Norway shows the way with electric cars, but at what cost?

[EdmondLeaf]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013...reuters/environment+(News+/+US+/+Environment)

Norway's buzzing little market for pure electric cars has in its very success shown the severe drawbacks to a model that relies on public subsidies worth as much as $8,200 per car, every year.
Car makers like Nissan, Mitsubishi, Peugeot Citroen and Tesla Motors see Norway and its 10,000 battery-powered vehicles as a reason for optimism in otherwise gloomy terrain.

Holtsmark estimates that a Toyota Prius hybrid emits 0.6 tonne of carbon dioxide a year against zero for a Leaf. Scaling up the Leaf's subsidies means Norway is paying $13,600 to avoid a tonne of emissions, a stratospherically expensive policy since the right to emit a tonne of carbon dioxide costs about 4 euros on the EU's carbon market.

Norway's enthusiasm notwithstanding, many carmakers acknowledge the all-electric market has not become as mainstream as they hoped when they gambled billions of dollars on the technology.
Carmakers are shifting from all-electric towards hybrids like the Prius, which has a gasoline engine backed up by an electric motor that traps energy when the brakes are applied.
"Demand for electric cars isn't where we thought it would be," Francois Bancon, Nissan's upstream development chief, said at the Geneva car show last week. "We're in a very uncertain phase, and everyone's a bit lost."
Electric car owners in Norway are already starting to worry about the long-term future of their investment.
"If the bus lane is closed the economic aspect of the car will be terrible," said Are Paulsrud, who drives a Mitsubishi electric car.
"The car cost 250,000 crowns and if the bus lane is closed ... I won't be able to sell it."

 

[mhigley]

The range issue - many can only go about 100 miles or less without recharging - is a huge problem in countries like the United States, where long-distance driving is a way of life.

Is a new law that says we if your car has a 100 mile range, you are only allowed to charge it once a day?

 

[braineo]

Author does have an underlying agenda on the articles. FREEDOM from OIL is never mentioned - it is as if the author is so against electric vehicles that they keep hitting MEMES that reinforce the hatred of saving money to fuel a vehicle that is the best commuter vehicle - if your daily range is within the vehicle capabilities.

Their reinforcement of - the electric vehicle will have no value if the rules of the road changes not allowing the use of bus lanes- is so sick that make me revolt and comment about it here.

What if there is no price differential between a gas car or an electric car as NORWAY has enacted by using their taxing powers - why bring up that in UK the same gas car is cheaper becuase their government is not as bright as the norwegians.

What if OIL is $20 and unavailable due to supply disruptions and your only choice would be to use a bicycle or use an electric vehicle...

Then the author would probably dismiss the EV because everyone would then be in a waiting line to get theirs...

 

[ERG4ALL]

Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't Norway have some offshore drilling platforms? Hmm... if so, could there be a conflict of interest?

 

[camasleaf]

Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't Norway have some offshore drilling platforms? Hmm... if so, could there be a conflict of interest?

So they export their oil, and use some of the money to put more EVs on their roads. Sounds like they are prety smart :!: . Let others breath in all the crap and they enjoy the clean air.

 

[TickTock]

Holtsmark estimates that a Toyota Prius hybrid emits 0.6 tonne of carbon dioxide a year against zero for a Leaf. Scaling up the Leaf's subsidies means Norway is paying $13,600 to avoid a tonne of emissions, a stratospherically expensive policy since the right to emit a tonne of carbon dioxide costs about 4 euros on the EU's carbon market.

Just means the price for the carbon credit is way too low. Should be no less than the cost to remove said tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (although this should be admittedly still much less than $13k) .

 

[TLeaf]

Another quirk is that, as I understand it, Norway isn't so much subsidizing EVs as they are PENALIZING ICE cars.. Last I checked Norway adds a ~100% import tariff for petrol vehicles but imposes no tariff on EVs. I can only guess that this is what the author means by subsidizing EVs. Of course, even these non-tariffed EVs are pretty expensive (that 250,000 mentioned equates to a cost of more than $40K), but considering the price of gas in Norway is also very expensive ($9/gallon) along with the cost of living in general, that's actually pretty reasonable.

The true bargain in Norway? Real estate. If you're a Norwegian citizen, you can buy a waterfront house with a fantastic view of the mountains and an acre + of land for $150K.