Electric cars not accessible in next 5 years-KPMG

1/5/11, "Electric cars not accessible 'in next five years'," BBC

"The majority of global car executives do not foresee a reasonably priced electric vehicle being available on the mass market in the next five years, a survey has suggested.

Many also believe that electric cars

• will not be affordable without government subsidies, KPMG said.

But they do think that the market for electric cars will be the fastest growing sector in the market.

Carmakers are investing in electric vehicles

• to reduce carbon emissions.*

This is to both hit emissions targets and satisfy consumers' growing desire for fuel efficient cars.

The survey found that 91% of consumers cited fuel efficiency as the single most important factor when choosing a new car.

• Some carmakers, such as Renault and Nissan, are pinning their hopes on pure electric cars.

Others, such as Toyota and General Motors, prefer hybrid technology, which combines both electric and petrol engines.

• These four carmakers are launching a series of electric models in the next two years.

In the UK, the government has introduced a scheme offering discounts of up to £5,000 for drivers buying certain electric cars.

• Other governments are also introducing incentives to buy electric vehicles."

*1/5/11, "Electric cars may accelerate global warming," Forbes, William Pentland

"Electric cars are not a silver bullet solution for global warming, but could they actually be part of the problem? In some developing countries, the answer is likely “yes,” according to the results of a modeling exercise conducted

• by Oxford University’s Reed Doucette and Malcolm McCullocha.

The results, which appeared in a paper published in Energy Policy last Fall, found that for countries with dirty power supplies – like India and China – widespread adoption of electric vehicles could lead to more – not less – CO2 emissions compared to widespread adoption of gasoline based vehicles, unless dramatically less CO2 intensive.

“Given the state of their power generation mixes in 2010, the case for widespread adoption of [electric vehicles] in both China and India solely on the basis of potential CO2 emissions reductions is not too compelling, especially when the generally higher capital cost of [electric vehicles] relative to [gasoline]-based vehicles is considered,” Doucette and Malcolm McCulloch concluded."...

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90% drop in UK electric car sales, only 55 'green' cars sold in 2009

10/21, "Figures show massive slump in UK sales of new electric cars," Guardian UK, by Adam Vaughan

"Sales of new electric cars in the UK plummeted by nearly 90% in 2009 compared with their peak in 2007, according to motoring trade association figures released this week.

• Just 55 of the green cars – whose fans include Boris Johnson, Jonathan Ross and Jade Jagger – were registered in 2009, in contrast to 397 in 2007, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The huge fall is a blow to UK efforts to meet tough carbon emission cut targets in a decade, and comes just months before the government introduces a subsidy of up to £5,000 off new electric cars.

• Nearly half of the electric vehicles sold last year were the tiny G-Wiz car. The latest model has a
  

• top speed of 50mph and a range of 48 miles between charges.

Rudi Schogger, managing director of Goingreen, which distributes the G-Wiz in the UK, said:

• "Some people might be waiting for the government grants to arrive before purchasing an EV."
  

He added that, even with a grant, most of the new vehicles on the market will be more expensive than a G-Wiz."...

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