Car Sales
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Nissan and its French partner Renault could be on track for selling 1.5 million electric vehicles before 2020, according to the company's latest estimates. The two companies have currently sold around a tenth of that number since each firm released its first electric cars a few years back. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, increasing pressure to meet tougher emissions standards could work in Renault-Nissan's favor. Both companies have revised electric car sales estimates in the past, as each of Renault's electric vehicles and the high-profile Nissan Leaf have struggled to meet early...
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NJ Hearing Today Could Ban Tesla Stores In State; Electric-Car Maker Cries Foul
New Jersey may become the latest state to ban Tesla's company-owned stores.
Stephen Edelstein -
Does 'Peak Car' Mean 100 Million Vehicles A Year, Forever?
Analysts believe "Peak Car" may arrive in the next decade, permanently capping sales at 100 million per year.
Stephen Edelstein -
Advice To Dealers On Green-Car Sales: Focus On Cost Savings First
When it comes to selling green cars, showing buyers that they're saving money can more important than showing them that they're saving the planet.
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Insight Hybrid Production To End
The Honda Insight hybrid is no more. That's the confirmation from Honda itself, as slow sales prompt the Japanese automaker to end production of its flagship hybrid. According to Bloomberg, Honda informed dealers back in November that Insight production would stop this month, and asked them to stop...
Antony Ingram -
So What's A Brand-New (Defunct) Coda Sedan Electric Car Worth?
For every success story in the electric car world, there's also a less than successful endeavor. Coda would find itself in the latter category. Years of hype deflated like a burst balloon when the company went bankrupt in May 2013. The company's cars are still available though, through a firm...
Antony Ingram -
The Toyota Prius Family is the most popular car line California for the second year in a row.
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Ominous Sign For 2014 Cadillac ELR: Half Of Dealers Turn It Down
Sales of Cadillac's ELR range-extended luxury coupe are... well, they're not high right now. But that's okay, since Cadillac hasn't set itself huge targets for the Volt-based coupe. It's a niche product, not a volume model. Less okay is that nearly half of the brand's dealers have decided not to...
Antony Ingram -
China Buys More Cars, But U.S. Trounces It In Plug-In Cars
China represents a huge, and growing, market for new car sales. But when it comes to choosing greener cars, the country lags far behind the U.S., with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales lower than those of many individual states, let alone the whole country. The China Association of...
Antony Ingram -
BMW's Toughest Task: Training Its Dealers On i3 Electric Car
Early adopters, ecology-minded citizens and, increasingly, drivers who want very low running costs are now buying plug-in electric cars. That much we know. But many have reported frustrations at the dealership, from a lack of interest to salespeople who actively steer them away from electrics...
John Voelcker -
Ohio Dealers Renew Assault Against Tesla Motors Sales
Ohio car dealers are once again trying to force Tesla Motors out of the Buckeye State through legislation.
Stephen Edelstein -
All-New 2014 MINI Cooper Prices To Start At $20,745
MINI USA has announced pricing for the third generation of its BMW-produced hatchback, which will be priced from $20,745 when it arrives in the spring. That figure includes MINI's mandatory $795 destination charge, which also applies to the $24,395 MINI Cooper S. The new car will be called the MINI...
Antony Ingram -
Rossi Honda of Vineland, New Jersey is the first dealer to go electric-grid neutral.
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Electric Car Prices: Less Important Than Buyer Awareness They Exist?
Back in December, we covered a survey by Navigant Research that suggested most car buyers were hoping to spend $25,000 or less on their next vehicle--a figure that many modern electric cars find themselves on the wrong side of. It led us to wonder whether, with many consumers setting themselves...
Antony Ingram -
Nissan Celebrates 99,999...100,000 Leaf Electric Car Sales
There's a curious joy in watching your car's odometer tick over to some significant number. 11,111 miles perhaps, or a palindromic number. Or, of course, the big hundred-thousand. Nissan is experiencing that very same joy with sales of its Leaf electric car, as it sells the 99,999th and 100,000th...
Antony Ingram -
2015 Audi A3 Sedan Priced From $29,900
Audi has announced pricing for the first two variants of its all-new 2015 A3 sedan, on sale soon. With the base engine, a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged unit badged TFSI, you'll pay $29,900--while the more powerful 2.0 TFSI, also a turbocharged gasoline model, begins at $32,900. To each of...
Antony Ingram -
Residual Values On Battery-Electric Cars: KBB Is Not Optimistic
The year 2014 looks like it could be a very good one for plug-in vehicles, with new launches and expected sales increases heading the list of reasons to cheer. But it wouldn't be a new year without a few doom and gloom predictions, and the latest come from Kelly Blue Book's figures for electric car...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Stores Changing Dealer Relationship, Says Ex-Apple Exec At Ford Seminar
An ex-Apple executive says Tesla Motors' dealer model could be the future of car sales.
Stephen Edelstein -
People tend to recall bad or frustrating experiences more acutely than good ones. Which is likely why a staple of plug-in car forums is the bad-treatment-at-a-car-dealership story. Anecdotes abound about Chevrolet and Nissan dealers who tried to pull Volt and Leaf buyers away from plug-in electrics into gasoline cars. DON'T MISS: 2015 Ford Mustang: How High Will Its Gas-Mileage Ratings Go? Or said, "Your battery will go dead and you'll be stuck on the side of the road." Or knew nothing at all about Federal, state, or local incentives--from tax credits to purchase rebates, from free charging...
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Consumer Reports Verdict: 2014 Cadillac ELR 'Priced Out Of Its League'
The Cadillac ELR extended-range electric car is too expensive, Consumer Reports says.
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Insight Hybrid To Be Canned By 2015?
Honda's Insight has never enjoyed the success of the Toyota Prius or even Honda's own Civic Hybrid, and it looks like the writing is now finally on the wall for the budget hybrid hatchback. According to Autoblog Green, sources within the company have revealed that some preparation procedures...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV: $6,130 Price Cut, More Standard Features
Just a dozen examples of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV electric car rolled off dealer lots in November, and little more than a thousand have found homes since the start of the year. That number may climb when the 2014 model goes on sale though--as Mitsubishi has just announced a massive $6,130 price drop for...
Antony Ingram -
UPDATE: Tesla Wins Vs Ohio Car Dealers, Amendment Defeated
Once more into the fray: Another state's car dealers are pushing for legislation to ban Tesla Motors from selling its electric cars directly to buyers. This time it's Ohio. And legislators have unexpectedly moved up a hearing on the new law to today, according to a letter from Tesla Motors...
Antony Ingram -
Is $25K Still The Barrier For Electric Car Ownership?
How much would you be prepared to pay for an electric car with similar day-to-day capabilities to your existing vehicle? $40,000 perhaps? Maybe you'd shoot lower for a $30,000 sticker price. That's still too high for most customers, according to a new survey by Navigant Research (via Autoblog). In...
Antony Ingram