Compared to the late sixties American muscle cars that our grandparents and parents grew up with we are starting to see a consumer trend towards the smaller carbon foot print. While electric cars have been in existent for a couple hundred years now, they have never been as consumer friendly as they are today (Electric Auto Association, 2016). Although electric cars still have limitations there are many more consumers willing to live with those limitations than ever before. Electric car sales are still at less than one percent of auto sales monthly but that number is consistently climbing, even with low gasoline prices. I would certainly own an electric car but the overall cost and limitations of an electric car would greatly impact my life. The Tesla Model S 90 D prices out around 130,000 dollars and has a range limitation of 250 – 290 miles per charge. The average 300-mile trip will save the consumer roughly 15.00 in fuel savings. There are a few super charging stations between Chicago, Illinois and Duluth, MN which would get me there on multiple charges if the stations are working and available. That is a big risk when having to meet appointment times and locations and it would take a long time to convert 130,000 initial cost into a long term investment. The argument can be made that a gasoline car could break down and that would delay arrival as well but in the long run there is less of a chance of that being an issue. Personally it is easier to stop anywhere along my route to get fuel than planning trips around charging stations or having to have a secondary vehicle for long distant travel considering the initial cost of the electric cars. There is certainly a viable market for the electric car.
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Consumers that have short travel distances to an airport or work may very well benefit from an electric car. Considering the monthly sales are steadily increasing for electric cars it shows that consumers are more aware of the environmental and political impact fuel driven cars have in the United States. Automobile manufacturers are starting to see the potential growth in this area and are providing more funding to research and development of better electric car options ultimately providing consumers with less limitations making electric cars more desirable (Tanner, Jr. & Raymond, 2012). As fuel prices are currently low in the United States it is not so much a challenge to produce an electric car in order to meet consumer needs as it is to sell it at a price point that makes it worth buying over a standard fuel vehicle. In 2012 J.D Power and Associates completed a study of electric vehicles and the ownership of them. In order to understand the market, it is important to determine how the consumer views them. While understanding that initial price is a concern of these vehicles there are other factors to consider. The stability of the current power grids and electric vendor pricing may not be an initial thought, but one a consumer must figure into the equation. The replacement as well as maintenance cost of the batteries in order to maintain the desired travel ranges and vehicle reliability over the term of car ownership. A study recently showed that 11% of electric vehicle consumers within the United States are seeking
Consumers that have short travel distances to an airport or work may very well benefit from an electric car. Considering the monthly sales are steadily increasing for electric cars it shows that consumers are more aware of the environmental and political impact fuel driven cars have in the United States. Automobile manufacturers are starting to see the potential growth in this area and are providing more funding to research and development of better electric car options ultimately providing consumers with less limitations making electric cars more desirable (Tanner, Jr. & Raymond, 2012). As fuel prices are currently low in the United States it is not so much a challenge to produce an electric car in order to meet consumer needs as it is to sell it at a price point that makes it worth buying over a standard fuel vehicle. In 2012 J.D Power and Associates completed a study of electric vehicles and the ownership of them. In order to understand the market, it is important to determine how the consumer views them. While understanding that initial price is a concern of these vehicles there are other factors to consider. The stability of the current power grids and electric vendor pricing may not be an initial thought, but one a consumer must figure into the equation. The replacement as well as maintenance cost of the batteries in order to maintain the desired travel ranges and vehicle reliability over the term of car ownership. A study recently showed that 11% of electric vehicle consumers within the United States are seeking