Why is the plug-in Prius on the short end of plug-in tax policies? Is America heading down the wrong plug-in path? What’s the point of plug-in vehicles? Most would say either foreign oil independence or global warming, or both. Yet, the only way that plug-ins will have …

Cruze all about sales, Volt all about marketing? Why isn’t Volt production back on track? Back in June GM shut down Chevy Volt production to upgrade manufacturing capabilities, enabling GM to produce more Volts, as well as some Opel Ampera’s – Europe’s version of the Volt. By mid July, everything was supposed to be back online, and GM was aiming to produce up to 16,000 Volts by …

Cruze all about sales, Volt all about marketing? Why isn’t Volt production back on track? Back in June GM shut down Chevy Volt production to upgrade manufacturing capabilities, enabling GM to produce more Volts, as well as some Opel Ampera’s – Europe’s version of the Volt. By…

ELR ready for a next generation Volt battery pack More and more the luxury segment is being defined by batteries The Cadillac Ciel plug-in hybrid, or at least a car built on the Ciel’s Omega platform, is almost a done deal and should be given the go-ahead before year’s end. While details are still scant, GM has decided it needs a new flagship to put Cadillac back…

If you can't get home without a charge, you should've bought a pure EV Should one have preferential treatment? Should there even be free public charging? Who has more rights to a public charging station, pure battery electric plug-ins, such as the Nissan Leaf that have limited range, or plug-in hybrids , such as the Chevy Volt, which can always just use gasoline power? That’s become the…

Consumers are just realizing the cost of the Volt? Consumers are losing interest according to CNW Marketing Research I hate automotive surveys. According to numerous surveys, for instance, somewhere between 60 and 80 percent of new car consumers are interested in hybrid cars , yet less than 3 percent of new car consumers actually purchase hybrids. So, I’d say that when it comes to new automotive technologies, consumer surveys aren’t worth the paper…

Could smart charging make plug-ins a win-win for consumers and employers? Plug-in success will ultimately be driven by cost effectiveness and nothing else What’s the best EV range to achieve plug-in cost-effectiveness? While most plug-in proponents typically believe the most range possible is the best range, it’s cost-effectiveness that ultimately matters most to mainstream consumers — the key to plug-in success — not range…

The king of plug-in sales Without nationwide offerings, plug-in sales still much ado about nothing Despite a significant decline in sales last month, the Nissan Leaf still topped the  Chevy Volt in July, 931 to 125. Of course, Volt sales were limited due to retooling the Volt assembly line for greater production, which has now been tripled according to GM. Thus, next month the Volt could potentially overtake the Leaf as the …

The $10,000 solution to high gas prices. GM looking more and more into the future I’ve never been much of a GM fan. When it comes to leadership regarding US energy security, GM has used its position as the most important automaker in the world quite poorly. Nevertheless, GM has been showing some signs of change. Hybrid pickup trucks, the Chevy Volt and a renewed …

More Volt demand than supplies. Buick and Cadillac versions shelved for now As soon as January, GM will increase Chevy Volt production to 5,000 units per month to meet pent up demand for the plug-in hybrid according to Bloomberg; however, Buick and Cadillac versions of the Volt have been “shelved,” at least for now. Of the 60,000 Volts …

Chevy Volt at its concept debut. An electric Corvette? In the chase for the halo effect, automakers might have stunted plug-in growth Like it or not, but a key role of hybrid and plug-in vehicles is marketing. Today, few things can drive new sales and conquest new buyers like advanced technology. In the past this halo effect was driven by the likes of Corvettes and Mustangs, then it switched to the Toyota …

Tomorrow's back up power generator? Peak load manager? GM and ABB provide new life for ‘dead’ Volt batteries Since almost the inception of the Chevy Volt, GM has been working on ways of lengthening the value proposition of the expensive battery packs powering the Volt. This week GM and…