A new era of the electrified vehicle will soon be upon us. That’s incredibly exciting for everyone who wants our cars and trucks to have a smaller environmental footprint, and for those who understand the importance of reducing our dependence on oil. At the same time, it’s critical that enthusiasts, companies, and governments take a cold hard look at the realities of the transition to plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
Pike Research, a market intelligence firm specializing in clean technology, spent most of 2009 looking at various dimensions of electric-drive vehicles. The firm asked HybridCars.com to play a supporting role in distilling its solid industry and consumer research into a 10,000-foot view of where electric cars are going in 2010 and beyond. Nobody has a crystal ball, but Pike Research was guided by the best research and journalistic practices, and HybridCars.com was guided by our mission of providing the most useful and trustworthy information to consumers interested in fuel-efficient vehicles, regardless of technology.
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The Predictions
You can download the entire 14-page white paper, with eight tables and charts, at the Pike Research website. Meanwhile, here are the top predictions.
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The cost of owning and driving an electric vehicle is not likely to be cheaper than using gasoline.
Proponents of EVs suggest that driving on electric power will cost a fraction of using gasoline as fuel. That’s true. However, these estimates do not include the premium paid for a plug-in hybrid or electric car and its batteries. The economics will limit consumer adoption.
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