Electric cars are kind of the like fall collection of the Fashion world, there are always people who will get in line to be early adopters and some of the designs may make it mainstream, but only time will. Our partners over at GreenCarReports.com ran a story at the end of last week that asked if people would change their habits for the Chevrolet Volt. It is an interesting question and one that the media and general public are probably asking themselves a lot these days. It is also a question that pertains to more than just range-extending vehicles like the Volt, but also to fully electric vehicles like the LEAF and Tesla.
The question isn’t will people change to drive the electric car; the question really is whether the electric car will be able to take the place of the gasoline powered car. By take the place I don’t mean on a different set of terms; I do mean that at some point the electric vehicle technology will have to become advanced enough to propel a car several hundred miles on a single charge. Sounds far off right? Maybe, but then if you saw our article on the Audi A2 that went over 300 miles on single electric charge you might change your mind. The biggest barrier right now is cost and like cell phones, laptops and satellite TV, I am willing to bet that the electric car will over come those barriers. I also believe that the gasoline and diesel powered cars will never completely disappear—at least not because of electric cars. Now if hydrogen-cell vehicles break through the cost barrier it might be a different story.
Bottom line—As Nissan is educating their customers, electric vehicles in today’s form are a good fit to some people’s lifestyles. For other people, those probably who would also consider buying a Toyota Prius Hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt may be a better fit with is extended range of over 300 miles. Not sure which is best for you, then we suggest you get behind the wheel as soon as you have the opportunity.
[Source: GreenCarReports.com]
