Plug_ins selling better than Prius did at start

DO NOT read the comments section. You will lose an IQ point or two if you do!

 

The first gen Prius had a federal tax rebate as well.

Mike

 

For those of you that don't like trust aol
Electric Cars Sell Faster Than Hybrids Did At Same Point



Which is from the DOE, sorry about the large size.

 

There's a very, very big difference between a $2,000 DEDUCTION and a $2,500 CREDIT.

For most people, that DEDUCTION worked out to be about $350.

Good timing. That credit was only available for the Gen2 and the full amount only lasted 9 months. Toyota hit the 60,000 limit mighty quick.

 

There are so many differences between the G1 Prius roll-out in Japan and the plug-in roll-out in the world that the comparisons are meaningless.

However, I have to say that AG's graph is pretty.

 

Absolutely, the various incentives from governments are part of the reason plug-ins are growing much faster than hybrids did. At the beginning of hybrids, it was only the japanese government that was subsidizing them. MITI paid for battery and electronics R&D as part of their BEV program. Toyota and honda took these advances to create the first hybrids. MITI then paid them half the extra cost between hybrid and similar conventional cars. The DOE program was based on what they thought they learned from the MITI programs.

Whether you think the DOE program is good or bad, the DOE graph I presented definitely shows plug-ins in the US are growing much faster than hybrids did. I don't think the DOE was trying to say an individual plug-in will be more successful than the prius was, but if you think that their incentives are working I'm sure the maker of that graph would be happy. Anyone that looks at the graph would be hard pressed to say plug-ins are doing badly.

Here is a different take on individual cars from scientific american
Electric Vehicle Deployment – Where Should We Be Today? | Plugged In, Scientific American Blog Network

Here the insight is not included, as the prius sold much better. We can see world wide sales since introduction of the leaf and volt are much better than the prius at this time. Add in the prius phv, ford energis, the tesla S (is it first or 2nd generation is open to debate, I say second), the various renaults, and we have a much faster growing market.

I agree with all of that except creating jobs.

 

I have NEVER in all my time, EVER seen so much FUD in one spot, EVER, than I just have in the comments section of that article

Much kudos to Mark Renburke (whoever he is) who valiantly fought the idiots and spat actual reality and facts back at them...its a thankless job, I know.