[EVDL] What brand & model car was burned in a Vacaville-CA garage fire?
Here's metal-exercise/brain teaser - what brand and model car is shown in
the story image below. The Vacaville FD rep sez its an Electric, but they
often get confused calling any non-ice vehicle an Electric. My thinking is
the burnt vehicle could be: an EV, pih, hev, cng, or possibly a fcv.
I keyed-in on the shape of the rear tail lights (though the plastic had been
burnt away), the width of the truck lid near the rear bumper, the round
shape of the filler door on the left hand side, and those curious two vent
openings on either side of the bottom rear (sometimes those are just put
there to make the vehicle look snazzy, like it has twin tail pipes, etc.).
Note: next to it in the gal's garage is a Honda Accord hev, so my thinking
is to start looking at other Honda vehicles to match up what can be seen of
what is left after the fire burnt away the rear plastic. Looks like the FD
officer pulled out some burnt laptop components and wiring, so ?possibly it
wasn't necessarily the vehicle's pack that caused the fire, but a li-ion
battery?
Details: the gal's home was on Quietwood Drive. It was volunteer Battalion
Chief Jeff Ryder out of the Vacaville Fire District Fire Station 67 on 4135
Cantelow Rd, Vacaville, CA 95688 (707-447-2252) that handled it.
Vacaville-FD Administrative Office is 707-449-5452
Perhaps someone local to Vacaville can call and ask.
Vehicles I am guessing it might be are:
http://file.kelleybluebookimages.com/kbb/vehicleimage/evoxseo/xxl/10148/2015-honda-civic%20hybrid-rear-view_10148_119_640x480.jpg
2015 Honda Civic hev
http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-natural-gas/exterior-360-view.aspx
2015 Honda Civic Coupe cng (drag pointer around for 360 view)
This model has a round filler door. Vacaville also has a cng vehicle
incentive program, and the nearest cng filling station is only 9miles away.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Honda_Civic_Hybrid_III_20090321_rear.jpg/800px-Honda_Civic_Hybrid_III_20090321_rear.jpg
An older model Honda Civic hev, the lights are round-ishp but the trunk lid
near the rear bumper seems too wide
http://image.automobilemag.com/f/91951569+w660+h440+q80+cr1+ar0/honda-clarity-fuel-cell-rear-three-quarters.jpg
I do not think it was a Honda Clarity fcv because its filler door is not
round, also the cloest h2 station is 30miles away.
-
http://www.thereporter.com/article/NG/20160310/NEWS/160319988
Electric car likely cause of garage fire
03/10/16 Dom Pruett
[image
http://image.thereporter.com/storyimage/NG/20160310/NEWS/160319988/AR/0/AR-160319988.jpg
A Vacaville firefighter pours water on the remains of a vehicle inside the
garage of a home Thursday in the 200 block of Quietwood Drive. The cause of
the one-alarm fire is under investigation. Joel Rosenbaum — The Reporter
]
Two Vacaville Fire Department engines and one truck handled a garage fire
Thursday afternoon that destroyed much of a car inside a Quietwood Drive
home.
The resident of the home noticed her closed garage door windows trickling
with smoke after walking back from her daughter’s nearby residence.
The Vacaville Fire Department received a call from the owner around 12:50
p.m.
Shortly after, two Vacaville Fire Engines, one truck, and one medical unit
arrived to combat the one-alarm fire and saw the homeowner standing in front
of her residence, confirmed Battalion Chief Jeff Ryder.
The homeowner then revealed that there was no one inside aside from her two
cats.
Despite the abundance of smoke that came from the garage area, firefighter’s
learned the car parked inside was the focus of the fire.
Soon after, Ryder attributed the cause of the fire to the car, as the rest
of the garage only endured heat damage and the fire didn’t enter the inside
of the home.
The owner of the house, according to Ryder, said she charged her electric
car in her garage that morning around 10 a.m., stepped out to visit her
daughter’s nearby home, and then walked back to the sight of the smoke.
“We determined it to be a malfunction in the electric vehicle,” Ryder said.
As she looked on as the firefighters removed her garage door from across the
street, the shaken homeowner was consoled by a swarm of neighbors as they
watched the last of the flames doused.
[© The Reporter]
...
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29626581/electric-car-likely-cause-north-bay-garage-fire?source=rss
Electric car likely cause of North Bay garage fire
03/11/2016 ... "We determined it to be a malfunction in the electric
vehicle," Ryder said ...
-
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Re: [EVDL] EVLN status ... EV-news-drought ... We've been spoiled ...
Have you driven the BYD EV that came to the US? I wouldn't buy one. -Chris On March 11, 2016 8:32:09 AM CST, Rick Beebe via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: >On 03/11/2016 03:45 AM, EVDL Administrator via EV wrote: >> IMO, the dark horse here is China. They look set to become the >world's >> largest producer of EVs, as long as their government doesn't cave to >oil >> interests. > >I just read that BYD was the largest producer of EVs last year. I think > >the Chinese government is feeling INTENSE pressure to cut its carbon >emissions and curb air pollution and I think there's a lot of incentive > >for them to favor EVs in that battle. > >--Rick >___ >UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub >http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org >Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ >Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA >(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20160311/04f13e7c/attachment.htm> ___ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
Re: [EVDL] EVLN status ... EV-news-drought ... We've been spoiled ...
On 03/11/2016 03:45 AM, EVDL Administrator via EV wrote: IMO, the dark horse here is China. They look set to become the world's largest producer of EVs, as long as their government doesn't cave to oil interests. I just read that BYD was the largest producer of EVs last year. I think the Chinese government is feeling INTENSE pressure to cut its carbon emissions and curb air pollution and I think there's a lot of incentive for them to favor EVs in that battle. --Rick ___ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
[EVDL] $50/yr CT EVSE tax> EV-owners vs state fight
http://connecticut.news12.com/news/bill-would-charge-fee-for-electric-car-charging-stations-1.11559129
Bill would charge fee for electric car charging stations
March 10, 2016
[video flash
A proposal would cost people $50 per year to have an electric car charging
station. (3/10/16)
]
DARIEN - Electric car owners are in a fight with the state against a
proposed fee for owners of charging stations.
The fee would be $50 per year per unit, but environmental groups say more
expenses would lead to less charging stations, and in turn, less electric
cars.
With the numbers of charging stations increasing in southwestern
Connecticut, the worry is that the electric growth would halt as businesses
may question the need to pay more taxes as a part of the investment.
The proposal comes amid a state budget issue, and more electric cars have
meant less gas tax money to pay for roads.
The bill would not force a fee on those who own charging stations at their
homes, and would also allow cheaper rates at stations overnight.
[© connecticut.news12.com 2016 News12 Interactive]
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[EVDL] EVent: 13 EVs @southwardcarmuseum.co.nz 3/13 Paraparaumu.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapiti-observer/77631592/largest-electric-cars-gathering-in-lower-north-island-displayed-in-kapiti
Largest electric cars gathering in lower North Island displayed in Kapiti
March 10 2016 Adam Poulopoulos
[image / Adam Poulopoulos
http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/7/x/b/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1a7wx4.png/1457557544048.jpg
Sigurd Magnusson with his Nissan Leaf electric car at the Southward Car
Museum open house.
]
The organiser of a gathering of electric car owners at Southward Car Museum
says the cars are the future of clean transport in New Zealand.
Sigurd Magnusson was one of 13 electric car enthusiasts to have his vehicle
on display at the Kapiti car museum's open house on Sunday. It was the
largest gathering of electric cars in the lower North Island, he said.
Magnusson, who drives a fully electric Nissan Leaf, said the cars are one
way everyday people can do something about their carbon footprint.
"Cars are responsible for 20 per cent of New Zealand's carbon emissions.
"We can remove petrol by using electric cars, but it's much harder for the
average Kiwi to do something about the other 80 per cent."
Magnusson is also involved in the Leading the Charge road trip, run by the
Better NZ Trust, which will pass through Horowhenua and Kapiti on April 14.
The convoy of electric cars will be at Te Takere in Levin from noon to 1pm,
Otaki from 2pm to 4.30pm and Southward Car Museum from 5pm to 7pm, as part
of the trip around New Zealand to promote electric vehicles.
Magnusson said raising the profile of electric vehicles was important.
"The main thing for me is that most New Zealanders don't know these exist,
and if they knew they would be buying them."
Charging stations are scheduled to be installed in Otaki and Mana this year
as part of the country's electric vehicle charging network.
Magnusson, based in Lower Hutt, took an interest in electric vehicles after
his friend purchased one.
He said with purchase prices for electric vehicles dropping, in the Nissan
Leaf's case to about $20,000 for used cars, similar cars will become more
common.
"Pretty soon this will be no different to taking out the recycling on a
weekly basis."
He has calculated the cost of power to drive his car 6000 kilometres at
$120.
Magnusson hopes New Zealand follows developments in Norway, which has a
similar population, but about 70,000 fully electric cars in circulation,
compared to about 500 here.
"Norway are debating whether to make all new cars electric by 2025. They're
the global leader."
[© 2016 Fairfax New Zealand]
...
https://www.facebook.com/Southward-Car-Museum-114600198580206/
Otaihanga Rd, Paraparaumu 5036, New Zealand Phone: +64 4-297 1221
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southward_Car_Museum
...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapiti_Coast_District
Kapiti Coast District ... named after Kapiti Island a prominent landmark 5
km offshore ...
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Re: [EVDL] EVLN status ... EV-news-drought ... We've been spoiled ...
As Lee Hart has pointed out, EV interest in the US (and probably elsewhere) has always run in cycles. There are a couple things which make this upswing different. For one, this is the highest peak I've seen since I've been aware of EV issues (that's almost 50 years). This HAS to make EVs more of a threat to oil and ICEV interests. For another, this time Tesla has added a lot of momentum to the mix We have never, in my memory, had an EV-specialty company as well financed or as successful. This is the first one I can think of that's created cars that car buffs covet - and that just happen to EVs. This has brought in performance- and prestige-seeking buyers who previously would NEVER have considered an EV. Tesla have transcended "green," and that's a good thing, IMO. As long as they don't stumble too badly, I think Tesla has to keep pushing the EV market forward here in the US. I don't think we would have seen the bigger batteries coming from Nissan and GM without Tesla's competition, so I see it as driving battery development too. That's another good thing. However, don't forget that the mainstream is still heavily invested in ICEVs and oil. They don't want to see even a tiny fraction of their market or income diverted to EVs. While many (most) corporations focus on short-term revenue, the politically influential players look way ahead. They'll spend millions now to keep from losing billions in upcoming years. Not to sound paranoid, but I don't think we can entirely discount the possibility of Tesla being "Tuckered." If you don't get this reference, look up the story of Preston Tucker and his "48." Tesla aside, the political picture is murky for EVs, and not just in the US. In the EU, the climate change issue seems to be treated very differently from the way it is in the US. Mainly, I don't think it's as much of a political football. As I understand it, the EU sets targets and presses for carbon reduction legislation in their member nations. (Am I wrong about that, EU folks? Straighten me out.) However, politicians there have discovered that running on immigration and the refugee crisis gets them elected. In some cases these newer governments, shall we say, aren't setting as high a priority on carbon reduction and EV promotion. This could hurt the EV cause there too, depending on how long those governments are in office. IMO, the dark horse here is China. They look set to become the world's largest producer of EVs, as long as their government doesn't cave to oil interests. If the CA EV mandate survives, I can envision the big automakers (and not just Detroit) bringing in "captive imports" for their compliance EVs, drawing on the likes of Geely and BYD. That's what Chrysler did when they got caught flat-footed by the 1973 gas crunch, except they went to Mitsubishi of Japan. (And then there were the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega. 'Nuff said.) Here in the States, I don't think we're likely to see another EV1 debacle, with EVs literally being taken off the road and crushed. However, I think it's possible (depending on what happens with Tesla) that we're close to the peak in available production EV models for this cycle. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some production EV models vanish from dealers here because of "failure to meet sales targets" in the coming years. Again depending on US political shift with the upcoming election, we may also see national level legislative efforts to prevent individual states from passing CA-style tighter environmental regulations. They may even try to roll back California's. Of course all of the above is speculation. I'm not an auto industry expert, and I don't have a crystal ball (or even a bowling ball). But I have been around long enough to have seen multiple cycles of EV interest since about 1967. David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA EVDL Administrator = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not reach me. To send a private message, please obtain my email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ___ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
[EVDL] EVLN: Mercedes-Benz & Tesla-packs parting ways after 7yrs
http://www.ibtimes.com/tesla-motors-stop-supplying-mercedes-benz-battery-pack-drivetrain-german-automaker-2331898
Tesla Motors To Stop Supplying Mercedes-Benz With Battery Pack, Drivetrain
As German Automaker Develops Its Own
03/07/16 ANGELO YOUNG
[image / MERCEDES-BENZ
http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/md/public/2016/03/07/b-class-electric-drive.jpg
B-Class Electric Drive The next generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric
Drive will forgo the battery pack and drivetrain that has underpinned Merc’s
first fully electric vehicle. Pictured is a 2015 model
]
After seven years, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla Motors are parting ways. The
German automaker will go at it alone in developing the next generation
B-Class Electric Drive, its fully electric $42,000 compact five-door
hatchback.
“We have had an excellent project with Tesla and have worked very well with
them,” Harald Kroeger, head of electric-drive development at Mercedes-Benz
parent Daimler AG, told the German magazine Wirtshafts Woche in an article
published over the weekend.
But the company has invested 500 million euros ($550.5 million) in a battery
and drivetrain plant and can now supply itself with the necessary
components, Kroeger added.
The current B-Class ekes out about 100 miles per fully charged battery, not
much for an electric car priced at around $42,000. But the next generation
B-Class Electric Drive will boast more than twice the range, putting it
comfortably in the area of the wave of electric cars coming out in
2017-2018, including Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, priced at around $35,000 after
the U.S. federal green-car incentive.
The decision to end the supply arrangement comes seven years after Daimler
invested $550 million in Tesla – a 10 percent stake in the startup – that
came at a crucial make-or-break moment for the Palo Alto electric car maker.
Daimler sold nearly half of those shares in 2014.
Similar to Daimler, Toyota was an early investor in Tesla, putting in $50
million and selling its Fremont, California, factory site to Tesla ...
[© 2016 IBT Media]
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[EVDL] EVLN: Daimler CEO sez 310mi EVs @$110/kWh begins competitive threshold
'LG Chem CEO sez 311mi EVs in 2020'
https://www.autonews.com/article/20160306/OEM05/303079984/daimler-boss-puts-ev-target-range-at-310-miles
Daimler boss puts EV target range at 310 miles
March 6, 2016 David Undercoffler
Zetsche: No magic numbers
GENEVA -- Electric vehicles likely will need a range of at least 310 miles
per charge to become a mainstream option to gasoline-powered cars, Daimler
AG boss Dieter Zetsche says.
That range is "probably a reasonable number to pursue," Zetsche said last
week at the Geneva auto show.
But he said there are no magic numbers to trigger broad consumer acceptance
of EVs.
"I don't know if there's one tipping point after which in two years all
internal combustion engines will be replaced in new-car sales by electric
cars," Zetsche said at a roundtable with U.S. media.
Instead, he described a "continuum" of necessary steps.
One of those steps: Battery cost must fall for EVs to reach prices that will
prompt consumers to swap gasoline-powered vehicles for electrics.
The cost of batteries is around $170 per kilowatt-hour, Zetsche estimated.
Hitting $110 to $130 per kwh is "perhaps the threshold where performancewise
and costwise you start to become competitive," he said.
When Chevrolet's all-electric Bolt goes on sale late this year, it will be
among the cheapest per-kwh vehicles on the market, according to General
Motors.
The Bolt's LG Chem-sourced batteries cost $145 per kwh, GM said, helping the
automaker to keep the Bolt's price at $37,500, including shipping but before
tax credits.
Pulling EVs out of the niche market also means further developing EV
infrastructure, Zetsche said.
The expanding range of plug-in hybrid vehicles will also be a step toward
widespread EV adoption, he said. Daimler's Mercedes-Benz has been bullish on
plug-in hybrids.
[© Crain Communications]
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lg-chem-ceo-idUSKCN0W800U
LG Chem seeks agrochemical firm purchase to push growth: CEO
OCHANG, SOUTH KOREA
Mar 5, 2016 Hyunjoo Jin; Jake Spring; Christian Schmollinger ...
The move into agrochemicals comes as LG Chem faces a growing threat from
Chinese rivals in its mainstay chemicals and battery businesses.
The Chinese government in January said it will suspend offering subsidies
for electric buses if they use nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries made
by South Korean companies, sending shares of LG Chem and Samsung SDI lower.
[LG Chem CEO] Park said the policy would have a limited impact on its
business, saying NCM batteries will remain as mainstream technology as
opposed to offerings by Chinese firms.
He also expected an electric car which can go 500 kilometers (311 miles) to
600 kilometers on a single charge to be commercialized in 2020.
"The electric car market is taking off faster than expected," he said,
saying tough regulations are pushing automakers to accelerate electric car
sales despite low oil prices ...
[© reuters.com Thomson Reuters]
...
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160306000323
LG Chem braces for electric car boom
2016-03-06
[image
http://res.heraldm.com/content/image/2016/03/06/20160306000308_0.jpg
LG Chem workers check the pouch-type lithium-ion battery cells manufactured
at the firm’s production lines at Ochang Plant 1, in Ochang, North
Chungcheong Province. (LG Chem)
]
Battery firm to commercialize batteries that travel more than 500 km by 2019
OCHANG, North Chungcheong Province -- An automated assembly line at chemical
and battery firm LG Chem’s Ochang Plant 1 here was busily ferrying a long
battery separator sheet attached with positive and negative plates.
Along the assembly line, the sheet was folded, or rather rolled, in layers
and then cut and packaged to turn into square, thin pouch-type battery
cells.
The lithium-ion battery cells will later be mounted on electric cars ... [LG
Chem CEO] added that customers can see EVs that can travel more than 500
kilometers up and running in as early as 2019.
The company has developed batteries for electric vehicles that can run more
than 320 kilometers and is working on developing new ones for longer-range
EVs in collaboration with global carmakers.
[© koreaherald.com]
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[EVDL] EVLN: $8.5k Leaf EV bought two hours from CO home
'I took 75 percent discount off the list price' http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102675_why-i-bought-a-new-nissan-leaf-electric-car-2-hours-from-home-8500-net-cost Why I bought a new Nissan Leaf electric car 2 hours from home: $8,500 net cost Mar 8, 2016 Andrew Ganz [images http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf-s_100548746_l.jpg 2015 Nissan Leaf, Denver, Colorado, Mar 2016 / owner Andrew Ganz http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf-s_100548744_l.jpg http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf-s_100548743_l.jpg http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf_100548747_l.jpg http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf-s_100548745_l.jpg http://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2015-nissan-leaf_100473868_l.jpg ] If you’re looking to spend $8,500 on a car, you’re probably going to bring home something with close to six digits on the odometer. Unless, that is, you buy a brand new electric car deep in the heart of oil and gas country. That’s what I did, and that’s how I wound up spending just $8,500 (after incentives, before taxes) on a brand-new 2015 Nissan Leaf S. I live in Denver, the largest city in a state of immense natural beauty that’s probably more inclined to think about the environment than most. The state government generally promotes making ecologically-intelligent decisions, as do some local jurisdictions. And yet there’s a big—no, make that massive—elephant in the room. A hefty percent of the Centennial State’s economy is based on the extraction of natural resources. Colorado is half Texas and half California, and that actually applies to the state’s population as well. (Disclosure: I moved here from Texas.) You’ll see plenty of solar panels and windmills, but we also derive much of our electricity from coal. Radio airwaves are saturated with ads touting the economic impact of fracking, which you'll hear more about than its environmental impact. In the end, by all accounts, you’ve got a state that is solidly purple. Big money But following the demise of Georgia's $5,000 income-tax credit, Colorado is the last state to still offer a big incentive for buying an electric car. My state offers a tax credit based on a complex equation that takes into account the vehicle’s battery capacity in addition to its purchase price. For a Leaf, it works out to about $5,100, while a Tesla Model S checks in at closer to $6,000. Uniquely, Colorado’s incentive also applies to used cars—as long as they’ve never been registered within the state’s borders. Admittedly, my interest in acquiring a Leaf was based as much on being able to get one for dirt cheap as it was experiencing an electric car. I live in the city of Denver, in an urban area walking distance from grocery stores, a light rail station, and restaurants. Because this is Denver, there's no shortage of nearby yoga studios, breweries, and marijuana dispensaries. Last fall, I did some initial calculations and figured that—including $5,100 in state incentives, $7,500 for the Federal income-tax credit, and $6,000 in Nissan Finance rebates—I would be looking at chopping $18,600 off the MSRP on the sticker. So I figured if I could get one at invoice cost, I should be able to find a Leaf for a net cost around $11,000. In the end, as it turned out, I was high. By quite a bit. By about $2,500, in fact. The hunt With the initial idea that I could probably buy a brand-new Leaf for not that much coin, I began to shop around. Perversely, I enjoy the chase of a good deal, and I don’t mind pitting multiple new-car dealers against each other to get to the best price. I started locally, visiting my nearest dealer to drive the car and confirm that I did indeed want a Leaf as a runabout. To maximize value, I honed in on a base Leaf S, although I included the extra-cost Quick Charge Package that includes a 6.6 kW onboard charger and a CHAdeMO DC quick-charging port. Beyond that, I couldn’t really be picky about color, although I liked Cayenne Red. My nearest dealer says it's the highest-volume Leaf seller in the Denver area, so I knew I was off to a good start. Right away, the figure they quoted me—prior to any negotiation on my end—bested my initial estimate of $11,000 after incentives. I got home and dug into the inventory tool on Nissan’s website, using it to fire off emails to other metro area dealers. All responded quickly – almost too quickly. The inventory of 2015 Leafs appeared to be huge, and while at that point Nissan hadn’t yet announced details for the 2016 Leaf, all the rumors pointed toward a higher-capacity battery. Eventually, after bouncing deals around locally, I branched out further, sending emails to dealers across the region. Not surprisingly, the dealer in Boulder, where charging stations are as common as coffee shops serving fair-trade brew, readily admitted that I’d need to look elsewhere for a big discount. I stretched my search along the Interstate 25 corridor, querying dealers as
[EVDL] EVLN: NZ dealers want Leaf EVs now, not wait for Leaf-gen2's
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/77631381/fleet-managers-left-without-affordable-ev-option-after-nissan-leaf-pulled-from-nz
NZ switch to electric vehicles stalls after Nissan pulls plug on NZ Leaf
sales
March 8 2016 TOM PULLAR-STRECKER
[image
http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/8/8/x/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1a7wr9.png/1457384075563.jpg
New car buyers have been left without an "affordable" electric vehicle
option after Nissan stopped selling the Nissan Leaf in New Zealand, a lobby
group says
]
Electric vehicle sales have slowed after Nissan stopped selling its Nissan
Leaf electric vehicle in New Zealand, according to lobby group Drive
Electric.
Many fleet managers wanted to buy more electric vehicles, but had been left
without an affordable option after Nissan pulled its Nissan Leaf electric
car from the New Zealand market in November, said Drive Electric chairman
Mark Gilbert.
The Leaf had been selling for just under $40,000, ... he said.
There are currently 1015 electric vehicles (EVs) registered in New Zealand.
Many of the EVs still entering New Zealand were secondhand Leafs imported by
private buyers from Britain and Japan, Gilbert said. Three-year-old models
typically sell for about $20,000.
But fleet managers, who accounted for about 60 to 70 per cent of new car
sales, wanted to buy new, he said.
Nissan New Zealand managing director John Manley said it had stopped selling
the car for commercial reasons.
The company had been able to sell the Leaf for $40,000 last year because it
had been able to source some vehicles on good terms from Australia, where
the Leaf remains on sale, Manley said.
But he said that price had never been sustainable.
The fact Nissan had to compete with secondhand imports from countries where
original EV purchases were subsidised also impacted the economics of
stocking new EVs, he said.
The decision to stop selling the Leaf was "commercial and regrettable", but
Nissan could not provide an EV at the right price with features that suited
the New Zealand market, he said.
"Our decision was not based on any action, or perceived lack of action, by
the Government."
He understood a delayed package of measures being worked by the Government
to promote electric vehicle sales would be "very soft".
Nissan is developing a second-generation Leaf but that is not expected to go
on sale for at least a year and it is not yet known what it will cost.
The Government is still developing a package of measures to boost the uptake
of EVs which it had originally hoped to announce before Christmas.
Manley said he understood the measures would be "very soft".
"The industry is aware it is not going to be a substantive package," Manley
said.
"They will provide some support via education and trying to encourage
infrastructure."
Manley said that view was based on a number of discussions with Transport
Minister Simon Bridges and with other ministers and officials. "While they
are supportive of electric vehicles they are not (considering) realistic
subsidies."
Lower oil prices had reduced people's motivation to consider alternatives to
petrol cars and Manley did not believe there was strong demand for EVs, even
from fleet owners, at prices that were currently achievable.
Gilbert said Drive Electric wanted the Government to boost EV uptake by
making people pay more to buy or register "gas-guzzlers" and providing
corresponding incentives for low-emission vehicles.
It also wanted the Government to set targets and a "road map" for EV uptake,
both generally and within the government fleet.
The delay finalising a package was not necessary bad, Gilbert said.
"We would rather they get it right rather than have a knee-jerk reaction. In
some ways it is probably better to wait."
[© stuff.co.nz]
...
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/5/245742
Govt left in the dust on electric cars - Greens
March 8 2016 The National Government's lack of a plan to shift New Zealand
to electric vehicles will have contributed to Nissan's decision to stop
selling its Leaf electric car ...
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