GM has announced pricing for the historic Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the company has kept its promise to deliver a 200-mile EV for under $30k (with the $7,500 federal tax credit). MSRP for the base LT trim level will be $37,495, including destination charge. The Premier model, which includes heated “leather-appointed” seats, surround camera and… Read more »
There are over 30 plug-in vehicles available in the US from a variety of automakers, and in most parts of the country, infrastructure is quickly proliferating. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists and Consumers Union survey found that 55 percent of drivers in Northeastern states and 65 percent in California are interested in EVs. So… Read more »
BMW is having a banner year. Sales for July, and for the first half of 2016, set new records. While that isn’t surprising – automakers around the world are logging record sales – the interesting bit is that sales of BMW’s electrified models are exceeding expectations, especially in Europe. In Western Europe in July, 4%… Read more »
Auto dealerships have emerged as a major roadblock on the way to widespread EV adoption. Most (but not all) dealers have little knowledge of or interest in EVs, and some actively discourage customers from buying. Tesla’s direct-sales model seems to work well enough, but even the Prophets of Palo Alto can’t save the world alone…. Read more »
Tesla’s ongoing crusade to be allowed to sell its vehicles directly to consumers recently suffered a setback in Connecticut, where a pro-Tesla bill failed for the second consecutive year. Tesla has a service facility in Milford, but consumers must purchase the cars in a neighboring state such as New York or Massachusetts. “I think the… Read more »
BMW has taken a bold approach to electrification. It began test-marketing EVs in 2012 with the Active E and Mini E, and escalated to full-scale production in 2013 with the i3 EV and i8 plug-in super-sports car, which together passed the milestone of 50,000 worldwide sales in January. BMW deserves a lot of credit for… Read more »
Sales of EVs and PHEVs are growing at what seems like an impressive pace, but are still tiny in relation to the larger auto market. Total new vehicle sales reached an all-time high of over 17 million in 2015, but plug-in sales just cracked the one-percent mark in Europe, and are still well under one… Read more »
US plug-in sales have resumed their steep upward climb. March sales shattered last year’s figure, setting a new all-time record. Around 13,725 plug-ins were sold in March, a 33% increase over March 2015 and a few units more than the previous monthly record set in December. American car buyers now have around two dozen EV and… Read more »
Automobiles, and the automotive industry itself, have a lot of features that survive as vestiges of earlier technological times, and may no longer serve any real purpose. Tesla has eliminated a few of these (model years, free press trips) and tried hard to eliminate others (rear-view mirrors, independent dealerships). With the advent of the Model… Read more »
The selection of plug-in vehicles available to US buyers continues to grow steadily – it now stands at 27 models, with several more expected this year. The latest entrant to the market is the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, the German luxury brand’s first plug-in model available in the US. Every time a new plug-in… Read more »