As I pointed out here, President Obama has decided that:
With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
That’s 4 years for now. Thinking that’s about a quarter million cars / year, that translates to just over 20,800 / month. So, what happened LAST month?
Peruse Chevrolet’s February sales release, and you’ll notice one number that’s blatantly missing: the number of Chevy Volts sold. The number – a very modest 281 – is available in the company’s detailed data (PDF), but it certainly isn’t something that GM wants to highlight, apparently. Keeping the number quiet is a bit understandable, since it’s lower than the 321 that Chevy sold in January.
Nissan doesn’t have anything to brag about here, either (and it didn’t avoiding any mention of the Leaf sales in its press release). Why? Well, back in January, the company sold 87 Leafs. In February? Just 67. Where does that leave us? Well, here’s the big scorecard for all sales of these vehicles thus far:
- Volt: 928
- Leaf: 173
(H/T: Green Autoblog)
Way to go, Obama – actually, a LONG way to go; that’s not even two days of sales needed under your "ordered production rate" (est. 1,370) Seem like the private sector, for all the hype and hope from your administration and the eco-elite, not many Americans are into those cars.
However, you may well have the next to last laugh, as your Determined Weakness strategy as applied to foreign policy and energy, gas is rocketing to $4.00 – on it’s way to your preferred pricing of $5+.
Problem is, while small cars may then be in, that hybrids and electric cars may get the attention you want because of your restriction of domestic oil energy exploration and refining. Problem is, with the skyrocketing energy prices, the economy is probably going to tank; your political future may well NOT get the type of attention you may desire.
Already here in NH, gas prices are hitting the evening news – every day, memory serves me well, News 9 is yakking the uptick pricing. That hurt Bush and it will kill your Presidency.
