Similar topics
Recommended
Ken Farrington

The first decade of the 21st century saw the birth of the hybrid vehicle thanks to the jump in gas prices during 2008 and the resulting rush to buy every hybrid in stock – it was a lot like the excitement that occurs every time a new smart phone is introduced.

With over a million hybrid cars sold during the last decade, I’m not sure we’re going to see the same level of interest with electric vehicles and part of the reason why is the word “electric”. It’s actually a bit negative as it suggests reduced freedom and is often used to describe a niche version of an existing product such as a lawnmower / electric lawnmower, stapler / electric stapler, and a slightly extreme example … chair / electric chair.

In a world that has been shifting to cordless / wireless for over 2 decades, carmakers wanting to ship millions of EVs will need to push the electric wording to the fine print and develop a product with a price / performance point that is attractive to many consumers, probably as an inexpensive second car or neighborhood vehicle.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to see EVs succeed as there will be a bunch of new silicon in each of those vehicles, but the value proposition just hasn’t matured yet and calling them “electric” isn’t helping. I bet there are people that bought a hybrid based on price, performance, and looks alone and didn’t even know it was a hybrid until after the fact. I don’t own one but if you do, I’d love to hear how the sales pitch was handled – was hybrid mentioned and if so, was it the dominant theme or just a casual mention? I can’t wait to hear about the EV sales pitches that should hit the showroom floors later this year.

If you’ve got an opinion on this “electric” topic, I’d love to hear it! Next month I’ll discuss some of the other barriers with EVs. Until then, take care!

Ken

Anonymous
Parents

  • Ken, I think you're on to a better name - the "cordless vehicle."

    We are a 3 Prius household.  I got a Prius in 2004 (after a 5 month wait on the list).  I knew more about the car than the sales staff.  My wife picked up one in 2006.  My daughter started driving earlier this year so I handed down the 2004 to her and picked up a used 2007 for me.

    The car certainly appealed to the engineer in me, but the roominess, hatchback flexibility, and overall value were the real hooks.  Averaging 53.6 mpg has been quite a money saver and the car has been very reliable.  I've got a load of data posted at www.enerjazz.com/prius.  

    I've been following electric vehicles and I still worry that the batteries are not ready for prime time.  The genius of the Prius was keeping the NiMH battery operating in the 40%-80% range to extend the life, then offering a full 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty.   Full electric (or cordless) cars will tax their batteries much harder which is bound to shorten their life.  I know a lot of folks are working on the lithium-ion (and a few other chemistry) batteries.  Good energy storage is still a gating item.  

Comment

  • Ken, I think you're on to a better name - the "cordless vehicle."

    We are a 3 Prius household.  I got a Prius in 2004 (after a 5 month wait on the list).  I knew more about the car than the sales staff.  My wife picked up one in 2006.  My daughter started driving earlier this year so I handed down the 2004 to her and picked up a used 2007 for me.

    The car certainly appealed to the engineer in me, but the roominess, hatchback flexibility, and overall value were the real hooks.  Averaging 53.6 mpg has been quite a money saver and the car has been very reliable.  I've got a load of data posted at www.enerjazz.com/prius.  

    I've been following electric vehicles and I still worry that the batteries are not ready for prime time.  The genius of the Prius was keeping the NiMH battery operating in the 40%-80% range to extend the life, then offering a full 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty.   Full electric (or cordless) cars will tax their batteries much harder which is bound to shorten their life.  I know a lot of folks are working on the lithium-ion (and a few other chemistry) batteries.  Good energy storage is still a gating item.  

Children
No Data