EV
Bits & Pieces
EV
sales disappointing: “The outlook for hybrid EV sales is dreary,” says an article on SmartEnergyPortal.net.
Fisker
Automotive,
an EV maker, received a loan from the U.S. government and is now struggling.
According to a Reuters
article, industry insiders question whether Fisker will be able to meet
its goal to sell 15,000 vehicles next year.
Smaller
states to lead: “Pike Research found that Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, D.C. and
Delaware should be among those states with the highest EV adoption rates,”
according to SmartGridNews.com.
600-mile-plus-battery: According to gas2.org,
Toyota is working on a battery that would have more than 600 miles of range.
Volt
report from a driver: TheStreet.com ran an article by Anton Wahlman, who took on the challenge of
driving a Chevy Volt over a 1,100-mile journey.
Wahlman
writes, “There are many reasons why we call the Chevrolet Volt the best car in
the world, but the fact that it can handle 1,100 miles driven at or near 73 MPH
in flawless comfort and yielding close to 37 MPG, is one of them.
“The
marketing folks at Chevrolet need to stop comparing the Volt to only the Prius,
and focus just as much comparing it against other types of premium cars such as
the Volvo C30, Audi A4, Mercedes C-class and BMW 3-series – but with the fuel
economy for long trips only 10 MPG behind the Prius, instead of 20 MPG for the
others.”