Electric Vehicles: market full of "spark"

2012-07-08 22:36

Tesla Model S

• Japan electric cars in image crisis
• SA Joule producer firm canned
• China's electric car leadership elusive

Detroit - The US market for all-electric cars is charging up, with plug-in vehicles rolling off US dealer lots despite much higher costs, battery fire scares and falling fuel prices.

Plug-in cars racked up strong sales in the first six months of the year, car makers said, even with their tall sticker prices and lifetime operating costs up to $6 000 more than conventional fuel-run vehicles.

General Motors reported it sold more of its $39 000 Chevrolet Volts in the first six months than it did in all of last year, with 1 760 of the cars delivered to buyers in June.

Toyota said it has sold over 4 300 of its all-electric version of the popular Prius hybrid since it launched the model in March - even though the plug-in Prius costs, at the $32 000 base price, a third more than the cheapest hybrid Prius.

Sales of Nissan's $35 000 Leaf, one of the first to plumb American drivers' desire for plug-ins, eased slightly amid higher competition and a change in distribution strategy, but still hit more than 3 148 units.  Read more.