What Is The Cheapest Electric Car In The States?

Are you looking for the cheapest electric car you can buy in the US? If so, the first thing you need to do is define your terms. There is great debate about whether a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt is truly an electric car. To purists, anything with a gasoline range-extending engine is not really an electric, even though it may have enough range to meet the driving needs of 90% of Americans 90% of the time. Rather than add fuel to that debate, this article will simply focus on cars that operate exclusively on battery power. Look for a subsequent story on plug-in hybrid car prices in the near future. But first a few caveats.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are very popular and there are dozens of models available, but they are limited by law to roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less and are banned from use on highways. While they fit the needs of many people and there are whole communities built to accommodate them, they are really glorified golf carts. In fact, some actually ARE golf carts! Since they are not designed to leave the area where they are used most frequently, they are not included in this article.

Compliance Cars

Many of the electric cars sold in the US are so-called “compliance cars” intended to meet the requirements for zero-emissions vehicles established by the California Air Resources Board. The Fiat 500e is a perfect example. It is available only in California and one or two other states. Availability of other cars like the Ford Focus Electric may be extremely limited in most states. You can probably buy one in Oshkosh, but don’t expect your local dealer to have any in inventory.

The Cheapest Electric Car Will Presumably Be The …

Electra Meccanica Solo16.1 kWh battery, $15,500, 100 mile range

Priced at $15,500, the Electra Meccanica Solo is basic transportation for one person. This all-electric trike has an 82 horsepower electric motor and top speed of 80 miles per hour. The manufacturer claims a range of 100 miles. It has a 16.1 kWh battery, which is enough to qualify for a $5,000 federal tax credit. 0–60 acceleration is said to be under 8 seconds.

The Solo is no-frills transportation, but it does have 10 cubic feet of cargo space behind the driver. To put that into perspective, the soon-to-be released Tesla Model 3 has only 14 cubic feet available to haul stuff around.

There is a catch, however. The Solo is not yet in production. Although, the company says it will begin building cars early in 2018. It is accepting advance reservations now. A $250 refundable deposit is required.

Is it worth waiting a year to get the cheapest electric car on the market? Is a single seat vehicle adequate for your needs? Will the car really be produced? Only you can answer those questions.

Until Then … The Cheapest Electric Car Is …

The 2017 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive — $23,80068 miles of range, 107 MPGe, 55 kW motor

The Smart Fortwo electric coupe goes the Solo one better. It seats two people, but has a smaller battery and less range. Still, it is available now and wins the award for the cheapest electric car you can buy in America today. Having the extra seat is a big plus, but the Smart Fortwo is still a diminutive vehicle that may not be suitable for all drivers. If you want cheap, you have to make some sacrifices.

What Is The Cheapest Real Electric Car?

So far, this article has focused on precisely what it says in the title — the cheapest electric car you can buy. The Solo and the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive qualify, but each has drawbacks that may make them unsuitable to mainstream drivers. When it comes to “real cars” that real people can drive in the real world, here are the cars you should be looking at. Keep in mind that not all of them will be available in all areas.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric — $29,50028 kWh battery, 124 miles (EPA), 136 MPGe, 88 kW motor

The Hyundai Ioniq is the cheapest electric car in America with room for 5 passengers. It is also a 5 door hatchback design, which means people can bring their stuff with them when they go places in it. Sales have just begun in the US, so availability may be limited in some areas, but the Hyundai Ioniq Electric will be offered in all 50 states. A version with a larger battery and more range is in the works but won’t be here until next year.

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf — $29,81535.8 kWh battery, 124 mile range, 119 MPGe, 100 kW motor

The e-Golf comes with a larger battery for more range. It is the electric version of the tried and true VW Golf, one of the most successful car models of all time. The e-Golf can be had with emergency braking and parking assist. The price, as you can see, is practically the same as the Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

2017 Ford Focus Electric — $29,99533.5 kWh battery, 115 miles, 107 MPGe, 107 kW motor

The Ford Focus Electric is comparable to the two models above and priced almost the same as well. It may be difficult to find outside of California, but that’s the case for the e-Golf as well and also for the Ioniq Electric until production ramps up.

2017 Nissan LEAF — $31,54530 kWh battery, 107 miles, 112 MPGe, 80 kW motor

The LEAF also got a larger battery for 2017. That increased the price, but the extra 30 miles of range should give drivers more peace of mind and freedom. The LEAF is not the most stylish of vehicles, but people who own them are quite pleased with the ride and handling — and the generous amount of interior room. More LEAFs have been sold worldwide than any other electric car in history. With a great balance between size, range, price … and availability, it’s no surprise that the LEAF continues to see solid sales. That said, much of that is claimed to be due to handsome discounts Nissan has been offering, discounts that may well make the car the cheapest electric car on the market in many regions.

2017 Fiat 500e — $32,78024 kWh battery, 84 miles, 112 MPGe, 83 kW motor

The electric version of the fun-to-drive Fiat 500 is strictly a compliance car available only in California and Oregon. Fiat often has special promotions on the 500e, like ultra-low lease rates designed to move them off dealer lots in order to make the people at CARB happy. This is the car that FCA head Sergio Marchionne once begged people not to buy because he says his company loses over $14,000 on every one it sells. That’s a dubious claim as production/sales ramp up and the R&D expenses get spread beyond more models, but you get the point — Sergio doesn’t want to sell EVs. That’s why it’s been a surprise that the 500e is sometimes the cheapest electric car on the California market (with discounts).

2017 Kia Soul EV — $32,80027 kWh battery, 93 miles (EPA), 105 MPGe, 81 kW motor

The Kia Soul is not available in all states, but it is the same cute, cuddly vehicle that Kia introduced to the market several years ago with a highly successful ad campaign featuring hip, happy hamsters. If the Kia Soul is your cup of tea and you can live with limited range, it may be just the car for you.

2017 Chevy Bolt — $37,49560 kWh battery, 238 miles, 119 MPGe, 150 kW motor

Photo by Kyle Field | CleanTechnica

The first all-electric car from Chevrolet with long range is wrapped in an attractive 5 door hatchback crossover-style body. It has almost as much range as a base Tesla Model S and has won several awards for its advanced engineering. Base models lack many safety systems and high-speed charging capability is an $800 extra, but for the money, it is a very attractive package. It is considered the first long-range, fully electric “affordable” car.

2017 Mercedes-Benz B250e — $40,82528 kWh battery, 87 miles, 84 MPGe, 132 kW motor

The battery-electric version of the Mercedes B-Class, the B250e, is overpriced for what is has to offer. It is an example of another compliance car where the manufacturer tried to shoehorn an electric battery and powertrain into an existing gas model to save money. It shows. Although it is a 5 door hatchback vehicle, the battery takes up much of the available cargo space behind the rear seat.

2017 BMW i3 — $43,39522–33 kWh battery, 81–114 miles, 118–124 MPGe, 125 kW motor

Photo by Jose Pontes | CleanTechnica

The BMW i3 is a miracle of modern technology and engineering. It features a carbon-fiber chassis that provides a safety cell around the occupants. It also is the only non-Tesla car that currently offers customers a choice of battery size. Pick the version (and the price) that fits your needs. The i3 is also available with a two-cylinder range extender to eliminate range anxiety. Its styling is offbeat and it drives like a BMW should.

What About Tesla?

Photo by Kyle Field | CleanTechnica

The Tesla Model S sedan and Model X SUV cost too much money to be included in this discussion. The midsize Model 3 is supposed to go into production in July of this year, but if you don’t already have a reservation, you probably won’t be able to buy one and have it delivered until late 2018 or early 2019. The company has about 500,000 reservations for the Model 3 worldwide. Although the base price is $35,000, the expectation is that the average selling price with options will be closer to $42,000, according to Mr. Elon Musk. But that’s just a rough guess, and we don’t know what the average selling price of any other electric cars is.

Conclusion

“You get what you pay for” has never been more true than when it comes to electric cars. The least expensive models come with few options and limited range. Many are only available in California and a few other states. The good news is that there are now two “real” electric cars that are available nationwide with prices starting under $30,000. Both are eligible for the full federal tax credit of $7,500. That means a careful shopper like you could park a brand new electric car in your driveway that has a net cost to you of $22,500 … before other incentives, like California, Colorado, and a few other states offer.

But be aware, you only get to take full advantage of that federal tax credit if you have a federal tax liability of $7,500 or more. If your total federal tax bill is $4,000, that’s all the credit you can get and you cannot carry any unused portion over to subsequent years.

Shop carefully and make sure you are getting all the car you need for the price you are willing to pay. A Solo or Smart Fortwo may be cheap, but if you need to transport three or more people on a regular basis, that low price is not going to leave you feeling happy about your buying decision.

Renault ZOE Sport Concept Lights Up Geneva

The Renault ZOE is a slightly smaller cousin to the Nissan LEAF — a battery electric four door sedan suitable for getting most people and their families from here to there and back again using electrons instead of molecules. A perfectly fine car, in other words, and one of the best selling electric cars in Europe, but not a car one would normally associate with the word “performance.” Renault is largely unknown to American drivers, but it has a long history of success at the top levels of international motor racing and has produced some superb road cars with sporting pretensions over the years. It has been involved in Formula One for decades and currently is the factory backer of the e-dams Formula E effort. Its Alpine division was once a force in rally competition.

40 years ago, some Renault engineers with deliciously deranged minds took an ordinary Renault 5 front wheel drive sedan, known in the US as the LeCar, stuffed it full of a mid-mounted turbocharged engine, converted it to rear wheel drive, expanded the rear track by about 2 feet and voila! The insanely fast Renault Turbo 5 was born. The children of those engineers must still work for the company. They have to conspired to put together a sporting version of the ZOE known as the ZOE-e and it’s brilliant.

Drawing on the knowledge gained from its Formula E program, the ZOE-e is a purpose built carbon fiber two seat sports coupe with an awe inspiring 460 horsepower. It has two identical electric motors — one in front and one in back. To put things in perspective, the Formula E car is limited to a maximum of 270 horsepower. The ZOE-e tips the scales at around 3000 lbs including its 40 kWh battery and can scoot to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds.

Where the Turbo 5 was no svelte ballet dancer, sacrificing styling for brutish performance, the ZOE-e is molded and sculpted into a work of art that features excellent aerodynamics. It is painted the same Satin Blue as the e-dams Formula E racer with tasteful flashes of yellow scattered around the exterior. Inside, driver and passenger are cossetted in Recaro racing seats. The entire car conforms to FIA crash standards for racing vehicles. The driver can select from three power modes and the car has a range of about 125 miles — assuming the driver can resist the urge to mash the go pedal constantly.

The ZOE-e is just a concept — one of those cars that manufacturers bring to major car shows like Geneva to make people’s hearts beat faster. Are there plans to put the ZOE-e into production? No, not that anyone is talking about publicly. But the fact that it exists is a sure sign the electric car revolution is in full swing and the future will not be devoted exclusively to boring autonomous transportation pods. There is still hope for those of us who like cars and enjoy driving con brio. Build it, Renault. They will come.

Source: Electric Cars Report

Nissan e-Power Could Replace Diesel In Europe Says Ghosn

Last week, Nissan unveiled its new e-Power technology. It has a battery and a 1.2 liter 3 cylinder gasoline engine borrowed from the Nissan Micra. It also has a small battery — just 1/20 the size of the battery in the Nissan LEAF. The beauty of the e-Power system is it is compact enough to fit into almost any small car. The battery slides under the rear seat where it doesn’t take up precious passenger or cargo space.

The e-Power package is a series hybrid, unlike the Toyota Prius, which is a parallel hybrid. What’s the difference? In the Prius, the gasoline engine and the electric motor are both capable of sending power to the driven wheels. With e-Power, the gasoline engine is there solely to provide electricity for the electric motor and to recharge the battery.

That means the engine can be tuned to operate at its most efficient speed. It also means Nissan doesn’t have to pay Toyota any royalties or licensing fees. Lastly, it means the control systems for the package can be simplified, since it is not necessary to coordinate the operation of the gasoline engine and electric motor the way the Prius system has to.

Unlike most hybrids today, the e-Power system has no plug. The onboard engine takes care of keeping the battery charged so there is no need to plug in. The system is currently being demonstrated in a Nissan Note, a compact car that looks like a smaller version of the forthcoming Chevy Bolt. A Nissan spokesperson tells AutoBlog  the Note e-Power is currently only for Japan and the car was specifically designed for that region and its urban driving habits.

That may be so, but yesterday, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the new powertrain could potentially become an alternative to the ubiquitous diesel engine in Europe. The Continent bit hard on diesels after the oil embargoes of the 1970’s. Diesels are more efficient than gasoline engines, so governments all across Europe adopted policies favoring diesel powered cars. If you walk around any European city today, your ears will be filled with the clatter of diesel engines. Nearly 50% of all new cars sold in Europe are diesels.

Sadly, while diesels are fuel efficient, they also emit tremendous quantities of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and particulates. They are the primary reason why it is often impossible when visiting Paris to see the Eiffel Tower from the banks of the Seine because of the smog hanging low over the city.

The Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal destroyed Europe’s cozy relationship with diesel engines because it revealed for the first time how virtually every other manufacturer was cooking the books during their diesel emissions testing. While Europeans have saved billions of gallons of fuel by driving diesels for the past 40 years, they have also been slowly suffocating themselves in waste products spewing out of millions of tailpipes.

Ghosn told the press the new e-Power system is “definitely cost-competitive with diesel,” adding that it would “absolutely” be viable for the European mass market. It’s easy for Americans to scoff at such ideas. A 1.2 liter engine and tiny little battery? Like to see that tow a boat uphill to a cabin in the mountains. Don’t be ridiculous!

But Europeans are different than Americans. They are smaller in girth. They drive smaller cars over shorter distances. Their cars are not all equipped with air, 27 speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, and heated seats. In fact, the vast majority of cars on the Continent are fitted with manual transmissions, if you can imagine such a thing.

The e-Power package costs 27% more than a standard Nissan Note in the Japanese market. Ghosn says that is roughly the same premium people in Europe pay for a diesel engine. The difference will be more than made up for in fuel savings over the normal life of a car. And the e-Power has the same fuel economy as a diesel or higher. The small size of the battery is a major factor in keeping the price of an e-Power equipped car affordable. Same money, same or better gas mileage, greatly reduced emissions? Ghosn could be on to something here.

We all would prefer to drive a Tesla Model S, but for the majority of people the price difference just doesn’t make sense. An e-Power equipped Nissan for the same price as a diesel could be just the thing European countries need to reduce their carbon emissions while making sure ordinary people can afford the price of a new car.

Source: Automotive News

Electric Car Sales Up Strongly In August

Inside EVs provides a community service as the official guardian of electric car sales numbers each month both in the US and worldwide. It reports that in August, EV sales were up strongly compared to last year. It says last month 14,882 electric cars were sold it the US, almost 6,000 more than in August of last year. On a percentage basis, that’s a 66% increase.

The total number of electric cars sold it the US is still far below expectations, but the trend line is starting to show the beginnings of exponential growth. Year to date, 93,197 plug-in cars have been sold — 29% more than during the same period last year. The Tesla Model S — which just happens to be the most expensive of all electric cars sold in the US market — was the sales leader with an estimated 3.125 cars sold. Tesla, unlike other companies, does not release monthly sales figures and refuses to report sales by region.

The second generation Chevy Volt is in second place with 2,081 delivered and the Ford Fusion Energi took third place with 1,422 cars. The real star of the latest report is the BMW X5 xDrive 40e. It is setting the world on fire with 876 cars sold in August, just a few hundred behind the venerable Nissan LEAF. The message appears to be that customers are hungry for plug-in sport utility vehicles. We knew that a year ago, but it has taken the industry a while to catch on.

One statistic we will be watching closely is how many of its new Pacifica PHEV minivan Chrysler will be able to sell when it arrives in showrooms later this year. Industry research says van buyers don’t want their vehicles to come with plugs. The betting around here is that the research is wrong and other manufacturers will soon be hurrying plug-in versions of their own vans to market.

There are a number of new electrified models in the pipeline. With any luck, we are just starting to see the shift away from conventional cars to electric vehicles beginning. Once underway, the rate of increase should be geometric instead of arithmetic. It needs to be if electric cars are going to play a major role in de-carbonizing the transportation sector.

Here’s the full report for August from Inside EVs.

Photo credit: Tesla Motors

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV to ship to dealers before end of year

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

General Motors has always had an aggressive schedule for launching its 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the industry's first mass-priced electric car with 200 miles or more of range. It was revealed as a concept just 18 months ago at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, with a production version unveiled at this year's Detroit show. Now, the company has promised that Bolt EVs will start arriving at Chevy dealerships between October and December of this year. The timing was confirmed by Alan Batey, GM's president for North America, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday, according to a report in The Detroit News. What remains unclear is where the earliest Bolt EVs will go after they reach Chevrolet dealers. Some reports have suggested that drivers for the Lyft ride-sharing service—in which GM has invested—will be offered the majority of early Bolts, with notable numbers of deliveries to retail buyers not planned until next spring.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

GM has repeatedly declined to specify its retail strategy, delivery schedule, or marketing plans for the Bolt EV, even as advocates and owners have questioned its ability to explain and market the advantages of plug-in electric cars, including the Bolt EV. An ad last year for the second-generation 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid highlighted drawbacks of all-electric cars, inciting range anxiety with the specter of a driver running out of battery range before reaching a final destination. Observers suggested this was an unusual move from a company that planned to launch an all-electric car within two years. According to the paper, "Batey said Chevy is working on different ways to launch the car and interact with customers, but he said it was too early to disclose those ideas." The Bolt EV will be built at the GM plant in Orion Township, Michigan, that now assembles the subcompact Chevrolet Sonic sedan and hatchback. While it was expected to share some underpinnings with that car, GM's engineers said that in the end, the Bolt EV has an almost entirely unique under-structure due to the differences in crash-test performance in such a small car when the engine and transmission are removed.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV pre-production vehicles at Orion Township Assembly Plant, March 2016

The company released photos and video in March showing pre-production Bolt EVs coming down the line. Prototypes are frequently seen on the roads of the greater Detroit area.

Meanwhile, the industry remains skeptical about the date on which the first Tesla Model 3 electric cars begin rolling out of that company's assembly plant in Fremont, California.

If GM can launch the Bolt EV on time, in appropriate volumes, and the car doesn't suffer any rollout problems, it may underscore the advantage of being an experienced "legacy maker" in a highly complex and brutally costly industry. A second generation of the Nissan Leaf, which remains by far the world's best-selling electric car, is expected to launch for 2018 as a major competitor to the Bolt. GM has said that it will offer the 2017 Bolt EV for sale at Chevrolet dealers in all 50 states. It's likely, however, to deliver the first cars to California and perhaps other states that have adopted the Golden State's more stringent emission rules.

Ecotricity Whacks British Drivers With High EV Charging Fee

Ecotricity is the exclusive provider of EV charging equipment on England’s motorways. Recently, it decided the best way to balance the need for chargers along major highways with the cost of operating the system was to impose a flat fee for a 20 minute charge. Ecotricity uses only renewable energy to power its charging stations. The number it came up with is £5 — almost $7.00 before Brexit but more like $6.00 afterwards. British motorists are outraged.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is one of the best selling plug-in hybrid cars in the UK. 20 minutes on a charger will get the battery to about a 50% state of charge. That’s good for around 15 miles of all electric driving. The same distance would cost around $2.50 in gasoline.

In an email sent out to its users, Ecotricity said: “When we began in July 2011, there was a bit of a chicken and egg situation – people were reluctant to buy electric cars because there were no charging facilities being built, but nobody wanted to build those facilities while there were still so few cars on the road. That’s when we jumped in to help kickstart the electric car revolution in Britain. And that’s going pretty well. Today there are over 40 models to choose from and 64,000 plug-ins on the road. The Electric Highway itself comprises almost 300 electricity pumps – of the fast charging variety.”

The move makes it almost pointless to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles at motorway service stations now. It seems like a step in the wrong direction as more and more manufacturers are adding plug-in hybrid cars to their line-ups. Hyundai launched its new Ioniq hybrid this week — with a plug-in hybrid version set to follow next year. The change in pricing policy comes just as the UK Department for Transport reveal that 45% of drivers are put off buying an electric car due to concerns over charging.

Ecotricity added: “The combination of more cars on the road and faster charging means we’re now delivering two million miles of clean driving each month – all powered from the wind and sun. That’s a great result. It’s also a growing cost. And to keep pace with demand, we need to build more electricity pumps – at existing and new locations. So the time has come for us to charge – for charging. We’ve taken a lot of feedback from EV drivers in order to arrive at the right pricing model. We’ve decided that a simple flat fee of a fiver for a 20 minute fast charge strikes the right balance.”

The ‘pay-per-use’ EV charging system is being rolled out across the network starting on Monday July 11 and is expected to be completed by Friday August 5. EV drivers who wish to continue to use the Ecotricity stations will have to download the company’s mobile app, which will show available chargers and allow them to pay online.

One of the selling points for electric cars is supposed to be lower operating costs compared to gasoline and diesel. That equation still works for cars like the Nissan LEAF but not for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Perhaps the charging fee is fair. After all, it cost a lot of money to install and maintain 300 DC fast chargers. But the time allowed may be much too short for the fee assessed. No matter how you slice it, it still has gotten some people upset and is doing nothing to promote driving electric cars. Here’s one tweet from a disgruntled customer.

Next BMW i3 Will Come In Two Flavors

Starting this fall, BMW i3 buyers will have three options: a new i3 with upgraded 33 kWh battery pack, a new REx i3 with the larger battery pack and range extender gasoline engine, or an i3 with the original 22 kWh battery pack. Prices are $44,595,, $48,350, and $43,350 respectively.

All three versions have the same 170 horsepower electric motor rated at 184 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 60 times of just over 7 seconds will remain for both cars without the range extender engine. REx models take about a second longer. With the upgraded battery, BMW will be able to unlock the full capacity of the 2.4 gallon gas tank. In the US, the capacity of the fuel tank was previously limited electronically to 1.9 gallons.

Offering customers different battery sizes is becoming a trend in the world of electric automobiles. The Nissan LEAF is now available either with a 24 kWh battery with 82 miles of range or a 30 kWh battery with 107 miles of range. Tesla has just announced the return of the 60 kWh battery in the Model S. The new model lists for $4,000 less than the original Tesla Model S 60, which was withdrawn from the lineup just a few months ago. The Tesla actually comes with a 75 kWh battery pack, but it issoftware limited to only 60 kWh of capacity. An upgrade to the full 75 kWh capacity is an $8,500 option.

The new i3 battery pack fits in the same space as the old one but uses new 94 amp-hour lithium ion cells with higher energy density than the 60 amp-hour cells used previously. Range is now listed at 114 miles.

The base i3 will continue to be offered in three trim levels—Mega World, Giga World, and Tera World. The i3 with the larger battery will be offered in new Deka World trim level standard. Cars with the 22 kWh battery will not be available with the eye catching Protonic Blue paint that debuted on the i8 last year. They will also not be available with the much sought after sunroof — a $1,000 option on cars fitted with the larger battery.

The 2017 BMW i3 is expected to go on sale in late summer or early fall.

Source: Green Car Reports

New IEA Report Says 1.26 Million Electric Cars Sold In 2015

The International Energy Agency reports that 1.26 million electric cars — both battery and plug-in hybrid — were sold worldwide in 2015. Is that a lot? It depends on how you look at the numbers and who is asking the questions. The IEA says there needs to be 100 million electric cars on the road by 2030 in order to keep average global temperatures from soaring past 2º Celsius. Is that possible?

Take a look at the chart above. The trend is certainly up. Keep in mind that there were only a few hundred electric cars on the road in 2008 and the current number is a lot higher than anyone would have expected back then. The number has tripled just since 2013. But there is still a long road ahead if we are going to get to 100 million EVs in the next 14 years.

By comparison, there are 1 billion vehicles on the road worldwide at present and that number is expected to increase dramatically in the next 20 years as demand in countries like India and China continues to soar. The good news is, the IEA says the odds of getting to 100 million EVs by 2030 are getting better, thanks to aggressive pro-electric car incentives being put in place by many countries around the world.

“Ambitious targets and policy support have lowered vehicle costs, extended vehicle range and reduced consumer barriers in a number of countries,” the report says. As a result, electric vehicles now make up more than 1% of sales in China, France, Denmark, and Sweden. They are almost 10% of sales in the Netherland and 23% in Norway.

Other important factors are a continuing decline in the cost of batteries for EVs and an increase in battery density. The IEA says batteries will need to cost less than $125 per kWh in order for electric cars to be price competitive with conventional cars. It thinks battery manufacturers will be able to get there by 2022, but Tesla may be at that point already and pushing hard to go even lower as it Gigafactory ramps up toward full production.

The IEA also points out that electric alternatives to internal combustion engines will be needed for two wheeled vehicles, heavy trucks, and buses in order to complete climate change targets. Many companies are working hard in those areas, particularly Wrightspeed when it comes to work trucks and Proterra for inner city buses.

Meanwhile, Gareth Dunsmore, head of Nissan’s European EV division, says he expects 20% of all new cars sold in Europe will be electric by 2020. Whether he thinks Nissan will be part of that trend is unclear. “Electric vehicles such as the Leaf and e-NV200 currently account for 6% of Nissan’s European sales,” Dunsmore told AutoBlog recently.  Unless Nissan introduces new models that are significantly  more appealing than the LEAF, it seems unlikey that its sales are going anywhere but down.

The LEAF is more appropriate for European needs, where average daily driving distances are shorter than they are in the US, but the car is now ancient in its technology and styling. The company has shown little interest in making the LEAF more desirable and will soon face major competition from more modern designs that sell for the same or less money.

The pace of electric car sales is increasing, but whether that continues depends on many factors. Countries like China and Norway are already talking about scaling back EV incentives, which cost governments billions every year. Low gasoline prices are also making the road forward harder for electric cars. Sales of EVs in the US market have been disappointing so far this year. Whether the world can get to 100 million electric cars by 2030 is anybody’s guess.

Source: Vox