High Gas Prices Still Failing To Sway Buyers Into Adopting Electric Cars

About 3,500 electric vehicles were sold in April in the U.S., down from about 4,000 sold in March, the best-ever month for electric car sales.

General Motors Co. said it sold 1,462 Chevy Volts in April, up 200 percent from the 493 sold in April 2011, but down from the 2,289 sold in March 2012.

GM said it was the second-best retail sales month since the Volt was launched in late 2010. In California, GM has just an eight-day supply. Nationally, GM has 2,800 Volts in stock.

GM had said it would sell 10,000 plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volts in 2011; it sold fewer than 7,700. Nissan Motor Co. said sales of its all-electric Leaf fell 35 percent to 370 in April, but has insisted it will hit 20,000 Leaf sales in the U.S. this year.

vdiv - 5/2/2012 9:48:40 AM

+1 Boost

The high gas prices have been falling and are no longer a front-page news. Fortunately, so has the barrage of negative opinions on EVs, particularly on the Volt. However people are buying EVs and more of them are now on the road.

Toyota selling 1,654 Prius plug-ins, 192 or 13% more than Chevy Volts 1462 is not a good indicator for GM, which is not saying much. We will be curious to see how the 2014 Cadillac ELR will perform.

PLAY - 5/2/2012 11:12:10 AM

+3 Boost

The average consumer isn't going to pay 30,000 + for a car. The average consumer if buying new will opt for a Prius or Insight. ASSUMING they are buying new. Most consumers will probably look for something a few years old that they can get far cheaper. Electric technology is still to expensive for the average consumer.

800over - 5/2/2012 3:43:58 PM

+1 Boost

And most of the early adopters have already signed up. Hybrids are still much more reasonable for most people looking for the most efficient/price combo.

topneuro - 5/2/2012 4:39:38 PM

+1 Boost

If the IRS 7.5K Tax forgiveness becomes an IRS 7.5K Tax incentive maybe it will pick up.
The Focus EV and RAV4 EV, 5 passenger vehicles with cargo space, are not out yet.