Fleets Might Save the Day for Green Machines

It's still too early to know if consumer retail car buyers are taking plug-in electric vehicles from early adopters to mass market numbers. Coverage shows that gas prices will have to rise even higher, and public information will have to spread widely before consumers buy a lot of them. If the neighbor/cousin/co-worker has good things to say about the Leaf, Volt, or other plug-in car, then people will be won over. Questions need to be answered:  How much do you really save in lifecycle from purchase to remarketing? How safe and reliable are they? How does home charging work and what does it cost? How do you compare per mile expense of battery power versus gasoline? Are the environmental and oil reducing benefits worth me buying into it?

Fleet customers are very important. That should go without saying, but this time, the rules of the game are changing a bit. Fleets typically have ordered "jelly bean" cars that have been on the market for a while and the automakers need to unload them somewhere. Now, certain fleets have become early adopters for plug-in electric vehicles, as they are with hybrids, natural gas-, propane-, and ethanol-powered vehicles, and perhaps will be with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

President Obama just added weight to my fleet buyer argument. He just announced that the federal fleet will only be buying advanced technology vehicles (including hybrids and plug-ins) by 2015. We're talking about a 600,000 vehicle fleet -- very big. Obama has been getting criticized lately for dropping the ball on climate change and carbon emissions. I would say cheers to him for his strong support for green machines. 

Generation Y Car Buyers

I participated in a media interview today, answering questions about young people aged 19 to 35 and their likelihood of buying less cars. I mentioned the Deloitte study that just came out during the Detroit auto show about Gen Y, ages 19 to 31, making up 40% of car shoppers with utmost concerns about tech toys like connectivity and apps in their cars, and that they're also concerned about good customer service from dealers.

Gen Yers will probably buy less cars than baby boomer parents/grandparents, and they do have some concerns about air pollution, traffic, and cost of ownership. For now, they're less excited about cars than boomers, but that could change after the recession lifts. They will most likely be interested in fuel efficient, high performance, cool, tech gadgeted machines that offer manageable monthly payments. Some will be hot for the Tesla Roadster and other race cars, but most will be concerned about affording their future. And as gas prices go up again, this offers another angle for marketing green cars.

ADW Green Changing Format Soon - Intermediary Between Green Car Sellers and Buyers

With the dawning of the new year, ADW Green has been working on changes to its editorial structure, to be made in the next month or so. What you can expect to see is more focus on the issues, news, and concerns of those bringing green machines to the buying public – both retail and fleet. If you’re marketing and selling plug-in electric vehicles, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, flexible fuel vehicles, natural gas and propane powered vehicles, clean diesel, and highly fuel efficient vehicles, questions come up that must be answered. Such as: How exactly does the $7,500 federal tax credit apply to me? Do I get a rebate check from the IRS? If the home charging station costs $2,500, is this amount included in my total purchase price and monthly payments? How many natural gas or ethanol/biodiesel filling stations can I expect to see in my neighborhood soon? A lot of questions to answer, and much for ADW Green to cover. Looking forward to it. And let me know if you have any questions, comments, or ideas to contribute - jon@automotivedigest.com.