Electric cars on sale at area dealerships this month
13 Dec 2010
by: Julia Anderson, Vancouver Business Journal
Starting this month, a lineup of plug-in electric-powered vehicles will go on sale in the U.S. with Vancouver at the forefront of the revolution.
Alan Webb's Nissan dealership at the auto mall off of state route 500 is selling the Leaf, an all-electric mass-produced vehicle with a battery range of up to 90-plus miles. The Chevy Volt, already being produced at General Motors' Michigan plants, will be on Webb's new lot in December 2011. And sometime next year, he will begin selling Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, which by then will likely be called the "i".
Other car makers are joining the race, as Ford is expected to roll out a plug-in battery-powered commercial van next year. Chinese and South Korean manufacturers are gearing up with projects as well, expected to be on the market in the next two years. Toyota, which introduced its Prius gas-battery hybrid 10 years ago, is back with a plug-in RAV4.
Webb is energized by what he sees as a true "revolution" coming to the auto industry.
"This is a whole new business that's going to transform the car industry," he said. "It is exciting."
Webb's dealership has already invested $25,000 in new plug-in charging stations at the car lot to accommodate the battery-powered all-electric Leaf.
A recent survey by Market Strategies suggests that at least 13 percent of American consumers see themselves driving an electric vehicle in the next 10 years. Some believe demand might push market penetration to 20 percent by 2020.
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