Recent content by sjfotos

Batteries are the limiting factor in many applications, not just cars. There are many people working on a better battery, but I do no think anyone will have cracked the code for a 300 mile battery in 5 years. Progress has been very incremental.

That is a very lukewarm declaration of EV support by Mulally. Not faulting his performance, as that has been great, but he is not much interested in pushing EVs if you take this at face value.

The general news media is completely lost on this topic. The sales figures, especially for the LEAF, are supply constrained. No one has any idea yet what the ultimate 'run rate' ales will be for EVs in the next 5 years. Using a supply constrained sales figure for that "analysis" is flawed from...

That is a very useful chart. Thanks for posting!

Great. I can look forward to periodic upgrades and format changes that will make both my house and my car inoperable. Having Windows affiliated people fiddle with my car makes me more inclined to buy the LEAF.

Ford, with some justification, does not believe that Americans will buy diesel cars in sufficient quantity. They also have a nifty Ford Ranger diesel that they will not be selling in the US.

The batteries are sourced from Compact Power out of Troy Michigan. They are a sub of the Korean company LGChem, so the batteries will probably come from Korea first, then the US sub. http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-selects-partner-for-focus-ev-batteries.html

I will be amazed if the battery replacement idea works in either Europe or the US. Battery leasing may be viable, but I think it will be a small portion of the market.....

The author was needlessly pessimistic. He purports to be some high level former corporate insider, but really this type of 'corporate speak' is nothing more than standard hedging of bets.

scottw, yup, all good points. I am nursing a 1994 Lexus with 280,000 miles. I will go for the first EV I can get....and the LEAF may be a long way from Pennsylvania....

Yes, the serious and the seriouser. :)

Thanks evnow! Very nice sheet.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110218/OEM01/110219850/1493 News on Delays of LEAF Shipments

That is interesting, but not reassuring! :) I think that is likely a PR deal.....if they are gathering critical data from a series of 208 foot rides, then this car is not ready for release any time soon. I'm hoping this is just one of those things that engineers do because they CAN, and...

Well, to be a smartass.....one savings is that I likely won't have to replace the transmission at 30,000 miles, like I did on my Tempo!!!