kimberlychapman ([info]kimberlychapman) wrote,
@ 2008-06-21 18:04:00
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Entry tags:consumer, environment

The Electric Car Lives


Think has been selling gas-free, Lilliputian city cars in Europe and will start peddling them to fuel-crunched Americans in 2009.



But this is the bit that I want to highlight in particular:


Still, the American market for electric vehicles "is virtually nonexistent," says John O'Dell, a senior editor specializing in green vehicles for car-buying site Edmunds.com. Even well-established gas-electric hybrids such as the Prius and Honda's (HMC) Civic account for barely 3% of U.S. auto sales. "Until you've got a compelling product, you won't have a market," adds O'Dell.


Is this true? Because I've wanted an electric car for ages, and probably would have bought one by now if they had been available in my area at a price I could afford, and neither has even been close. I'd have to make sure it's safe, fits our needs (ie can put a kid in the back seat safely, doesn't make me motion-sick with a digital display, etc.), but in general, I want one.

Out of curiosity, how many of you would buy a totally electric car like the one described in the article, assuming you could afford it and it was on sale where you live?

Poll #1208726
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Would you buy a fully electric car as described in the article if you could afford it and it was available in your area?

View Answers

100% Yes, absolutely, and only the lack of availability/affordability has kept me from buying one already.
7 (31.8%)

75% Probably, but I'd have to check it out in more detail first just to be sure.
11 (50.0%)

50% Perhaps, but I'd need a lot of reassurance to be comfortable.
3 (13.6%)

25% Hmmm...interesting concept, but probably not for me. I wouldn't totally rule it out, but chances are I wouldn't buy one.
1 (4.5%)

0% Absolutely not. I have zero interest in an electric car.
0 (0.0%)

If you probably or definitely wouldn't consider an electric car, why not?

View Answers

Looks/styling aren't appealing to me.
0 (0.0%)

It's not "sexy" to drive an electric car because it's like a golf cart.
0 (0.0%)

Doesn't fit my hauling/passenger requirements.
2 (15.4%)

I don't want this or any other car, because I don't drive and have no intention of ever driving.
0 (0.0%)

I worry that I'd run out of power on the road.
5 (38.5%)

I worry that I'd forget to plug it in at night, or I don't want to have to plug it in.
1 (7.7%)

I don't believe there's sufficient gain in an electric car as long as my electricity is produced by burning coal or through other polluting means.
2 (15.4%)

I lack confidence in the ability of the car to operate properly relative to a regular car.
1 (7.7%)

The whole concept is new and scary to me, so I don't want to get involved in it at all.
1 (7.7%)

I worry it would cost more to maintain/repair than a regular car.
3 (23.1%)

I worry that it's less safe than a regular car.
2 (15.4%)

Other (please state in comments).
4 (30.8%)




For the record, if you do want one and are getting frustrated by the constant media coverage that says nobody wants one, make a point of telling car dealers that this is what you want. When we were shopping for Corran's car and choosing between a Prius and a Fit, we made it absolutely clear that fuel efficiency was our top concern. When the Prius dealer told us in an uber-reassuring voice that we wouldn't need to plug it in at night (presumably this is a concern they get a lot, because we didn't ask about that, he just said it), I responded that I'd be happy to do that for a higher-efficiency vehicle.

Only when enough of us make it clear to the auto makers and sellers directly that we want change will they bother to change. These people aren't environmentalists or even oil company lackeys...they are interested in one thing only: PROFIT. Indicate that you will buy something, and if they get enough numbers, they'll make what we want.

Another thing to do is seek out surveys regarding car buying/driving and make sure your voice is heard. I've been doing polls for several big, reliable companies for years now and I get excited whenever they ask me about cars because I've long had the opportunity to scream out for higher fuel economy long before the recent price hike made it fashionable.

Believe it or not, companies will often come around to do what we want if we make it clear enough that it's in their economic interest to do so. But it takes many voices, so if this is something you want, even if you can't buy it today, speak up and be heard.

(Post a new comment)


[info]dididdlyi
2008-06-22 03:32 am UTC (link)
Well the 'other' is simply accepting that we may not be able to do some of the things we are able to do with a van. I like the suggestion re Think that a carport could be fitted with a solar panel - with our coal-fired electricity supply that makes sense

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-22 01:56 pm UTC (link)
Solar panels everywhere would be awesome! When Corran calls you next get him to tell you our vague plan along that line...

I want to avoid having a large vehicle as long as possible and just rent one when I really need it. I did like being high up when driving my parents' van, but I hated the tight parking and these days I wouldn't be thrilled about the fuel issue I'm sure. If a future pregnancy yields twins, I'll probably have to move up to a minivan because three car seats won't work in a Civic. Then again, seeing the "thrill" of twins in my playgroup for their poor mothers, I am strongly considering not implanting two at a time next time around. The idea of two Peos at a time makes me want to run and hide!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]little_ms_me
2008-06-22 07:08 am UTC (link)
as much as i like the idea of this in theory, i think only being able to drive 200kms at a time is ridiculous. it would take me weeks to get home every summer! (and even with rising gas prices, it'd be way more expensive than gas, considering how many nights i'd have to stay in a hotel just to plug it in!) and nowhere here has plug ins, it's not like on the prairies. if you lived in an apartment building or a condo, you could never have an electric car. it would be limited to people who could afford their own houses, which in vancouver, means you have to be old (bought property 40 years ago), or you have to be rich.

if there was a way to have an electric car that created the energy as it was driving, i'd be a lot more into it. the dependency on plugging is what kills it for me.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-22 01:53 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, it certainly wouldn't be meant for long-haul trips. The one mentioned in this article already could go oodles further than ones I've heard about before...some I've heard about could barely be used for an inner-city commute. So hopefully that means range will improve.

As for locations of plugins, I guess the idea would be if there were enough of these, there'd be stations coming up. I'm sure there's business potential in setting up a human-refueling-station (ie food) with plug-in stations for the cars, but it'd have to be a quick power up.

We don't do a lot of cross-country travel usually, but we do go places occasionally and might more in the future with older kids. Right now I wouldn't let that stop me from buying an electric car, because I could rent something for the trip and the gas savings would easily pay for the rental. We use the same strategy for hauling needs, driving small cars most of the time and in the rare instance where we need to move something larger, we either pay for delivery or rent a van.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]sandramort
2008-06-22 07:14 pm UTC (link)
Rental is EXPENSIVE. If I rented a car twice a month, it would cost as much as my monthly parking fee and insurance for my used, reasonably high mpg minivan.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-23 01:00 am UTC (link)
I think it cost us $250 to rent a Caravan three years ago to drive to California and back over a weekend. The Prius saves that kind of gas money easily over a few months compared to if we were driving the Caravan regularly. But we don't need a large vehicle very often right now...maybe once every other year. Like I said, if we had three kids, then we'd need something bigger all the time. But I'd totally buy the most fuel-efficient minivan I could, and bonus points if it was electric.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]nightxade
2008-06-28 02:04 am UTC (link)
The short distance is part of the car companies anti-electric car marketing scheme. The car can go much much further than that with the proper battery, however, the car and oil companies aren't promoting them (why would they when they want to sell their oil-guzzling, service requiring cars?). Apparently, the scientist who created the better battery was bought out and more or less silenced.

Details here: Who Killed the Electric Car

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]wafflelips
2008-06-22 03:47 pm UTC (link)
I would worry about easy access to plug in places for the car.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-23 01:02 am UTC (link)
I've heard that in Europe, where electric cars are already catching on, there's been an immediate rise in the number of parking garages that offer plug-ins. And I guess up in Canada it was pretty common for business building garages to have plugs so people could plug in their block heaters (so the engine doesn't die of cold while you're at work all day). So while it's definitely something anyone buying a car today would have to worry about outside of their own home, I think plug-in ports would start opening up pretty fast.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]sandramort
2008-06-22 07:13 pm UTC (link)
If money was no object, I would have two vehicles. I'd own a minivan, like I have now, that is usable for long trips with the whole family. I'd also own something small, safe and energy efficient. It would only need to hold two people and some groceries to meet my around the local area needs, but I'd have to be able to put an infant carseat into it. Then Laura and I could go grocery shopping (or whatever) without having to bring the giant gas guzzler.

Then there's real life, where money *is* an object and I don't ride a bike, so that's out, leaving me with minimal safe, fuel efficient options for short distances with the baby and stuff to shlep.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]sandramort
2008-06-22 07:17 pm UTC (link)
Can I say how GUILTY I feel driving the van when I only have myself and one or two other people in it with me??? I keep hoping people look in and see the installed carseats and understand that I have enough members of my family to justify it. I hope that my environmental karmic brownie points from using a teeny hatchback a couple of years for carrying three kids, two dogs and a cat balance it out.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-23 01:10 am UTC (link)
Well that's why the industry needs to supply you with a better alternative. Right now none of us can be blamed for not buying an electric car when nobody will sell us one.

It's like how I feel horrendously guilty for ever running my AC in the house, but it's been in the mid 40s C here all week and eco-girl or not, I need the AC on. I've got it set to a hotter temp than ever before (78F) and we participate in the Cool Share program which lets Nevada Power take over the unit and raise it 4F in peak demand times to ease stress on the grid and help prevent brownouts, and man it is SUCKTASTIC when it's 82 in here...so I'm doing my best and still feel guilty.

BUT if the state or county would run a subsidizing deal for solar cells (and I mean a real one, not the pissant bogus crap that Nevada Power runs), then we'd participate and our power use would no longer be an issue. Hell, with a solar cell on every roof, we could power all of Nevada and parts of California and Arizona carbon-free!

We can all only do what our finances and the availability of solutions will allow. :(

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]kimberlychapman
2008-06-23 01:05 am UTC (link)
Yeah, that would be cool, especially if there was a way to ensure that the lesser-used vehicle stayed in good maintenance. I know of folks in California who use car-sharing to accomplish that sort of thing, but you have to have a good neighborhood of people committed to that kind of project for that to work.

It'd be nice if public transit was better in most places too to give another option. If I lived in Toronto I'd hardly drive Peo anywhere...I'd totally take the TTC. But in Vegas, there's no way. I had another environmentalist tell me off for that when Peo was still only 1-ish, so definitely in need of stroller and the whole package deal, and I asked her what she'd think of someone who stood in 116F heat for an hour with an infant, since that's the typical wait between bus connections here. She was forced to agree that public transit in Vegas is sucky and insufficient for the needs of any non-abusive parent!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]giantbedsprings
2008-06-25 02:59 pm UTC (link)
I'm worried about the audibility of electric cars. I'm worried that people won't hear the car coming and that someone might end up squashed.

(Reply to this)


[info]nightxade
2008-06-28 01:59 am UTC (link)
J watched a show about the death of the electric car which was basically created and then murdered by GM when it realized that it was shooting itself in the foot with its creation (it hardly required service, which is of course where they make their money). The government ordered them to prove that there was no market for the car, so they did - by not marketing it and putting in shitty batteries for those who did buy it.

Times of have changed though. Oil companies won't be able to continue their hold for much longer now that the public is a little more aware - or rather, now that the public is being gouged more and more.

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