I've recently been in debates with folks about the viability and future of EVs and alt energy vehicles. I notice they are almost always from a region of the country that has not fully embraced EVs and as such they don't see what I see here in California. This likely skews their perception of what is going on in the rest of the world. Here is what I see in my complex parking lot on a daily basis. To say nothing of what is roaming around on the streets. Keep in mind that this is in a relatively small foothill city 30+ miles outside of Sacramento.
Where would that be? For that matter, what would indicate "fully"? Here in Minnesota, I see Leafs on a daily basis.
Duh! The rest of the country does not fully embraced EVs since they do not need this! reason for buying EVs in California.
Not up here. The useful HOV doesn't start until you get into Sacramento and even then the sticker is of marginal use. Now the Bay Area and SoCal are another story. lol Mostly the Midwest and curiously a few from the Carolinas.
justin, maybe think your perception of the rest of the world is skewed by the bliss of living in lala land.
It also helps that California gets all the "toys" available to them. For instance the Plug-in Prius isn't available in the Midwest outside of a very few dealerships or ones who carry a used PiP, and they certainly don't get the manufacturer incentives to sell them like in the areas they are available in should you special order one. Many compliance cars, such as the Rav4 EV, are only available in California as well, and I doubt any Toyota dealerships outside Cali would even know how to service one. Many places also don't get tax incentives or rebates for purchasing electric or plug in vehicles. Hybrids and ev's still carry a premium on them which without those rebates makes them much more expensive, so why should average joe spend $30k or more on say, a volt or leaf, when he'll be perfectly happy with a civic or mazda 3 for nearly $10k less and okay mileage? If the IRS made it so you could use that $7500 Federal tax credit over three years, then it would have made a lot more sense. As it is, if you don't owe at least that much, you won't get the full credit, and the rest goes down the drain, so that turns some people off who may have otherwise purchased a plug-in. So when companies show the price with that $7500 applied, it tends to be less effective if you don't make a lot. Then there's also the issue of charging stations. While Cali is springing them up left and right, other parts of the country are a little bit slower in putting them in. That's not to say they're not showing up at all, but it'll be harder for people to find a charging station aside from their house. Or they may live in an apartment or house with no garage, so charging is completely out of the picture for them. Those reasons are probably why acceptance of plug ins and ev's aren't more widespread. That's not to say nobody likes them in outside California, but it's certainly more difficult to justify buying one.
you have to take the bad with the good, beautiful weather, environment, ev's, hybrids, might fall into the ocean...
CA is the hottest car market (on the planet, I presume) and CA mandates that auto manufacturers sell EV's or FCV's. Car manufacturers have seemed to learn it's no of use to say its not going to work -- public does not like that adversarial approach -- so they have to give it the old college try.
Oh yeah I hear ya. Some states have more incentives but most don't have the number of available vehicles. This wasn't meant as a bragging post in any way. It was meant to illustrate the environment I'm in and if the past is any indication of the future then other states will follow. Some already have!
Not sure what this all proves, but… I'm in a suburb of Chicago and work at an upscale grocery store (let's just say it is one that would fit firmly into the California demographic) and with a lot that holds approx. 190 cars. When mostly full, at any given time, one will be able to spot at least ten Prii, one and maybe even two Tesla model S', a Volt, five Mini Cooper variants, a Leaf, a Fiat 500, and usually two Smart cars. The rest are the usual mix of SUV's and later model gas guzzlers. I saw my first PIP in the wild in this lot not long ago. But just a few addresses over at the large liquor store, it is pretty much all SUV's, Ford F-150's, and large older cars. The business and customer mix can make a big difference.
Let's not forget the often overlooked problem of who gets to actually use them. There is no protocol or even any well-accepted suggestion for how the plug should be allocated. Many different types of battery-powered propulsion with many different driving needs & circumstances... and nothing has emerged yet to show we've arrived at the "future" where all is civil & fulfilled.
Funny. I step away from forums for awhile and forget how argumentative people can be for absolutely no reason....
Not up here either. We have as many of those cars as you do, without any special access stickers or privileges whatsoever.
I've noticed that Washington, Oregon, and California tend to share similar gasoline prices. I suspect this is due to a fairly small number of west coast refineries so if one is down for "maintenance," the others make outrageous profits from the higher gas price. Your observations underscore the effect of gas prices on hybrid/EV sales. Now that gas prices have softened, it is time to boost the Federal gas tax and index it to inflation. Then we can get these rusting, rotten bridges repaired or replaced and pave the pot-ways. Bob Wilson
i wish our state gas tax was dedicated to roads and bridges and public trans, instead of thrown into the general fund and at the whims of politicians. i think they could get an increase much easier if people saw the accounting and work being accomplished.
...pretty big WA incentives over the years, right? soon to expire sales tax exclusion on EV's? and cheap electrons OREGON no sales sales tax on any car (which helps clean cars ) and prior incentives. I agree the HOV only helps in those states with traffic problems and HOV lanes that solve the problem (CA, VA, NY etc)
The hybrid sales tax exemption was terminated early, in August 2009, only three months after the MY2010 was released, and I think only 9 months after it started. Any drop in sales was obscured by the larger sales jolt of the federal Clunker Trade-In incentive. The EV incentive continued, but don't forget the take-back fee on annual registration renewals. That is history, sunk by the 'California-Enron' fiasco, and by congressfolk from other regions pulling BPA's federal subsidies. How does that help clean cars when the sales tax field is level? We clearly have traffic problems, and our HOV lanes very clearly work for their intended purpose.
