Ford warns electric cars may be only for the rich

The Telegraph ^ | 3/2/2011 | Graham Ruddick, Geneva

[bruinbirdman]

Ford's chief financial officer has warned predictions of a surge in electric car sales are "very ambitious", as next generation vehicles dominate the Geneva Motor Show.

Lewis Booth, a Briton, raised concerns about their viability without state subsidies. Most leading car makers have unveiled new electric or hybrid models in Geneva, while BMW and Peugeot have confirmed a €100m (£85m) joint venture to develop electric technologies.

However, Mr Booth said: "Electric vehicles at the moment are still very expensive and have limitations. There is a question mark about how long governments can subsidise vehicles when they are under so much pressure from other funding issues.

"Some of the sales projections... for electric vehicles are very ambitious because I am not sure how customers are going to be able to afford to pay.

"Our philosophy is that we have a suite of technologies, from continuing to improve conventional vehicles, right through to plug-ins, hybrids and electric vehicles. The customer is going to decide and we want to satisfy all customers, not just rich customers."

Philippe Varin, chief executive of Peugeot, warned Europe is in danger of being left behind by Asia and America if it does not improve investment in infrastructure for low-carbon vehicles. "We have to standardise infrastructure. We are late compared to Asia," he said.

"When you look at the amount of money supporting car manufacturing in

[screaminsunshine]

Ricj and Stupid.

[Paladin2]

We need Congress to legislate better battery technology as the last 100 years haven’t resulted in any improvements in production electric vehicle range.

[Leo Farnsworth]

Nice Porsche photo...

[FrankR]

"Having lived thru the 73 and 79 "crises" I can tell you there were times when it took 5 hours in line to get there. "

I lived through it too, and even though it was bothersome at the time, it was temporary, and it sure beats the hell out of waiting 4-8 hours EVERYDAY to charge up an OBAMACART.

Depending on how much you drive, maybe TWICE A DAY.

Trying to equate an artificial Jimmy Carter gas "crisis" to the foreverness of electric cars is a non-starter...literally.

Once we get Jimmy Carter JR. out of the White Hut, there will again be plenty of gasoline.

[ThomasThomas]

All cars were toys for the rich at one time. If the rich rich didn’t spend on stuff I can’t afford they would never be able to make the stuff I can afford.

Like flatscreen TV, cell phones...

[mamelukesabre]

I’d like to see nuke plants used to produce liquid fuel from coal.

[Leo Farnsworth]

“I can fill up a gas tank in 5 minutes. Call me when you can charge up an e-vehicle in the same amount of time.”

Look, I'm on your side. Believe me.

You need to frame your arguments parameters just a bit more succinctly.

I can design an ‘e-vehicle’ that can fully charge in four minutes.

If we were betting, you would lose.

BTW, my e-vehicle goes 48 feet between charges, but I proved the ‘feasibility’ of e-vehicles.

I mean this in only the nicest way - I hope you understand.

[Uncle Ike]

” We need Congress to legislate better battery technology “

Yeah - and then they can tackle that pesky gravity thing...

(or did I miss a /sarc tag in your post??)

[Sacajaweau]

GE is buying 10,000 of them to test their plug in stations.

[Murp]

Proud to be a Ford dealer!!

[Paladin2]

It’d be as easy as pi=3.0. Finally, rational legislation from Congress.

[nascarnation]

I assume the plan is to charge evs at night when rates are lower and demand on the grid is less. So there’s no waiting at all if the ev is used as a commuter car, which is it’s best application.

I’m not for evs as a single solution, but I want to cut off the muzzies from the 100s of billions we send them. Evs and nat gas look like the winners to me.

[Sacajaweau]

Whoops sorry...GE isn’t buying 10,000 of them...They’re buying 25,000 Volts.

[JoeGar]

Only the rich and ........................ the federal government.

I have a relative who works for the Feds as an undercover drug officer. The government provides him with a hybrid but he has to use the gasoline engine 100 percent of the time because of all the radios and other electronics that are in the car. Go figure.

[Myrddin]

They are for the foolish of any means. Money
poured down a rathole for an ill conceived
device.

[EricT.]

Very nice, but it’s an Alfa Romeo. It will look great and run well at least once.

[snowsislander]

However, Chevy has reportedly only sold a few hundred Volts so far this year. So, maybe we don't need to worry much about it.

Yes, the Volt sales record looks grim for GM: 326 units in December, 321 in January, and a marked drop to just 281 units in February. That's a total of only 928 units in three months, with sales dropping each month.

It looks like even the Edsel might end up with a better record than that in its final year when it sold just 2,846 units --- and if you take the fact that our population now is far greater (180 million then, 308 million now), then the Volt looks like it will be a stunning failure. In contrast, the Prius sold almost 18,000 units in its first year in Japan (Japan had less than half the U.S. population in 1998), and was already selling 100,000 units worldwide per year by 2002.

[FrankR]

Well, I'm retired, but for 30 years I commuted to Atlanta everyday, 60 mile round trip. I don't know if you've ever driven in Atlanta rush hour traffic, you know that my commute is not an isolated case as there are thousands of cars out there doing same thing, and most people live in the suburbs, and drive into Atlanta to work. Living IN Atlanta would be like living in Detroit.

The Volt, for instance, has a advertised range of 50 miles, which "Consumer Reports" says is even less than that.

And unless employers go wholesale into installing "charging stations" at work, the little Volt is not going to make the 60-mile round trip.

If those batteries are anything like other rechargeables, they work great for a while, and then they start downhill. I understand new batteries are like $19,000 for the Volt.

I don't recall mentioning or even caring what TIME of day the vehicle is being charged. But lets say you did somehow get it charged at work, with Atlanta traffic it's not unheard of to have to go 15 miles out of your way to get around traffic jams, then there's picking up the kid (kid, not kids, no room in the back seat of a volt - battery pack, you know), going by the grocery, etc. Walking to the next exit with a 2-gallon gas can seems a lot easier and more practical.

Those are just the basics and I already see "nightmare" in the EV scenario. I can envision hundreds of stalled Volt's alongside I-20 and I-75/85 waiting for the "charging fairy" to give them a boost.

I can envision going to the PTA meeting and getting home late and forgetting to plug the little monster in for a recharge...next morning, the boss is going to get a call...how many times will "I forgot to recharge, and..." for with him?

But, I'll agree with you, IF you live in the city only 5 or 10 miles to work, then an OBAMACART is just the ticket. You could probably go two or three days without a charge. But I really wouldn't want to be stalled at 9pm in the inner city with a dead Volt...it might lead to a dead ME.

The only practical use of the OBAMACART right now, is the golf course...or getting around your estate.

Of course, they will spawn some new cottage industries, like having your home wired with a charging station, or maybe buying a truck with a generator on back (both internal combustion) and cruise the freeways making exhorbitant fees recharging dead VOLTS...let's see $20 per hour, for at least 4-6 hours...hey! A can of gas would be a lot cheaper and faster.

Nahhhh...I think I'll keep ol' Betsy and let you "greenies" have the obamacart. I'm not ready to dedicate my life to a battery charging marathon.

Insofar as the gas, the USA has plenty of oil reserves, we just need to replace some of the politicians who are standing in the way of drilling for it because of their special interests.

I would think that the day we announce open season on drilling again, you'll see Ahab the Arab's oil prices drop drastically.

[truth_seeker]

“The Chevy Volt costs $41,000 — and I think that’s AFTER a $7,500 subsidy from the federal government.”

Wrong. $41,000 gross, minus federal tax credit (not subsidy) of $7,500 equals $33,500 net.

IOW you need to owe at least $7,500 federal taxes, to get the full benefit.

Meanwhile, a Toyota Prius achieves very high mileage, and is priced about $10,000 less, net. Proved versus new technology, and a car company which is expected to last, due to good management.

[hondact200]

Gas Powered Muscle Car = For the Guy who has some balls.

electric Powered car = For the Guy who has no balls.

Is this called evolution? Or the end of the Human Species?

Hey I like my Ford Escape, Ford Escort ZX2 and my Volkswagen Cabriolet (okay I inherited this one, so shoot me why don’t you).