The Nissan Leaf had it biggest ever sales month in March when it moved 2,236 cars. The increase was attributed in part to a reduced sales price. It sells for $28,800. The Chevy Volt sales were down 35 % compared to February. Total March sales were 1,478. The Detroit News reports that the Tesla Model S was the best EV seller for the first quarter:
“ The high-end Model S, which after a Monday announcement will start at about $62,400 after federal tax credits, registered 4,750 deliveries, topping the second-place Volt, which had 4,244 sales through March. Nissan sold 3,539 Leaf vehicles during the first three months of the year and Toyota Motor Corp. had sold 2,353 of its Prius plug-ins.”
Tesla has decided to quit selling the short range S model that is equipped with the 40kWh battery that is said to have a range of 160 miles. Only 4% want it over the S Model equipped with the 60 kWh battery that is said to have a range of 230 miles. The 85 kWh battery model is said to have a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge.
The Detroit News cites a Japanese survey that finds that about 1/3 of the current owners of EVs wont buy another. The reasons:
A new report from researcher McKinsey and Co. found that about one in three electric-vehicle buyers felt “seduced” by the prospects of low energy costs, attractive subsidies and good test-drives, but became less enthusiastic about electric vehicles when faced with issues like higher electric bills and lack of charging stations
Renault’s new all-electric car, Zoe, has an advertised range of 130 but Motortrades Insight says:
“British drivers are not expected to warm to the new Renault Zoe, an all-electric city car, after Renault today revealed it can only achieve 60 miles in cold weather and 90 miles in normal conditions.”
Apparently if you buy the Zoe, you rent the battery. Motortrades Insight adds:
“Drivers will also have to pay between £70 and £93 every month to ‘hire’ the car’s expensively-manufactured batteries, with Renault replacing them when they become worn out.”
Probably everyone by now has heard that Fisker has laid off all its US workers and will soon file for Bankruptcy. Autobloggreen says:
“Kirkland & Ellis is advising the California-based maker of the extended-range plug-in Karma for a potential bankruptcy filing, which hasn’t produced a car in about eight months and is losing interest from two prospective China-based buyers. Fisker declined to comment to Reuters.
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