Are EVs a black swan in alternative energy? Vinod Khosla and the Black Swans of alternative energy When it comes to venture capitalism, there is a unique similarity between Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures and Elon Musk of Tesla. Instead, of thinking of the next incremental step in technological evolution, both …

Is it a hybrid, an EV, a plug-in hybrid? Despite making battery vehicle nomenclature even more confusing The new Suzuki hybrid/EV plug-in concept is actually one of the more interesting plug-in concepts to hit the light of day in some time, but a hybrid/EV? Can’t we just call it a plug-in hybrid? Like the Chevy Volt , which GM calls a range extended EV, the…

After a decade still not one legitimate Prius-contender. Is Prius success impossible for other automakers? There is only one way to describe the sales of hybrid cars after more than 10 years on the market: unimpressive. Take away Toyota and hybrid and plug-in penetration would be around 1 percent. So, why can’t other automakers replicate Toyota’s 10+ percent hybrid sale’s penetration in the US? If GM, for instance, offered a hybrid…

Just 49 Silverado hybrid sales in October More hybrid and plug-in models, less sales In October, Ford sold more hybrids and plug-ins than any other automaker except Toyota. Unfortunately, Ford only sold 1,907 alternative powertrain vehicles. Is the hybrid and plug-in segment stuck between a revolutionary new battery and a hard place? Outside of the Toyota Prius , the numbers are ugly. For instance, …

Foreign oil independence? It's all about trucks? That at least 3 percent of pickup truck drivers would buy 40 mpg. That’s become one of the biggest lies in the auto industry these days, but there are many cars that actually achieve 40 mpg in the real world, such as the Toyota Prius or the Honda Insight . But what about trucks? What would it take to achieve …

On the fence with a Leaf purchase? Rent one for a few days. Largest plug-in car fleet in California Many years ago, when the Toyota Prius was just in its second generation, many potential Prius consumers just weren’t sure what they thought about hybrids. Back in those days I often used to recommend renting a Prius, or another hybrid, for a few days to test the vehicle out. Fortunately, …

The revolution is waiting, but is lithium ready? Can lithium push hybrids beyond 3 percent? Lithium, lithium, lithium. Is it all just hype? When Toyota decided not to use lithium in the 3rd gen Hybrid Synergy Drive and the 3rd generation Toyota Prius , it was hard not to be disappointed. It’s obvious that NiMH isn’t the future of the battery vehicle, whether plugged-in or…

A new vision for the BYD dream? A plug-in promise oversold, but under-delivered When Warren Buffett took a share of BYD Automotive several years ago, not only did I believe that BYD was primed to quickly become a major player in the battery car game, but that plug-ins were going to …

A new vision for the BYD dream? A plug-in promise oversold, but under-delivered When Warren Buffett took a share of BYD Automotive several years ago, not only did I believe that BYD was primed to quickly become a major player in the battery car game, but that plug-ins were going to mainstream much faster than forecast — at least in China. But those dreams didn’t …

Musk can even teach the master a less on or two No one can accuse Tesla’s Musk of a small ego Last week Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk gave kudos to GM for building the Chevy Volt because it helped legitimize plug-in vehicles in the mainstream auto industry. However, he also stated that the Volt wasn’t “particularly inspiring.” Similarly, regarding the Chevy Spark EV, Musk…

Fisker: Balancing efficiency and performance. And offers 32 miles of electric range The EPA has cleared the 2012 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, and according to the EPA the Karma offers 32 miles of electric range and achieves a mile per gallon equivalent of 52 mpg. Although in some range extending circumstances, fuel economy can drop to 20 mpg. While some will scoff, perhaps correctly, at the Karma’s fuel economy numbers, the …

Mainstream NFL fans embracing fuel efficiency? Is energy efficiency starting to resonate in mainstream America? I didn’t watch any one NFL football game yesterday, but a few times throughout the day I planted myself on the couch for several minutes to watch whatever game was on and to get a few updates from around the league. Yet, even more interesting than the football action were the commercials aimed at fuel economy, even though I…