EVs as Popular as iPhones?
January 26th, 2011 by 
Will electric vehicles be as popular as the iPhone? That’s what Henrik Fisker says, the man behind the 4-door luxury Fisker Karma. The Karma will start production in March and is slated to show up in U.S. showrooms in April. The MSRP is $95,000, but Fisker points out that the starting price on new technology is always high, but descends quickly as manufacturing processes scale up.
Popular as the iPhone? I too expect a robust adoption curve for electric vehicles, though I refrain from hyper-dramatic statements. Of course, I share neither Fisker’s financial exposure nor his super-bombastic personality.
For what it’s worth, the car itself is stunning. To find a more impressive use of leather and exotic, high-end materials in a car’s interior, you need to head to a Maserati showroom.
Going back to Fisker’s bold prediction, it goes without saying that the adoption of EVs generally has little to do with the demand for the Karma, at $95K. In fact, I’m not sure that you’ll find a big confluence between buyers of ultra-luxury cars and electric vehicles. It’s unclear to me how many people who shudder at the prospect of $4+ gallon gas have an appetite for a $95,000 car. I also doubt that most of those who care about the environmental impact of their driving want a car that’s worth more than the average house in a great number of US communities.
I AM sure most environmentalists want to make a statement, but I’m guessing it’s not “look how rich I am.”
photo: xmatt.
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Tags:  Electric Vehicles environmental impact Fisker Karma Henrik Fisker iphone scale up | [ Permalink ] |
I have to agree. Though the iPhone started expensive and its price keeps going down. Yet $95,000 is too rich for my blood.
If there is a chance for an EV to become as prolific as an iPhone, its right here:
organictransit.com
Not for everybody or even every road, but at a base price of $3.3K US and an equivalent efficiency of 1800mpg, its an EV that everyone can afford.