ZAP annonced a one-month record sales in August at $737,000, which nearly doubles their sales form August of 2007.
In contrast, conventional auto industry sales for the US fell 15.5% compared with August of last year but rose 10% from July, the worst month in 16 years, Autodata Corp. reported to the Associated Press. Ford reported August sales were down 26.5% from August 2007. GM said its August sales were down 20%. Chrysler LLC said its U.S. sales fell more than 34% last month.
Great trend! At the end of the day, though, I'm sure that the raw numbers in terms of EV vs. conventional sedan sales are utterly incomparable. I still have hope that more standard hybrid (for peace of mind in terms of running out of electric charge while driving) vehicles will continue to pave the way -- especially the Volt!!!
Edited by lola - Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:42:40 GMT
Oh sure, ZAP and the other EV makers are miniscule compared to the sizes of the major auotmakers. It's just good to see more people moving toward EVs and fewer toward gas guzzlers.
Yeah, that's definitely a good trend to be seeing. Let's just hope it continues!
Hopefully come 2010, some of the new (slightly more affordable) highway speed EVs will be hitting the ground and will get some good market demand. I think in terms of mass adoption, the Volt and the Miles highway speed EV have a leg up. I do like the Triac and the Aptera a lot but I wonder how people will react to the very different look (although who knows...we could see the same thing happen with those as we did the Prius, i.e. lots of folks opted for the Prius because it was distinctly a hybrid as compared to the Camry hybrid).
It will also be interesting to see how the ZAP Alias does, because ZAP has developed a pretty extensive network of dealerships across the country and just began building the manufacturing plant in Kentucky which will have the capability of producing 300 vehicles per day. But the Alias is a pretty unique design and will only seat 2. But then again it will also be relatively affordable at around $32.5k, and be able to say it was made in the USA.
I agree that a big reason why electric vehicles car parts have not yet been more widely adopted is because of their safety issues, as well as their looks. When manufacturers start building electric vehicles that look like and have the safety features of regular cars, people will begin adopting them more widely.
What are safety issues of EV parts? EV requires a lot less parts than ICU vehicle - electric motor canot be simpler; i.e.much less chances of mechanical troubles - generally it is said when a number of parts are doubled, trouble chance is 4 times more. Or, is it a concern about batteries?
Another sort of wet blanket thought - people should consider more use of public transportation. A number of short range electric bus will dramatically decrease pullution and energy consumption, of course by giving up part of freedom and convenience of individual vehicles.
What are safety issues of EV parts? EV requires a lot less parts than ICU vehicle - electric motor canot be simpler; i.e.much less chances of mechanical troubles - generally it is said when a number of parts are doubled, trouble chance is 4 times more. Or, is it a concern about batteries?
I think safety concerns are more or less over entire vehicles and not just parts. The DMV licensing costs are increasing way over normal costs nowadays, and that 3-wheel Xebra or Alius are often brought up in safety discussions for crash safety, not part safety.
Saving money is becoming very important to me!
countersTrike- enjoying self built and factory built 3-wheel vehicles- my "natural high" is the utopia of trikes world-wide!
Actually- kind of pleasing that EV dealers advertising in Craigslist refuse to answer questions about a Zap PU- that might mean they are just overwhelmed with customers! Not like the rest of the world... LOL.
I saw several of those simulated Smarts today, and constant news about Tesla, Fisker, and other EVs is sure pleasing!
countersTrike- enjoying self built and factory built 3-wheel vehicles- my "natural high" is the utopia of trikes world-wide!
I'm on the waiting list for the Triac. I think it's a very cool looking car. My attitude about safety is that this is an upgrade from driving a motorcycle, not a downgrade from a car. Since the Triac has a very low center of gravity, 3 points of contact, and a roll cage structure, I'll feel safe.
I'm on the waiting list for the Triac. I think it's a very cool looking car. My attitude about safety is that this is an upgrade from driving a motorcycle, not a downgrade from a car. Since the Triac has a very low center of gravity, 3 points of contact, and a roll cage structure, I'll feel safe.
That's great you're on the waiting list! I got to check out the Triac at an EV rally in the SF Bay Area a few months ago. It's actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Have you gotten in a test drive yet?
Deej,
No, but they say they will be ready in 3 weeks. Besides being larger than you thought, any other impessions?
That's great you're on the waiting list! I got to check out the Triac at an EV rally in the SF Bay Area a few months ago. It's actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Have you gotten in a test drive yet?
