Category Archives: Green Jobs

Volt & Leaf April Sales

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

It would appear that the Leaf’s Tennessee manufacturing facility is having a positive effect on sales.  In April the Leaf sold 1,937 vehicles versus Volt’s 1,306.    Year-to-date sales are Leaf = 5,476 and Volt = 5,550.  Very close with the Leaf sales really picking-up in the past two months.
The Green Car Report is estimating Tesla Model C sales in April at 2250 to 2500, making it the biggest seller.  Tesla does not report monthly sales so this figure is subject to change.
For the other plug-ins in the sales race,  The Green Car Report offers the following:
Tiny Battery Cars
As for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a flurry of sales in January and February that averaged almost 300 cars each month ended in March.
April sales of 127 cars improved on the dismal March number of 31 cars sold, but it remains unclear if the electric minicar will remain above its historic rate of about 50 cars a month.
Finally, either this month or next, the 2013 Smart Electric Drive–the lowest-priced plug-in car in the country–will go on sale, adding to this year’s totals as well.
 
Plug-in hybrids: chugging along
The Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid was last year’s second best-selling plug-in car, but it’s been on a downward trend this year.
In April, just 599 were delivered, for a year-to-date total of 2,952. That’s the lowest monthly sales number since the very first month the plug-in Prius went on sale, in March 2012.
The 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid logged 55 deliveries in April, more than its total of 45 deliveries in the three months since it went on sale in January. Sales are rising as Honda cautiously rolls out its first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle in California.
Sales are looking up but Obama’s 2011 State of The Union target of 1,000,000 EVs on the road by 2015 wont be achieved.  Obama has since backed off on that promise, but just for the record , I post it again to remind you how “hopey changey”  fades in the face of reality.
cbdakota

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, fossil fuels, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles, US Manufacturing Companies

Electric Vehicle March Sales Update And Other News

Posted on April 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

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.
 cbdakota

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles, US Auto Manufacturers

Slow January Sales For EVs And Hybrids And Obama Backs Off 1Million EV Forecast.

Posted on February 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

According to Detroit News, “ Electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrids are off to a tough start in January after a disappointing 2012”.
The Volt had sales of 1,140 units in January,  a drop from the December sales of 2,633.
GM says it was due to low inventories in California caused by a rush to buy the Volt in December because of tax incentives—-$7,500 in Federal Tax Credit as well as some State incentives——which owners claim on the following year’s taxes.  Not only that but last year, in order to pick up slow sales, GM offered a discount of $10,000 on Volt leases.
Nissan Leaf January sales were only 650.  The Leaf sales were 1,489 in December probably buoyed up at the end of the year by tax credits.  The Nissan Smyrna, Tennessee Leaf manufacturing plant came on-line in January making the new 2013 model. The 2013 model’s price has been lowered to $28,800, about 18% lower than last years model.

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Domestic Energy, Electric Vehicles, Environment, Government Regulations, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles, US Auto Manufacturers

2012 Volt and Leaf Sales

Posted on January 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

The 2012 Volt sales were 23,461 which surpassed by a wide margin the 2011 sales of 7,671.  As reported, Californians were responsible for more than half of the 2012 sales. The HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes now allow the Volt even if there is only one person in the vehicle.  Initially, the Volt emission levels weren’t low enough when operating on gasoline to qualify for driving in the HOV lanes. This problem was corrected. If you have ever driven in California, you know just how packed roads can be out there.

My wife and I have been driving South several times a year. We use the HOV lanes when driving south out of Washington, DC, around Charlotte, North Carolina and through downtown Atlanta, Georgia.  Two things are noticeable;  one is that we hardly have to slow down from normal interstate driving speeds and  the other is that ours is often the only vehicle in the HOV lane. The vast, and I mean vast majority of the cars, trucks, etc, have only one person in the them. I can understand the allure that driving in the HOV lane must have in Los Angles.

In addition GM worked up an attractive leasing program for the Volt.  According to Money.CNN website:”….. the Volt has also been helped by aggressive leasing incentives offered in 2012. Last year, GM was offering the car for $289 a month with a $2,800 down payment. That was far less than a car with the Volt’s nearly $40,000 purchase price would ordinarily lease for, even factoring in a $7,500 plug-in car tax credit.”

The Nissan Leaf improved over last years sales by about 1.5% with total 2012 sales of about 9,800 vehicles.

The sales of the Volt,  along with the Toyota Prius are the most successful hybrids on the market, are really not that impressive when you consider  2012 total vehicle sales in the US of 14.5 million. EVs, like the Leaf, are even less impressive.  My guess is that gasoline prices are not going to skyrocket in the near term because of the continued world-wide recession and the introduction of a lot of new fossil fuels from fracking.  Low fuel prices will depress hybrid and EV sales.  And one has to wonder how long GM will be willing to subsidize the Volt.

cbdakota

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Environment, fossil fuels, Fracking/Shale Gas, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles, US Manufacturing Companies

Comments On COP18 Doha, Qatar Meeting—Kyoto II And Reparations

Posted on December 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

 The 18th Conference of Parties (COP) met in Doha, Qatar from 26 November to 7 December. Initially the purpose of these COPs was to monitor the Kyoto treaty which was designed to control greenhouse gas emissions. The people who set up this treaty hoped that it would give global governance of world’s energy to the UN bureaucracy.  It has failed to do that. The Kyoto Treaty  expires on 31 December 2012.  Undeterred, the attendees replaced it with  Kyoto II. The response to Kyoto II by the COP 18 attendees was underwhelming.  And this new version has even less chance of accomplishing their desired result.The COP meetings have a new raison d’etre that alleges that the developed nations have damaged or will damage the undeveloped nations and thus owe them reparations. The idea is that developed nations send money to the UN who then decide what to do with it. Surpassed only by a few despots such as Duvalier and Amin, UN bureaucrats have mastered the art of siphoning money out of similar programs into their own Swiss bank accounts.  The “OIL FOR FOOD”  program is an example.  Do you want give your money to the UN?  I don’t. Continue reading →

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, Climate Models, CO2, Global Temperatures, Government Regulations, Green Jobs, Renewable Energy, United Nations

Green Energy Stock In Free Fall

Posted on December 7, 2012 | 1 comment

The Renewable Energy Industrial Index (RENIXX ®World), is composed of the world’s 30 largest renewable energy companies.  The 30 companies get the majority of their income from wind, solar, biofuel, geothermal, hydropower or fuel cells.  The stock index was set up  to allow the shareholder to profit by the expected surge in value of these companies as the green revolution unfolded. Unfortunately for the investors, the stock value which surged, peaked in the 2007 -2008 timeframe, has been a downhill ride since then.  The glib promises of the performance of these renewables has not materialized and the Nations that have heavily subsidized these renewables can no longer afford them.  
A Washington Times-Community posting authored by Steve Goreham titled “So, how’s your green energy stock doing?” discusses the history of the Index.  For instance,  in a private meeting, Al Gore impressed the Deutsche Bank Asset Management  team causing them to establish the RENIXX and the rest is history. One wonders how many investors have lost money believing that Gore knew some real science. On the other hand,  Mr Gore is rumored to have made $200 to 300 million himself selling carbon offsets and his stake in the Chicago Merc’s Carbon Market. He may be weak on science but he knows how to make a buck.
 
The posting is a good read that I recommend to you. The whole story with the chart of the Index’s rise and fall are in his article. Also he talks of the thirty companies,  of which 10 are headquartered in China, 10 in Europe, and 7 in the US.  Click here to read his posting.
cbdakota

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, CO2, Geothermal Energy, Government Regulations, Green Jobs, Renewable Energy, solar cells, Windpower

Why Continue To Provide Subsidies For Electric Cars?

Posted on December 4, 2012 | 1 comment

The Spark is Chevy’s new entry into the electric vehicle race.  Unlike the Spark’s big brother, the Chevy Volt, the Spark is all electric. (The Volt it is a hibrid as it has a backup internal combustion engine.)  Chevy has not specified a range with a full battery charge or a price.  But the Associated Press (AP) reports that the range will probably be like the Ford Focus—76 miles on a charge–and at a price less than $25,000 when the Fed’s $7,500 is deducted.  
 
What is wrong with this picture?  The gasoline powered Spark sells for $12,245 without any Federal subsidy.  So the production cost with profit (maybe) for the electric Spark is in the range of $32,000.  The gasoline powered Spark goes out of the showroom at roughly $20,000 less.  And even with the Fed Subsidy thrown in for the electric version, the gasoline version cost half as much.    
 
According to the Denver Post: “Since 2008, taxpayers have spent or provided loan guarantees of $6.5 billion for electric vehicles. That includes $2.4 billion for battery and electric drive component manufacturing, $3.1 billion in loan guarantees for electric vehicle projects, and $1 billion in tax credits for the vehicles.”
 
The Detroit News reports that GM plans to build 500,000 electric vehicles by 2017. Assuming they do this and sell that many cars,  you and I–the taxpayers are on the hook for $7,500X500,000= $3.750 billion.  And that would not include the subsidies given for sales of other manufacturer’s electric vehicles in that time period.  Suspending your view of the advisability of having subsidies for these cars in the first place,  do you think that if sales are that robust, they should continue to be given subsidies?  I don’t.
cbdakota

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, fossil fuels, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles, US Auto Manufacturers

Tell Congress To Not Renew The Production Tax Credit

Posted on November 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here’s a deal for you. Its called extending the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for one year.   For $12.2 billion you can prevent the loss of 37,000 jobs.  That translates into a cost of $330,000 per job saved.  And you also get expensive, unreliable wind generated electricity as part of the deal.  Now who is it that thinks we should take this deal?  Let’s see, oh yes, it is the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  By-the-way,  you will have to do this deal again the next year and the one after that and……..

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Posted in AGW, Alternative Energy, CO2, Energy Development, EPA, fossil fuels, Green Jobs, Windpower

Fisker Karmas Catch Fire Following Inundation By Sandy-UPDATED 8 November

Posted on November 7, 2012 | 9 comments

Sixteen Fisker Karmas, hybrid autos, caught fire as an aftermath of the storm Sandy.   Fisker’s press release concerning the fires follows:

“It was reported today that several Fisker Karmas were damaged by fire at the Port of Newark after being submerged in sea water during Superstorm Sandy.  We can report that there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time.

“We have confidence in the Fisker Karma and safety is our primary concern.  While we intend to find the cause as quickly as possible, storm damage has restricted access to the port.”

As you can see from the picture the damage was total:

Photo courtesy of Jalopnik.com

Continue reading →

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Posted in Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Environment, fossil fuels, Green Jobs, Personal Automobiles

Electric Cars and Battery Systems are a Bust

Posted on September 27, 2012 | 2 comments

Despite President Obama’s boast that HE was going to bring about the era of the electric car, it isn’t happening.  Yes, he did what he could.  He hoped that by not allowing the use of the most of our Federal lands, he could short the supply of crude oil and thus drive the price of gasoline up to a point where people would have to buy electric cars. It did not work because he could not stop the States and Private owners from developing their lands.  It is now routine to see new supplies of natural gas and crude oil being brought on-line.  He tried to do it by massive infusion of tax payer’s money into electric vehicle and battery production.  But the cars being produced just aren‘t cutting it with the buying public.  The prices are too high. Limited vehicle range coupled with long recharge times are not helping win them over either.  A lot of the EV problems can be attributed to their batteries which are too big and heavy, cost too much and have questionable reliability.

Toyota sees the writing on the wall and has announced that it is getting out of the EV business for now.  They will continue to produce and sell their popular Pris hybrid.

EV sales versus Obama’s goal   

The President’s said that he wanted 1 million EVs and hybrids on the road by 2015.  The Department of Energy released their analysis in 2011 that said 1 million was achievable.  However, sales of the hybrid Volt are a little over 20,000 since introduction in late 2010.  Sales of the EV Nissan Leaf are even smaller. See here ( https://cbdakota.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/president-obamas-pants-on-fire-acceptance-speech/)for additional discussion of 1 million cars goal from President Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democrat Convention.  Analysts from all over are saying it is time to back off this goal.

Hysteria from the Environmentalists

The documentary “Who killed the Electric Car?” was winning awards for its”brilliant detective work” demonstrating how the”evil” corporations did the 1990ty’s EVs in.  The awards were meted out by the same folks that still think the widely discredited “An Inconvenient Truth” is gospel.  It is going to be much tougher to invent a story for this round of EVs and hybrids, when the truth is that the consumers really don’t want these vehicles.  Sure, a small group wants them and they are the ones that go to the Sundance Film Festival.  They can buy a $110,000 Tesla and can afford to not make practical choices for their transportation.

Let’s see now, GM has put up $1.2 billion developing the Volt.  The Feds give a tax rebate of $7,500 to the buyer of a Volt—and they are talking about upping that figure. The dealers have been discounting the Volt to get them off their lots.  This year the factory producing the Volt has twice stopped production when the unsold inventory reached 85 days. And depending on how one does the calculation, GM loses about $50,000 on each Volt sold according to Reuters.

A new factory is being built in Tennessee to manufacture Nissan Leafs.  Nissan got a $1.5 billion low interest rate loan from the Feds for the construction. Nissan says the factory can produce 150,000 Leafs each year.  Sales of the Leaf through August this year are 4,228.  One has to wonder if Nissan Management isn’t concerned that they overbuilt this factory or perhaps even built it at all. 

And the battery maker story is even worse, in my opinion.  A123 got loans of $250 million from the Feds.  A123 was facing bankruptcy when the Wanxiang Group, one of China’s biggest auto suppliers purchased 80% ownership in the company.   Ener1 got $118 million in pledges from the Feds and another $80 million in State and local pledges.  It was declaring bankruptcy when Boris Zingarevich, a Russian businessman with ties to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, bought them out. A123 and Ener1 are suppliers to our military as well as to the EV and hybrid manufacturers. The battery technology developed (paid for by us taxpayers) is now in the hands of the Russians and the Chinese. 

So, large amounts of money have been spent developing EVs and hybrids.  GM and probably Nissan are losing substantial amounts of money every day as they continue to produce the Volt and the Leaf.  The gasoline price is much higher than it was in the 90tys when that generation of EVs failed.  It will be very hard to generate a believable story line for a new documentary on what” killed the electric car” this time  unless they say  the customers did not want them.  Obviously that was the reason back in the 90tys, too.

Will there ever be a time for EVs?  Probably.   But it is not now.

cbdakota

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Energy Development, Environment, fossil fuels, Green Jobs, Off Shore Resources, Oil and Gas Exploration, Personal Automobiles, US Auto Manufacturers