“EV’s (eletric cars) Not Ready For Prime Time”

The automotive industry is starting to "get it"...American consumers are just not that interested in electric cars. But apparently Obama doesn't get it yet.

A new report shows that less than 0.1 percent of all new car sales in 2011 were EV's, or electric vehicles, in the United States. The latest figures from Detroit and Ford Motor Company show sales of the all electric version of the best-selling Ford Focus were '0' in February and March. That is not a typo, ZERO. Ford did not sell a single electric Focus for two months. When added to the following facts, it paints a dim picture of the progress of Obama's pet project, hoping to get a million electric cars on the roads by 2015. By comparison, the gas powered Focus was the best selling compact in March 2012.

*GM has cut back on production of the Volt, even temporarily halting production altogether until sales draw down the inventory. This in part due to the two crash-test battery related fires that occurred after tests by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration).

*Battery companies and suppliers have laid off hundreds of workers due to the lack of demand.

*Several electric vehicle startup companies have either gone under, or struggled to stay afloat.

The reasons for slumps include cost. The average electric vehicle costs anywhere from $8-20,000 more than a comparable gas model; performance has lagged sadly; and numerous automotive experts and publications have proven over and over it takes decades for an electric car consumer to recoup the cost through fuel savings.

But perhaps the most telling comments came from the CEO of US Automotive sales for a company who plans to unveil two more electric vehicles soon, Toyota. CEO Jim Lentz:

"Right now, from a cost standpoint and a performance standpoint — range for customers — I don't think EVs are ready for primetime."

So why are the automakers still pushing electrics? Pretty simple. Soon the new Federal EPA CAFE fuel milage standards will climb even higher, other federal regulations, and Obama's insistence on forcing electric vehicles down everyone's throats. It's a safe bet that while Americans and the car makers want better milage, enviornmental performance and savings, electric is not the way to go--and if allowed, Detroit and others would quit pushing electrics if the government would let them.

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