* Keep discussions EV related *
Sieving through all the newswires on plugins, one can foresee see some coming trends, along with mis-information still being spend by automakers. With the slightly less pump price$ (<$4gal), the public has relaxed its buying habits. One might make the mistake of thinking their buying will shift back to huge inefficient (more vehicle than they need for the one-person commute) SUVs ice. But the news piece below mentions rather that buyers are going to smaller (non-electrified, non-plug-in) ice ... http://www.dailydemocrat.com/business/20150615/honda-to-kill-its-civic-hybrid-and-cng-models Honda to kill its Civic hybrid and CNG models By Charles Fleming Los Angeles Times 06/15/15 ... While a new Accord hybrid will debut for 2016, there will be no plug-in version of that vehicle until 2018 ... will go forward with a planned [fcv] by 2016. Honda will also offer "an entirely new generation" of all-new battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles after 2016 "This reflects zero interest from American consumers in small, fuel-efficient cars -- especially more expensive hybrid versions of small, fuel-efficient cars," said Karl Brauer, of Kelley Blue Book. "This is in keeping with where the market is going, away from hybrids and toward smaller, more efficient [ice]." ... [© Daily Democrat] ... http://www.wsj.com/articles/honda-to-discontinue-cng-and-hybrid-civic-models-1434386062 The above news piece reads like copy handed to the media outlet by the automaker (it is the automaker's words, not fact). What is not said is the automaker's mood-change is not new, and their attempt to rationalism their change with 'buyer demand'. IMO, I can not see their 'excuse' as valid. Weak efforts on the automaker's part (they never really wanted to sell plugins, and like TMC, wanted to sell a few fcvs), in combination with the 'threat' of the other automakers' pressure of going fcv (TMC aka:Toyota, -many-others-, recently BMW & more), and their dislike for less profitable plugins, are forces on the automaker. Yet in: http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2015/honda/accord/honda-accord-goes-hybrid-51877 Honda Accord goes hybrid 16 June 2015 ... "We're not concerned with mass-market hybrid," said Honda Australia chief Stephen Collins. "Instead we'll focus on the premium end. We see the growth at the top-end of the mid-size hybrid market." ... Which reads like the automaker is willing to make high-end/more-costly electrified vehicles (for Eco-feel-good affluent buyers) if there is a profit to be made (money talks). But IMO, I foresee something else. That change to weaken the CA-CARB mandate smells of the dilution of the former CA-mandate of years ago as a prelude to the U.S. administration change that happened at about the same time (which fought the CARB mandate tooth and nail). So, does brick-and-mortar (old-school) automakers' marketing changes signal they are betting on the coming elections to favor their 'non-plugin' way of thinking? ... (it looks that way from what I am reading). Also, some will notice that I am including more nEVs (lower cost, sub-highway-speed EVs) in the newswires I post. Another change is that these nEVs are no longer just focused on lower income countries. TMC has long pushed that the only EV-market are nEVs. Now, other companies are selling nEVs because they are a lower-priced transportation solution that consumers enjoy. China buyers like low cost nEVs, and now Euro buyers are going to be offered the same deal. For companies that sell nEVs, it is cheaper thus more profitable for them plus there are less regulations on these lower-speed EV to be hassled with. Sadly, none of these nEVs at this time are offered with L2 charging which would make them a truly viable low-cost EV (a 50mi@30mph nEV w/ a L2 6kW on-board charger= ~20mins to 60%SOC?). EVangels should stay vigilant to know of these automaker marketing changes and continue to promote the EV-cause no-matter what is thrown at us. Even if it gets as bad as in the 2000's when automakers got-away-with not making/offering any plugins at-all by just giving-away egolf-carts/nEVs. For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/OT-Change-in-automakers-direction-tp4676263.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
