Bob Lutz published a great article in Forbes this week about the Volt.

Noting that the media coverage of so-called “Chevrolet Volt fires,” attracted his attention, he presented some facts that haven’t been given much coverage. They include the following:

1.) Not one Chevrolet Volt has ever caught fire in normal use or in accidents. Not a single one.

2.) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even after the highly artificial crash test (placing the car on its back, even though it did not roll over in the test) nevertheless awarded the Volt NHTSA’s highest crash-safety rating: 5 stars. Volt is supremely safe.

3.) The crashed Volt, its battery shorted by coolant from the period unjustifiably spent “feet up,” caught fire three weeks after said test. (I submit that this would provide adequate time for surviving passengers to exit the vehicle.)

4.) On average, 278,000 cars with gasoline engines caught fire in the U.S. each year between 2003 and 2007, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

5.) No factory-produced electric vehicle has ever caught fire, to the best of my knowledge.

6.) The Volt, the most technologically advanced car on the planet, was conceived by me and my team well before any federal bailout of GM.

You can read the rest of the article here.

The Electric Drive Transportation Association has just released some very fascinating data regarding electric vehicles.

Take a look. . .

Advancing Vehicle and Charging Deployment

* 10.6% of new vehicle sales will be electric drive vehicles by 2012
* More than 20 electric drive vehicles will be available to consumers on the mass market by the end of 2012.
* Nearly 1.5 million charging stations are estimated to be in place by 2017.

Battery Technology

* A 50% decrease in lithium-ion battery costs is expected over the next ten years.
* 70% to 80% charging capacity of lithium-ion batteries after their lives in vehicles can provide a useful second life as utility-scale energy storage

Expanding the Job Market

* Nearly 54,000 jobs exist in the electric vehicle industry as of August, 2011.

Creating a Cleaner Environment

* Zero tailpipe emissions from all-electric vehicles
* If 60% of U.S. vehicles were powered with electricity, we’d see a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. transportation sector.
* There is a 36% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a plug-in hybrid versus a conventional gas-powered vehicle.

Happy New Year, EV enthusiasts.

I hope to see many of you at the Baltimore premiere of the film “Revenge of the Electric Car” showing at Baltimore’s own Charles Theater on January 11, at 7:00 p.m.

From 6 to 7 in front of the Theater, we will showcase some of our favorite EVs, now growing in number and availability as we knew they would.  Come join us this Wednesday to celebrate our progress and hear from experts about what’s happening on the EV front.

We will be joined by a group of scholars from Baltimore’s Green Street Academy, which has won an award from Constellation Energy to promote electric vehicle education.

Congratulations, Green Street!  And thank you, Constellation, especially for Eco-Team President Jessica Baker for helping to pave the way for this progress.

Check out BEVI executive director Jill Sorenson spreading the good word about EVs at Ignite Baltimore. . .

While the worldwide market for all kinds of vehicles will grow by about four percent per year over the next six years, analysts at Pike Research estimate that the electric vehicle market will grow at a rate of almost 20 percent over the same time frame.

According to the report, “Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts”, by 2017, 3.1 percent of global auto sales will be hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. But in the U.S., these vehicles will account for 5.1 percent of total domestic vehicle sales in 2017.

So which automaker will lead the pack?

Pike noted in a recent press release. . .

Within the United States, the PEV market is currently led by two key models, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. However, Ford’s model diversification and recharging equipment strategy will shake up the market. Ford will likely take the market lead by 2017 with 23.6% PEV market share. Toyota (with a plug-in version of its popular Prius) and General Motors will likely find themselves fighting for second with 21.1% and 20.7% market share, respectively. Interestingly, startup Tesla’s dealer strategy and high price point are expected to limit its market access. Still, market share for the startup is expected to grow to 4.6% by 2017 from 2.2% in 2011.

Of course, nothing is set in stone. But one thing is certain, the days of major automakers ignoring the EV market are over!

The other day, I came across this open letter from Chevy Volt owners.

I’d like to share it with you today as I think it offers a very clear picture of how Chevy Volt owners feel about some of the recent safety reports regarding the Volt.

OPEN LETTER FROM CHEVY VOLT OWNERS

Why are Chevy Volt Owners Keeping Their Keys?
Date: December 2, 2011

To the Media and Drivers Across America:

In light of the recent news stories regarding the Chevy Volt, we, as Volt owners, would like to set the record straight.

We are keeping the keys to our Volt. We love our Volt and we feel safe driving our Volt.

Volt owners are glad that the NHTSA, GM, and other manufacturers have now implemented protocols for electric cars in a variety of circumstances. Just as it is necessary to empty a gas tank after a major impact, it is necessary to discharge a battery pack after a major impact. This is a simple and straightforward process. Volt owners feel assured knowing that government and industry are working together to define and communicate this process for electric vehicles, just as they have done for gasoline-powered cars in years past.

We have done our homework and we know that there is no other car that offers all the advantages of a Volt. We take pleasure in the smooth driving experience. We get a thrill from the performance and acceleration. We feel at ease in its comfortable elegance. Perhaps most of all, we love the convenience and affordability of driving on electricity everyday, while also having the option of a back-up gas generator for long distances. This is the beauty of extended range electric drive. It’s fun, it’s practical, and it’s the future that’s available today.

Lastly, we encourage every driver in this country to test drive a plug-in electric car. The best way to truly know the electric car experience is to drive one.

Sincerely,

Chevy Volt Owners (A Facebook Group of 224 Members)

Revenge of the Electric Car premiere at the E Street Theater in Washington, D.C.

EVADC hosted an EV discussion following the movie premiere, joined by representatives of BEVI and EV supporters. Shown here – SmartED for sale 1/1/12:

One argument we often hear against the integration of electric cars is that no one wants them.

Of course, there isn’t a shred of data to support such a claim.

Still, with so few electric vehicles on our nation’s roads and highways right now, it’s easy to see how some folks could get caught up in that kind of negative hype.

But the truth is, this first round of electric vehicle sales is proving to be quite successful. Especially considering that this is really the first year that we’ve had the opportunity to even purchase a mass-produced electric vehicle delivered by a major auto manufacturer.

Take the all-electric Nissan LEAF, for example.

So far, Nissan has sold about 8,500 LEAFs in the U.S.

How does that number stack up against previous disruptive vehicle technologies?

Well, when Toyota first launched the Prius Hybrid in 1997, the Japanese automaker sold only 3,000 units worldwide.

So in its first year, Nissan has sold about 5,500 more units of an all-electric vehicle in the U.S. alone. Not too shabby. Especially considering that the LEAF carries with it the burden of range anxiety. Something that Prius owners have never had to deal with.

Over the years, the Prius did turn out to be a major winner for Toyota. Just one year after the Prius first hit showrooms, total sales hit 20,000. And today – well, total Prius sales numbers are in excess of 2 million, with about half of those sales generated in the U.S.

Now Nissan has clearly taken an early lead in electric vehicle development, much in the same way Toyota took (and maintains) the lead in conventional hybrid vehicles. In fact, the company announced last month that it has set a goal of selling 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. That’s only about four years away. And I have no doubt that this very aggressive goal will be met.

To date, global sales of the Nissan LEAF are in excess of 17,000.

There are plenty of folks still on the waiting list to get one, too.

As a side note, Toyota will have a plug-in electric version of the Prius next year.

It’s not an easy time to take a company public.

But last week, Smith Electric Vehicles announced that it had filed for a $125 million IPO.

There is currently no word as to when the company will go public or how many shares will be offered. Although Smith did note that it plans to use the funds to pay down debt.

If you’re not familiar with Smith Electric Vehicles, the company manufactures all-electric trucks for a variety of commercial uses.

Take a look. . .