On 7/20/2013 1:28 PM, John O'COnnor wrote:
This brings back the semantics issue of calling the Volt an EV. "The People" will never figure out what an EV is unless the industry and media stop calling the Volt and other hybrid drive and hybrid (onboard) fuel systems vehicles EVs!
Does it matter? Regular hybrids, I agree with you. Really they're just gas cars that get very good mileage. But if I can plug it into the wall and drive reasonably significant distances on electricity then why sweat that it's not a pure EV to the people?
I own a Ford C-Max Energi (plug-in hybrid). I can go about 25 miles on a charge before it reverts to being a standard hybrid. It will stay in EV mode up to 85 mph. I've driven it 3200 miles and all but 380 were in EV mode. Perhaps 50 of that 380 were because 25 miles wasn't enough range for the day's driving. The rest were long trips that would have been beyond the range of any EV for sale today except maybe a Tesla model S. I say if I can unplug my car in the morning, drive to work, do my errands, and drive home without using any gas...then I'm driving an EV.
The car was sort of an epiphany for me. The standard answer we give everyone when asked about range anxiety is "well you have your second gas car for long trips." Or worse "rent a car for long trips." But I think cars like the Energi and Volt offer an even better answer for many people because they don't HAVE to pay for and maintain a second car. They may get more people interested in trying the EV world because it solves the range anxiety problem. I know from experience that MANY people when given the "second car" answer will simply choose not to buy an EV.
But back to the question you were responding to, I think that people buying Volts and Energis are indicative of an interest in EVs and also of upcoming use of EV infrastructure so it is correct to count them in EV sales figures (of course pulled out into a plug-in category).
BTW, my second car is a Ford Ranger EV conversion. --Rick _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
