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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

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  • I don't know that I will be looking for a straight electric, primarily due to the range limitation.  I have some scouting trips with my son that are longer than 400 miles.  I doubt that present eletric vehicles can reliably give this range with a fully loaded vehicle and full time air conditioning that we need here in Texas.

    I am in my second hybrid vehicle.  I had a 2006 Toyota Hybrid Highlander that I traded in for a 2010 Toyota Hybrid Highlander late last year.  For trade-in, I received half of what I paid for it in 2005 ($19.5K vs. $39K).  50% depreciation was not bad for a 4 year old car.

    I have to wonder what the depreciation will be for pure electric vehicles, especially as they near the end of the battery warranty.  More competition will be needed or this could be an issue. For drivers that like to keep their cars until the wheels fall off, they could be looking at expensive replacement batteries.

    The improved gas mileage was only one reason for buying the hybrid. When I feel like stomping on it, I enjoy the instant 50 horsepower performance boost.

    Tesla has a sub 4 second 0-60 electric roadster, but $100K is a little out of my budget.

    Regards,

    Bill W.

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  • I don't know that I will be looking for a straight electric, primarily due to the range limitation.  I have some scouting trips with my son that are longer than 400 miles.  I doubt that present eletric vehicles can reliably give this range with a fully loaded vehicle and full time air conditioning that we need here in Texas.

    I am in my second hybrid vehicle.  I had a 2006 Toyota Hybrid Highlander that I traded in for a 2010 Toyota Hybrid Highlander late last year.  For trade-in, I received half of what I paid for it in 2005 ($19.5K vs. $39K).  50% depreciation was not bad for a 4 year old car.

    I have to wonder what the depreciation will be for pure electric vehicles, especially as they near the end of the battery warranty.  More competition will be needed or this could be an issue. For drivers that like to keep their cars until the wheels fall off, they could be looking at expensive replacement batteries.

    The improved gas mileage was only one reason for buying the hybrid. When I feel like stomping on it, I enjoy the instant 50 horsepower performance boost.

    Tesla has a sub 4 second 0-60 electric roadster, but $100K is a little out of my budget.

    Regards,

    Bill W.

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