AND 
Toyota Thinks People Might Not Want Plug-in Electric Vehicles Like the Chevy Volt
Bloomberg.com has published a surprising interview with Bill Reinert, national manager for advanced vehicle technology at Toyota’s U.S. unit. He is reported to express uncertainty at what the size of the plug-in hybrid market will actually be.
He goes on to note that there is indeed much enthusiasm about plug-in hybrids right now, but is suspicious as to whether people will adopt these vehicles at the end of the day.
This articles other interviewee is Scott Miller, chief executive officer of Synovate Motoresearch, a market research company . He tells us the interesting fact that the awareness for the idea of plug-in hybrids is low. A survey is mentioned in which only 10% of respondents said they would be willing to pay a substantial premium in order to get a car with this technology.
I think this report does raise some important issues. Clearly, we here at GM-Volt.com are dedicated enthusiasts. We also know that >474,000 people voted for GM to produce the Volt on their website. Bot how can you determine exactly how many people are out there ready to buy a Volt?
To me, widespread acceptance of this car is a no-brainer, and in the future all cars will work with similar technology, and probably sans the generator, as batteries improve. New technology always has a slow initial adoption curve, but it will happen. GM is advertising the car very heavily, which is highly unusal for a car that doesnt exist yet!
It is also my hope that this site will serve to educate people about the car and let them know how great the concept is. So if you haven’t already, spread the word about it to your friends, families, and colleagues!
40 Responses to “Toyota Thinks People Might Not Want Plug-in Electric Vehicles Like the Chevy Volt”
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August 25th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Dear Bill Reinhart,
Behind my house is a special place dedicated for the first affordable plug-in car. I am a Republican, meat-eating, ego driven, troop supporting, flag waving, guy. And I WILL buy a plug-in. Volt, Tesla, Toyota thingy, whatever. My $$$$$$$$ will buy one.
Thank you.
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August 25th, 2007 at 10:22 am
And just to follow up, my $$$$$$$$$$ has already bought a Prius.
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August 25th, 2007 at 11:20 am
My only concern with the general public is if they will accept the effort of having to plug in their car each night. For myself it is no big deal for the many returns you get. But thinking about the general public that loves their big SUVs, will the accept it. I do believe that the early adapters will purchase all the Volts that GM initially build but it may take a few years for general public to really get it.
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August 25th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Offer the PHEV option which would include a 20 mile AER battery and plug in capacity and see how many people choose the option.
Then shift production as demand manifests. If you could get 4 miles per KWH,and the standard had a 8 mile (2KWH battery)then you would only need to add about 4 KWH of battery capacity for a cost of about $3000 dollars.
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August 25th, 2007 at 11:50 am
My $$$$$$$$$ are also waiting and
my local GM dealer has his line down when I walk into the dealership every Sat. morning.
“Yes Yes I know you want one, I’ll order it when they will let me!”
Also up here in the north country we plug are cars and trunks in most of the winter
the outlets and power cords are there waiting.
Tom
I hope this does not get posted 3 times
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August 25th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Toyota might be trying to deflect well-grounded concern that they are technologically behind in the race to get practical PHEVs to market. As far as I know they are shackled to using Panasonic-made batteries, the most advanced of which are cobalt lithium-ion.
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August 25th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I agree that the public has little knowlege of this kind of car, but once they find out, I think most people will be very interested.
Most people basically want something that has everything they are used to now, plus something extra that they might want, but aren’t forced to use. PHEVs fit this concept perfectly. This is what will make E-Flex appeal to the masses.
The idea is that you are giving people a choice. Even if you never plug in, that’s worth something.
To Steve F: I think most people will plug in most of the time, but not all of the time. Hey – if you can fight terrorism, save the planet, and save money all at the same time – why not? Most people are used to running power cables outside now. Also, I hope GM offers E-Flex SUVs soon.
To Van: I’m not sure a series PHEV can be offered as an option. It’s a completely differnt design from the ground up.
To AES: Yes, I agree that Toyota is downplaying this because they are behind in this area.
To Lyle (who posted this article) – I’m not sure that people will accept the “sans the generator, as batteries improve” scenario. Many Americans still cling to the belief that you can just haul off and drive across the country whever you feel like it. It’s part of our sense of freedom. And I somehow doubt electrical charging stations will spring up all over the place.
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August 25th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
I agree with AES. The best way to deflect criticism is to say that demand for the product doesn’t really exist. However, you must be an idiot to say demand is lacking when one of the most fuel efficient cars is currently rolling off your own assembly line. Toyota has over 1 Million pieces of “demand” cruising the streets. The Prius is the most popular hybrid ever. People buy it because it is unique, saves gas, and helps the planet (sounds like the Volt). Toyota needs to admit it’s behind and will not be able to compete with GM when the Volt starts production, instead of trying to create doubt.
Many people don’t know much about current cars on the road, much less ones in development. As soon as the Volt hits the street and you have people coming up to you asking what that is, demand will explode.
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August 25th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I agree that the reason Toyota is saying this is a face-saving move because they are behind GM.
Dave – What I meant about future version of this car is that I think battery technology will eventually allow for more driving range on electric only.
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August 25th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I refuse to believe that Toyota is this stupid. They must have something up their sleeve.
If I’m wrong, then GM will be in a VERY good position once Volts start rolling off the line.
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August 25th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
“A survey is mentioned in which only 10% of respondents said they would be willing to pay a substantial premium in order to get a car with this technology.”
I’m not willing to pay a substantial premium to get a car with this technology, which is exactly why I’m excited about the Volt. Do they really consider sub-$30k to be a SUBSTANTIAL premium?
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August 25th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
After reading Toyota’s contradictory statements for the past month about their plans to build a Prius plug-in, firsy it was going to launch in 2008, then 2009, now its perhaps going to ocur not in the 2011 they said the other day, but perhaps never. And will it have the lithium ion batteries they first promised, or the NiMH they then wanted. And would the batery mileage be 10 or the 20 they later said. I don’t think even the Toyota execs can remember all the various statements they have made concerning plug-ins.
My opinion is that Toyota was stung by the green popularity of the VOLT and became completely confused when they tried to produce a quickie version for their Prius.
They have also been rather sleazy in their statements that imply that 1) GM can’t produce a plug-in with 40 mile range affordably (look at the price of their inferior hybrid Camry) and 2) any batteries
that are of a li ion type (read: GM) are dangerous, a blatant lie that they know is a lie. At this point I consider Toyota a disfunctional and dishonest company. Notice that public ignorance didn’t prevent Toyota from developing their Prius and selling it for years when nobody wanted it. I also reject the claim that their aren’t many people out there who are interested in buying a plug-in. Has Reinart been living on Mars the past year? HAs he seen even half of the thousands of media articles about plug-ins? reinert is simply following the Toyota strategy of feigning disinterest in plug-ins, which they did for the past year until their sudden announcement of a plug-in Prius next year, followed by a reversal, followed by this new feigned disinterest. They can’t win the battle to produce a plug-in and so they are
saying they are not even competing. That way they can’t lose the battle and lose face. I’m very disappointed in Toyota. I thought they had more intelligence.
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August 25th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
This would be a MUCH different converstation if the car was ugly. Make a sexy car and people will buy it. If the volt looked like a yugo, this site might not even exist.
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Is it just me!!!! Am I the ONLY one that gets it, or am I missing something.
“A survey is mentioned in which only 10% of respondents said they would be willing to pay a substantial premium in order to get a car with this technology.”
Why pay a premium. The car itself should be much cheaper than a gas powered car if you don’t include the huge battery.
No I did not mean”the COST of a huge battery” I mean the freaking battery itself. Theoretically you could by the volt and put in a battery 1/12th the size and the car would still be a great by.
If you bought the volt with a small small battery this is what you would end up with.
– a near zero maintanence car. (who doesn’t want that)
– a more dependable car that will last much longer than todays cars. Electric motors are just better.
– a car that gets ~50 miles to the gallon!
Purchase an extra kilowatt battery every once in a while after you pay off the car.
The battery issue should not hold up production of the volt. It wouldn’t if I had anything to say about it. The Volt is good enough to stand on its own without a battery for propulsion!
Obviously a battery makes it much better but it doesn’t have to be ideal when it first comes out… heck look at the prius. The battery helps every once in a long while and look how people are lining up to buy one of those. Give us poor folks battery option and battery upgrade options.
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Mike G.
You’re acting as if there are 100,000 Volts already made, just collecting dust somewhere until the batteries are ready.
It takes time to engineer an all-new car with a revolutionary propulsion system.
I for one think it is amazing that GM will be able to release this car in 3 short years. Even without the battery I would have guessed longer than that.
And if
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
And if you think
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I give up
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August 25th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Here are some points I thought about while reading this article and the replies (btw, thanks for the frequent updates Lyle):
- Even if people don’t plug in their Volt regularly, they will still be saving a ton of cash with a 50MPG vehicle.
- Tom’s got a great point- many northern states (or Alaska atleast as I have lived there) already have plug-in stations for cars that are left unprotected over winter nights. Plugging in keeps the engine fluid from freezing so that the car may be started the next morning. For these people, plugging in will be second nature.
- In 3 years I sincerely belive gas will be much more expensive than it is now. Also, global warming will be an issue for more people. People will be begging for a ultra-high-mpg vehicle like the Volt.
- People LOVE their SUVs. Without plug-in technology, most will not be able to continue to drive them. Another reason people will be begging for plug-in vehicles. It’s odd to think that the love of SUVs will spur the development of such a green technology (yes I see plug-in Tahoes and plug-in Suburbans coming soon after the Volt).
- GM is infact advertising the heck out of this thing, and we are still 3 years out. My wife showed me a Volt ad that was in a fashion magazine for goodness’ sake.
- We are atleast 3 years from the Volt being available- why WOULD a large number of people know about this vehicle yet.
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August 25th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
I bought a diesel to run biodiesel and would be more than happy to trade it in for an EV…I hope Toyota eats GM’s dirt. I’m saving my pennies.
Once again, GM could answer the question very quickly if they started taking soft orders or down payments.
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August 25th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Drake – you make a very good point. Given that the Volt is still 3 years out, it’s amazing that a half million people already know about it.
For those who doubt E-Flex will go mainstream – I have an interesting analogy. Back in the mid-90s, I knew this guy at work who transferred all his music CDs onto his computer hard drive, and then used some obscure audio compression algorithm cast off by the motion picture entertainment group (MPEG1-layer3) to get the audio files down to a managable size. I thought, man what a geek. Who would spend their time doing that?
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August 25th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
1. Define substantial premium. Volt will be unique. One of the reasons why Camry and Accord hybrids do not sell well is because they are sold for a lot more than regular versions. There is no non-hybrid, $15k Prius. If Volt looks even close to the concept, it should sell for about $25k anyway. 10% is a huge number of people and these people are willing to pay a “substantial” premium. When you add other people that will not see the premium added to the car and those who do some simple match and realize that the “substantial” premium will be erased quickly by savings on gas and maintenance, we will be talking about a lot more than 10%. I hope Chevy can built the 60k they promise because it won’t be enough anyway.
2. This car will not sell based on TV commercials. We will sell this car and by we I mean early adopters and car enthusiasts like us. If Chevy can deliver as promised, I am buying one and I will make sure that everyone I know can see the benefits and buys one as well.
Bush is wrong. We do not need to fight the terrorists there so we don’t fight them here. We need to fight them here, at home. It is easy. We will start in late 2010. We will give them a 60,000 Volt shock.
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August 25th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Toyota is underestimating the number of Americans that want to send their dollars somewhere other than the Middle East.
Maybe one day, a barrel of oil will be worthless.
_________________________________________
Fighting terrorism, one gallon at a time.
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August 26th, 2007 at 2:20 am
If the production Volt lives up to expectations (i.e. 40 mile all electric, 600+ mile total), then no matter how disinterested the general public is, there will be a huge demand for this car. People are willing to pay a large premium for a variety of things. SUVs that never see dirt. Pickups that haul an occasional lawn chair. Corvettes. Harleys. etc.
Once people figure out that they will see about an 80% reduction in fuel usage (which includes 80% less trips to the gas station), the light switch will finally turn on.
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August 26th, 2007 at 5:00 am
I must say, a month ago I was an argent GM basher and Toyota die hard, but now its completely reversed.
Toyota is now becoming an evil empire, who is casting dispersions and sowing the insidious seeds of doubt on a car that offers the best hope for salvation in the face of future declining oil production, all because they bet on the wrong horse by going with Panasonic and their retarded Li+ Polymer Colabalt Oxide batteries.
I remember when Cal Cars first started preaching the gospel of PHEVs, Toyota replied, “Who would ever want to plug in a car?”
It drives me nuts to see Toyota, who honestly wants PHEVs to fail, until they can squeeze out as much profits from their current hybrid design, and finally get their shit together, corrupting the media with their damndable messages.
I saw a recent Good Morning America where they talked about the Volt, and one of the hosts said something like, “But I don’t want to pay higher energy bills.”
WTF?!
To drive 40 miles takes 8 Kwh of electricity which costs about 88 cents useing the national average.
That comes to 75 cents/gallon!
Someone needs to tell people like that host that GAS IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN GAS! YOU WILL BE SAVING MONEY!
Its bad enough hearing people spout nonesense like, “Electric cars are to slow to be practical” when you have the Tesla Roadster out accelerating a Lamborgini! Oh and it can go 135 mph!
Hell even the GM EV1 went 0-60 in 8 seconds! Faster than a Corolla or Civic and they sell over 700,000 a year of those!
I really hope GM keeps up the PR campaign and sends out emmisaries to the media who can set the record straight.
I just can’t stand to hear one more air head commentator bitching about how inconvenient it is to plug a car in.
IT TAKES 10 FXXING SECONDS YOU MORON! YOU CAN BE DRIVING ON 75 CENTS/GALLON EQUIVALENT AND BE BURNING 0 GAS! BUT IT TAKES A 10 SECOND COMMITMENT, YOU KNOW JUST LIKE YOUR FXXCKING IPOD, BLACKBERRY, CELLPHONE, LAPTOP!
Damn Toyota to hell for the shit they are playing!
They made $14 billion in net profit last year.
And are expected to make more than $15 billion this year!
How about you take some of that and build a damned car that can save us from the coming oil crisis!
By 2010 Toyota will be making over $20 billion/year in net profit. Better watch your backs Toyota, or people might start comparing your “windfall profits” to that of oil companies.
Of course if you are first out of the gate with a BEV then I will never buy anything other than a Toyota as long as I live, but that is nowhere in sight.
So to Toyota, as of now I can only say, Put up or shut up! Build your own damned PHEV Prius, and do it before GM builds the Volt, but don’t you dare spout bullshit about PHEV not having a big enough market!
Hell, how long did it take Toyota to sell 60,000 Priuses a year? 5!
GM is saying they may build that many the first year!
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August 26th, 2007 at 6:33 am
Brian don’t misunderstand my previous post. I was in no way bashing or complaining about GM.
The point is the volt is the first of the next type of car. First NEVER will be the best or have all the options and refinements that will follow.
My only point was that in the future ALL cars are going to be serial hybrids because they are better in every respect. EVERY respect.
Car cost (excluding the battery) will come down. The electric car is simply going to be cheaper to produce.
The cost “cheap-o” option could include a tiny battery with little range to keep the cost low. Upgrade the battery as you can afford it.
Think of it like this, if the volt used 10 D cell batteries to go 40 miles. Just leave 9 of the batteries out purchase the car and when it is paid off then you can add a battery or two ever so often.
Not saying “boooo” this option isn’t there. I am saying it will be in the future.
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August 26th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Adam – Yes, I agree that there is too much confusion and mis-information in the media surrounding the Volt.
The video posted on this site is a good example:
http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/22/new-chevy-volt-video/
They use phrases like “not a hybrid, but a plug-in”, and “GM says it’s the car for people with a commute of 40 miles or less”. Nowhere do they mention 50 MPG or 675 mile range. If I didn’t already know about the Volt, I would probably think it was an EV.
Like the politicians, we need the right “sound bites” – phrases like:
- “choice of electric plug-in, gas, or E85 fuel on a daily basis”
- “40 mile electric range”
- “635 mile gas range”
- “675 mile combined range”
- “50 miles per gallon”
And another thing – what’s up with all these huge milage figures like 500 MPG? Nothing is for free, you’re just trading one fuel source for another. This kind of hype only creates disbelief and mistrust.
I have an idea. What if Leonardo DiCaprio did a “plug” for the Volt. In electric mode, the Volt has 1/3 the carbon footprint of a gas car, so he might be interested. People would listen to him!
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August 26th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Toyota execs are quite obviously staying awake at night worrying about what happens to their VERY profitable Prius and OK profitable Camry hybrid when the VOLT and Opel appear in showrooms. Toyota has declared a 40 mile range not affordable, but I look at the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Camry hybrid that can’t keep up with the VOLT, can’t manage to avoid much gasoline, doesn’t look like very much , style wise,
and costs within $3K of the VOLT. Now wonder whether there is anyone out there who would choose the Camry over the VOLT or Opel. I’m not sure anyone other than a dedicated Toyota loyalist or GM hater could possibly prefer the Camry. Now if the battery lease option becomes reality and is based on a more than 10 year battery pack lifespan, then the VOLT might easily attract the $20K crowd away from the Prius with the VOLT perhaps $2K less in price and saving money on gas far beyond the Prius ‘ability. Plus you get a real car without baby buggy wheels and real power and style. Oh, it’s easy to understand why Toyota execs are squirming these days and making one contradictory statement after another. They’re completely rattled. And the VOLT is still 3 years away from the showrooms. Prozac, anyone?
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August 26th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
# AES Says:
August 25th, 2007 at 12:22 pm Quote
Toyota might be trying to deflect well-grounded concern that they are technologically behind in the race to get practical PHEVs to market. As far as I know they are shackled to using Panasonic-made batteries, the most advanced of which are cobalt lithium-ion.
=======================================
That is what I heard myself.
For once, Toyota is on the back foot.
GM can’t market anything for squat though…
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August 26th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
# Drake Says:
August 25th, 2007 at 7:59 pm Quote
Here are some points I thought about while reading this article and the replies (btw, thanks for the frequent updates Lyle):
- Even if people don’t plug in their Volt regularly, they will still be saving a ton of cash with a 50MPG vehicle.
- Tom’s got a great point- many northern states (or Alaska atleast as I have lived there) already have plug-in stations for cars that are left unprotected over winter nights. Plugging in keeps the engine fluid from freezing so that the car may be started the next morning. For these people, plugging in will be second nature.
- In 3 years I sincerely belive gas will be much more expensive than it is now. Also, global warming will be an issue for more people. People will be begging for a ultra-high-mpg vehicle like the Volt.
- People LOVE their SUVs. Without plug-in technology, most will not be able to continue to drive them. Another reason people will be begging for plug-in vehicles. It’s odd to think that the love of SUVs will spur the development of such a green technology (yes I see plug-in Tahoes and plug-in Suburbans coming soon after the Volt).
- GM is infact advertising the heck out of this thing, and we are still 3 years out. My wife showed me a Volt ad that was in a fashion magazine for goodness’ sake.
- We are atleast 3 years from the Volt being available- why WOULD a large number of people know about this vehicle yet.
======================================
That is not a prediction–it’s a certainty.
There will be a plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue by 2009 (maybe even earlier); and if the A123 batteries prove well in the Volt, they almost certainly will show up in future Tahoes/Yukons as they are lighter and easier to package.
If the plug-in VUE works, it will most certainly show up in the large SUVs.
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August 26th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
# Szyszek Says:
August 25th, 2007 at 10:23 pm Quote
1. Define substantial premium. Volt will be unique. One of the reasons why Camry and Accord hybrids do not sell well is because they are sold for a lot more than regular versions. There is no non-hybrid, $15k Prius. If Volt looks even close to the concept, it should sell for about $25k anyway. 10% is a huge number of people and these people are willing to pay a “substantial” premium. When you add other people that will not see the premium added to the car and those who do some simple match and realize that the “substantial” premium will be erased quickly by savings on gas and maintenance, we will be talking about a lot more than 10%. I hope Chevy can built the 60k they promise because it won’t be enough anyway.
2. This car will not sell based on TV commercials. We will sell this car and by we I mean early adopters and car enthusiasts like us. If Chevy can deliver as promised, I am buying one and I will make sure that everyone I know can see the benefits and buys one as well.
Bush is wrong. We do not need to fight the terrorists there so we don’t fight them here. We need to fight them here, at home. It is easy. We will start in late 2010. We will give them a 60,000 Volt shock.
==========================================
There will be very few $25,000 Volts; and I hope this is not another of people’s unrealistic expectations.
I expect that as-sold, the Volt will most likely be about $26,500 to about $27,000 on average. Some might even cross the $30,000 mark on the high end. In other words, about the same or slightly more than a Prius.
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August 26th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Why the hell would anyone make a Hybrid car that doesn’t have the ability to have it’s batteries charges by plugging it in. That’s ludicrous. So now you add a plug, so we can charge the batteries without running the combustion engine, release it as a new model and call it a “PHEV”. Do this guy actually believe that people will still want to run gasoline powered cars if they can purchase a 100% electric vehicle that gets the equivalent of 250 miles per gallon, doesn’t need an oil change, won’t ever need the exhaust system replaced, is faster, quicker, and doesn’t rust? I’m against the polution for sure, but global warming is caused by the sun. And like most anyone with half a brain, I’d jump at the chance to buy an electric car. Even if it costs twice as much, it will probably last 3 times as long and cost 1/4 as much to feed and maintain. Of course they will need a few more years to figure out the planned obsolescence and the ability to mass produce.
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August 27th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Nobody wants an electric car. They are too expensive and inconvenient. It doesn’t matter whether or not you feel otherwise.
The Volt is a good compromise though.
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August 27th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I agree with the posters that suggest that the Volt battery capacity should be variable since not everyone needs exactly 40 miles of all-electric range (AER). According to stats on US commuters, 50% travel less than 25 miles round trip to work. A more granular break down of these commuter mileage stats (with the approximate battery capacity shown in brackets for their ideal AER, calculated @ 5 miles per kilowatt-hour) is:
o 40% drive 15 or fewer miles (12 kWh) daily
Obviously, these battery capacities can be halved and major bucks saved if one can plug in at work, hopefully from under a solar canopy that will also keep your car cool in summer and protect its paint from the sun and dive-bombing birds. It’s a bit OT but solar charging of cars has a much faster pay-back (by a factor of at least 5) than residential solar.
(ref. http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1267)
The ability to tailor one’s battery capacity, to say the nearest kWh, would improve the Volt’s marketability and allow the addition of battery capacity when one can afford it, or as required due to flagging batteries, or for a new job with a longer commute or, by the new owners of a used Volt. (Subtraction of capacity requires a used battery market which will develop over time.) An additional market could be seniors with limited funds but with lots of opportunity to plug in – think several naps a day – could afford a Volt with a 10-mile AER.
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August 28th, 2007 at 6:18 am
The detailed commuter mileage stats got gargled a bit. Here they are again:
A more granular break down of these commuter mileage stats (with the approximate battery capacity shown in brackets for their ideal AER, calculated @ 5 miles per kilowatt-hour) is: 40% drive 15 or fewer miles (3 kWh or less), 4% drive between 15 and 30 miles (3 to 6 kWh), 12% drive between 30 and 45 miles (6 to 9 kWh), 7% drive between 45 and 60 miles (9 to 12 kWh), and 17% drive more than 60 miles (greater than 12 kWh)
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August 28th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Interesting idea.
Maybe they can do that in the second generation.
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August 28th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Since the development of Lithium-Ion batteries, and in-wheel motors, options like the Tesla or the Zap-X might be too expensive, but that doesn’t mean no one will want one. I want a Corvette too, but I don’t have one because I can’t afford it. Chevrolet has been selling 10’s of thousands of Corvettes for the past 40 years. These new electric cars will become more “wanted”, because they outperform combustion vehicles.
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August 31st, 2007 at 1:43 am
As a Canadian citizen, we have to plug in our cars during the winter anyways, so having to plug in our cars all the time wouldn’t be a big stretch for us.
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April 7th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Maybe Toyota has same problem GM had a few years ago. I bought a Prius (2004) because I was tired of waiting for US automakers to mass produce electric or hybred. I’d sell or trade-in my Prius in a heartbeat for a VOLT! GM just produce them and they will sell.
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June 20th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I honestly would not buy a car that plugs in period. For one a total electric car with no fuel, what happens when you need more fuel on a long trip? Where you gonna plug it in at? Besides that people will have to add an electrical outlet to wherever they park there car, which is NOT always in a garage. On top of that electricity is another EXPENSIVE bill just like gas. Why would I want to trade one evil for another? I say solar power, if we lose the sun, we’re all dead anyways. Or that the mini cooper hybrid (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/the_hybrid_mini.php) they have out on the net sounds like a promising technology. I would be more likely to buy it than something that just raises another expensive bill.
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April 20th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
When the Prius came to the US there were special ad campaigns made specifically to indicate that you didn’t have to plug it in! My how far we have come!
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