BMW Doesn’t Think Electric Vehicles Are Right For Most People Why Doesn’t BMW Understand The United States Wants them to Build Our Own Electric Cars?!

Treehugger.com did a really cool story and again I found out thanks for the Yahoo ET Server List. Trehugger had a great contributing post from Fast Company.  Here it is:

Sometimes it seems like a new flashy electric car is announced every week. But the CEO of BMW North America—which has at least two electric vehicles on tap—just announced that he doesn’t think EVs will work for more than 10% of the population. Why is the company ragging on its own cars?

Jim O’Donnell, BMW’s North America chairman and chief executive officer, recently told the Detroit News, “(EVs) won’t work for most people. For at least 90 percent and maybe more of the population, (an EV) won’t work (at the current battery range).” How forward-looking, Jimbo. That’s a pretty oversimplified statement, to say the least.The Nissan Leaf, perhaps the most well-known of the new batch of EVs, has an EPA-rated range of 73 miles. That’s perfect for shorter work commutes (or longer ones if there is a charge spot/plug waiting on the other end), as well as quick errands around town. It’s not so useful for long weekend trips. And since Americans love their weekend getaways, this is a problem.
Despite its CEO’s negative attitude, BMW is charging ahead with EVs, leasing the ActiveE electric coupe in six major U.S. markets next year and unveiling the i3 pure electric vehicle in 2013. Next time, BMW, it might be wise to refrain from trashing the sales potential of your products. [Photo credit: BMW (the i3 Megacity vehicle concept)]

The article goes on to talk about the joke it is that BMW doesn’t know car patterns.  As I wrote about in Build Your Own Electric Vehicle and in this article..the U.S. is a two car per household country, which means that it’s perfectly feasible for most people to have a shorter-range EV and a longer-range gasoline vehicle for extended trips. And in any case, the average American drives 29 miles per day—well within the range of the Leaf and the Chevy Volt, which has an all-electric range of 25 miles before its combustion engine kicks in. Perhaps O’Donnell just doesn’t want people buying the electric cars already on the market? Maybe a BMW electric car would be more appealing?

Why don’t they get it and we do?  I don’t know but check out the rest of the article here

Source: Treehugger.com via Fast Company