon's first digital SLR cost thousands of dollars and took really crappy photos. Some people wrote it off, and some didn't.

I like the premise so much...I wish I had written it!

At a Toyota dealer the other day, while answering questions from some
sales guys about my LEAF, they said that their overwhelming best
selling vehicle is the Prius. I noticed that they had a lot of other
models still sitting the lot, seemingly just cooking in the sun.

For many buyers, the awareness of the Hybrid technology
seems to be much increased, with plug-in technologies
gradually gaining a place in the light.

Next April, there will be an EV division car race in Long Beach, CA.

Wherever you go, enjoy spreading the light.
Cheers, Gary

My enthusiasm for EVs themselves continues unabated. What has significantly diminished is my enthusiasm for the Leaf due to both the battery issues and how they were handled...

That said, I expect that we will continue to have a second car that employs some form of ICE for the foreseeable future...

patrick0101 said:

Plug In Drivers Not Missin' the Piston
http://buff.ly/1k7fbh6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EVs are here to stay. It is adapt or die time.

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I don't have an EV yet but I agree wholeheartedly and want to get rid of my gas guzzlers.

Great article! Thanks!

Cars With Cords said:

The buyer satisfaction ratings that they are getting for plug-in cars are consistently through the roof. Plug-in cars stand head and shoulders above gas-powered vehicles in these ratings.

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No argument about the ratings. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement. After a couple of years with our LEAF, my wife confessed to me, "While I like the LEAF, my favorite car is still the Honda." She was referring to our 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, which we purchased in April 2002. After twelve years, that car still has a lot of appeal. Two examples of areas where it is head-and-shoulders above the LEAF are the climate-control system and the braking system. I doubt I need to try to justify those claims with the LEAF crowd here.

Cars With Cords said:

Similarly, today it is easy to dismiss EVs. Critics speak of range anxiety and high cost and say EVs don't have the range or refueling speed of conventional cars, but they are not looking at their potential. They are not anticipating that battery technology will continue to improve, driven by the demand for ever lighter, longer lived tablets and smartphones.

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Another thing that critics often don't consider is that the price of fossil fuels will always tend to increase in the future, while electricity can be made inexpensive by installing PV at home. If there is a shock in fossil fuel prices, it will be hard for many to make the transition to EVs because the demand will become extremely high overnight.

The article looks better when not reading the mobile version: http://carswithcords.blogspot.com/2014/05/plug-in-drivers-not-missin-piston.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RegGuheert said:

If there is a shock in fossil fuel prices, it will be hard for many to make the transition to EVs because the demand will become extremely high overnight.

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This. If you want to get on board, you kinda have to do it when all is well. About three years ago during a gas price spike I sold my Prius for about 2 grand more than I bought it for. And I didn't even get a good deal when I bought it. I was glad to get rid of it too. It was a "One" model and didn't even have cruise. Now I'm happy I'm leasing. If gas hits $5 a gallon when I come off my lease, I may want to buy it. Otherwise I can just hand it back. Perfect situation.

RegGuheert said:

If there is a shock in fossil fuel prices, it will be hard for many to make the transition to EVs because the demand will become extremely high overnight.

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Hey, thanks; you've given me a "plan B".

Plan A is to keep the car until someday when Nissan will sell me a replacement battery. :lol:
So, plan B can be to wait for the next oil crisis, and then sell the car for top dollar. Hmm, but then I'll need to replace it with another EV...