Jan Plug-In Electric Car Sales: Volt Falls, Leaf Supply Woes
Another Convert To Natural-Gas Fueling: Railroad Locomotives?
The U.S. is increasingly awash in natural gas, so it's natural to consider it as a potential... Read More
- #4LEADERBOARD RANK
- 2895ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
- 1942COMMENTS POSTED
Add to circle
Related Photo Galleries
-
Could Small 2015 Chevy City Express Van Offer...
-
2013 Nissan Leaf: Driven Through Tennessee...
-
Nissan Slashes Leaf Price To Sell Electric Car...
See more photos »
Also See
-
Phinergy 1000-Mile Aluminum-Air Battery: On The...
-
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive Supercar...
-
2014 Cadillac ELR Video Preview
See more video »
Sales of plug-in electric cars tripled last year, so how's the New Year looking?
Based on January sales, being reported throughout the day by automakers, the year is starting slowly.
General Motors said it delivered 1,140 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric cars last month. That's more than the 603 delivered in January 2012, but the lowest monthly total since last February.
Nissan's sales of Leaf battery electric cars, on the other hand, fell to 650 cars (a preliminary number).
The company explained that supplies of Leaf models are low, because it has already taken delivery of the last 2012 models produced in Japan.
Production of 2013 Leaf models is ramping up slowly in its Smyrna, Tennessee, assembly plant, and those cars will go on sale at Nissan dealers later this month.
As for the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, it actually outsold the Leaf--but at a low level of 874 units, the lowest total since last July.
January was the first month of (very limited) sales for the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid, of which precisely 2 were delivered. The car now is arriving at certain Honda dealers in California and New York.
Ford won't report sales breakouts for its C-Max Energi model--perhaps along with first deliveries of the Fusion Energi sedan--or its Focus Electric until Monday.
Sales of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, on the other hand, were a relatively whopping 257 units--or 44 percent of the entire 2012 sales total for the car of 588.
Mitsubishi spokesman Dan Irvin attributed the sales to very attractive incentives on the battery electric minicar, which will continue through the month of February.
As for compliance cars, 8 Honda Fit EVs were delivered in January, along with 25 Toyota RAV4 EVs.
As always, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] won't discuss monthly sales figures as every other carmaker does, saying owners and potential buyers don't care, and investors are content with quarterly reports.
The eagerly awaited statistic for deliveries of Tesla Model S electric sport sedans, although only through December, won't be revealed until Tesla releases its year-end financials sometime later this month.
As for Fisker, it also declines to report monthly sales, but it hasn't built any cars in about six months.
Coda Automotive, meanwhile, is struggling from challenge to challenge, with the latest reports of unpaid bills following two separate sets of layoffs within several weeks of each other.
+++++++++++
Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.
Related Articles
-
![2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2013 Tesla Model S [photo: David Noland]](http://static.hgmsites.net/images/cache/2011-chevrolet-volt-and-2013-tesla-model-s-photo-david-noland_100427529_130x80.jpg "Tesla Model S Vs Chevy Volt: Owner Compares Electric Cars")
Tesla Model S Vs Chevy Volt: Owner Compares Electric Cars
-
2013 Nissan Leaf Final Ratings Issued: 115 MPGe, 75 Miles Of Range
-
Is Tesla About To Offer Battery-Pack Swapping For Model S?
-
2013 Nissan Leaf: Driven Through Tennessee Countryside
-
Should EPA Gas-Mileage Ratings Tests Change? What You Need To Know
-
Follow Us
On Facebook
Most Popular This Week
More »
Electric Cars: Eight Important Things Everyone Should Know (But... 
Tesla Model S Vs Chevy Volt: Owner Compares Electric Cars 
Is Tesla About To Offer Battery-Pack Swapping For Model S? 
BMW CEO To Germans: Get Over Your Angst, Buy Electric Cars... 
Diesel Cars: Six Important Things Everyone Should Know (But May... Find Green Cars
Photo Galleries
More from High Gear Media
- Follow Us
Have an opinion?
I don't think offering PIP in states such as Alaska, Montana, Idaho, South and North Dakotas will make all that much difference in sales number.
The more interesting point is how many "dealers" offer those cars for sale.
Not all Ford and Chevy dealers are offering their plugins for sale either.
In Canada, 95 Model S' were registered in the month of December (sorry, won't have number for January for a few weeks). By comparison, there were 22 Leafs and 66 Volts. So 95 was a strong first month! ...and Chris O, looks like you were pretty bang-on!
Plus, with lower gas price and colder temperature, the appeal of "electric" just went down.
I seriously doubt anyone would be interested in finding out that Prius Plugin can't even stay in EV mode during their dealership short test drive when they turn on their heat...
I saw additional 2 C-Max Energi in the area, 1 blue and 1 black. I have yet to see any Fusion Energi but I do see a lot of regular Fusion and Fusion hybrids here.
I also see a lot of Leaf in the Northern California as well (almost more frequently than Volt). I hardly see any I-Miev (only about 2). In fact, I haven't seen any Focus/Fit EV on the road.
So far, I have seen more Tesla S in my area than all the Prius Plugins, C-Max Energi and i-Miev combined. That is a statement in itself!
Actually I am starting to get sick and tired of seeing all the Tesla S in my area. It just makes me more jealous every day. =) (I see one about every 2-3 days).
you try to boss Tesla with this eyeroll,
"Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] won't discuss monthly sales figures as every other carmaker does"
and two paragraphs down write,
"As for Fisker, it also declines to report monthly sales,"
while I understand, you'd love to be able to add Tesla monthly sales to complete a chart, why badger Tesla? a) Fisker is doing the same, b) the Model S is a historic car because they are willing to not do what convention calls for.
I split Tesla and Fisker because, frankly, Tesla is building and delivering cars and Fisker isn't (nor is Coda). I think it puts them in two very different categories: Tesla's sales are far more important to monthly totals than are Fisker's.
Until Fisker gets a new investor or partner (or is sold), its sales are much less important--which is why I worded it the way I did.
Hope this helps.
I can also understand in the long run why you would want them to put out monthly sales as other companies do.
In the short term, I think you have to take in consideration they're future's been on the line over the pace of production ramp up. Why potentially inflame existing speculation of bankruptcy each month with official sales numbers (scares consumers & suppliers). this remains an issue. let's say they have a supply issue that stops production for two weeks... monthly sales figures will spell this out in bold letters, where it would be diluted in a quarterly report.
as you may have put together, I am an investor.
This has been a recurring discussion here but John Voelcker takes a different view, apparently interpreting Tesla's quarterly rather than monthly numbers as a sign that Tesla is not a real, legitimate, long-term car maker. Time will tell if he is correct about that, but so far Tesla seems to be going strong.
Now Tesla has said it's at full production, which eliminates that concern. And obviously it's delivering cars as fast as it can to keep the cash coming in.
Is there any reason for Tesla NOT to release monthly sales now?
I understand quite well that Musk has to juggle a lot of balls (at 3 companies, no less). But Tesla's ability to survive as a carmaker depends entirely on the finances at this point: Can it build and sell 20K Model S cars a year and not only pay the bills but earn enough money to fund development of the next product line?
That's why the Q4 and full 2012 numbers will be so important, when that call happens sometime this month.
I still don't believe Tesla will remain independent over the long term; I think their venture backers will sell. But, hey, I've been wrong before.
I understand the argument about the potential for negative commentary over monthly sales fluctuations. Perhaps in the rampup to production, that's a fair reason. But now Tesla itself has said it's at full production, and it's obviously delivering as many cars as it can.
But big-boy car companies seem to survive media coverage, so I hope that Tesla will decide--sooner rather than later--that production is at the desired levels, so it can provide monthly sales.
Otherwise, not releasing sales figures makes many analysts think the company has something to hide.
Unless it's pure arrogance, of course.
Have they indicated they will release monthly sales in the future?
For now, it's still an issue. Isn't it realistic Tesla might shut down production a couple of weeks some point in coming months (supply issue, changing supplier, equipment or QC issue...). With monthly sales figures that would jump out within a month or two. Guys like John Shinal would spin stories of Tesla's imminent collapse (he did with far less a grain of truth 6 weeks ago).
Perception would effect supplier and consumer confidence.
I've been long enthused about green car tech, TSLA stock is a recent byproduct. The possibility of the tech is bigger than the stock or anyone's arrogance.
Personally, I fail to understand how the LEAF and other EVs are not catching on and flying off the lots. My family has been driving a LEAF since December and we are thrilled with its performance. This is the coolest car I have ever driven, and with the lease being as low as it is I cannot fathom why people are not getting one.
My only complaint is the infrastructure. We need more charging stations, in particular the Level 3 Quick Charges. The installation of those would truly change the EV industry and lifestyle on a whole.
I'm optimistic for 2013. I am.
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!