Energy Korea
Daesung Group
  • Home
  • The News
    • Korea
    • Global
    • Policy
    • Opinions
    • Special Report
  • Energy Virgins
    • About Energy
      • Basics
      • Fossil
      • Renewable
      • Global Warming
    • Global Data
    • Glossary
  • Energy Society
    • Who’s Who
    • Business
      • Gas
      • Oil
      • Renewable
      • Environment
      • Construction
      • Electricity
    • Educational Institution
      • Energy
      • Environment
    • Public Institution
  • Get involved
    • Post
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Energy Conference
    • Schedule
    • Reviews
      • Green Energy EXPO Korea 2012
  • Daesung Today
    • CEO
    • News
    • Photo & Video
  • Log In
  • New Here? Sign Up
view all
  • The News
    • Korea
    • Global
    • Policy
    • Opinions
    • Special Report
  • Energy Virgins
    • About Energy
      • Basics
      • Fossil
      • Renewable
      • Global Warming
    • Global Data
    • Glossary
  • Energy Society
    • Who’s Who
    • Business
      • Gas
      • Oil
      • Renewable
      • Environment
      • Construction
      • Electricity
    • Educational Institution
      • Energy
      • Environment
    • Public Institution
  • Get involved
    • Post
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Energy Conference
    • Schedule
    • Reviews
      • Green Energy EXPO Korea 2012
  • Daesung Today
    • CEO
    • News
    • Photo & Video
Popular Keyword TOP 10
  1. solar
  2. green
  3. biomass
  4. samsung
  5. index/thinkapp/invokefunction
  6. home/thinkapp/invokefunction
  7. gas+emission+korea
  8. city solar power
  9. industry
  10.  
  1. solar
  2. green
  3. biomass
  4. samsung
  5. index/thinkapp/invokefunction
  6. home/thinkapp/invokefunction
  7. gas+emission+korea
  8. city solar power
  9. industry
  10.  

close X

Electric cars too expensive? Try renting the battery pack instead of buying it

mini | Apr.19.2013 | Get involved > Post | read: 1,122 | 0 comments

European electric car buyers have been getting lease options, and so will Americans who go for the new version of the Smart Electric Drive.

A bevy of new Smart electric cars in Brooklyn last year. Battery rental is an option for American buyers. (Jim Motavalli photo)

One of the big reasons cited in polls for giving the thumbs down to an electric vehicle, besides range anxiety, is worry about having to replace the expensive battery pack. In some high-end cars, it’s a $40,000 item, so no wonder they’re concerned. High initial electric vehicle prices are also a show-stopper for some. But suppose you could rent or lease the battery instead, and grab an affordable electric car in the process?

Battery rental will be an option for American buyers of the third generation Smart Fortwo Electric Drive (as seen above), which goes on sale in May. Something like 97 percent of the car’s current European customers are opting for the rental option, scoring a lower purchase price and paying the equivalent of $83 a month for the pack. If the pack dies unexpectedly, no worries, it belongs to Smart and they’ll just give you another one. There’s no word yet on what the American battery lease price will be.

The electric Smart already has the advantage of a low price, $25,750, which drops to a quite affordable $18,250 after the federal rebate. According to Tracey Matura, the rental plan went so well in Europe, “We thought, why not offer the same in the U.S.?”

Smart isn’t the only one with a plan like this. According to PlugInCars.com, you have to lease the batteries if you take delivery of any one of Renault’s four electric models in Europe (such as the amazing looking Twizy, above). And as long as you pay the lease, the battery’s guaranteed to have at least 75 percent of its full capacity. If you own the battery, the guarantee only lasts as long as the warranty period. For the Nissan Leaf in the U.S., that’s 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

But hold on a minute, because in Europe the Leaf (available as a Visia, Acenta or a really loaded Tekna) is available with a lease option that will save you $7,700. The battery pack leases for $108 a month, so over three years you’ll pay $3,888, and be ahead of the game. My guess is that Nissan will soon make this choice available to Americans, especially if Smart is doing it.

I drove the new Smart ED in Brooklyn last year, and was favorably impressed by both the price and many improvements—though if you can’t handle a two-seater you’ll need to look elsewhere. The car can now hit 60 mph in 11.5 seconds, which is a 50 percent improvement.

So far the Smart ED is heavily in demand in Europe, and that’s constraining deliveries to the U.S. Only about 2,000 will be available for Americans in 2013 (a third of production). Next year, they’ll be making a lot more of them.

**

And while we’re talking about electric car bargains (or, at least, good-ish deals), there’s the new 2014 electric Fiat 500e (above), which will lease for $199 a month (for 36 months, with $999 down). It’s the same price as a gas version of the car. Fiat is going to lose money on this car, but that’s their worry–you can get a good deal. Fiat also says it’s going to provide rebates to get the purchase price to $20,500–which is pretty shocking. Alas, it’s initially available only in California, starting this summer.

 

Source: MNN

 

Related articles

Connecting Electric Cars And Clean Energy

Nation needs marketing campaign to reduce vehicle fuel use, says new paper

Electric cars step up a gear for 2012

Top 10 electric concept cars

Alternative, Car, Electric car, Electric vehicle, Technology, Vehicle
PREV 1 ... 108,990 108,991 108,992 108,993 108,994 108,995 108,996 108,997 108,998 108,999 109,000 ... 111,866 NEXT

Get involved

  • Post
  • Photos
  • Videos

Search

Follow us on Twitter

Follow @DSenergyen

Tag Cloud

buy and sell cytotec buy cytotec 25 mg online buy cytotec at walmart buy cytotec baguio buy cytotec canada buy cytotec cavite area buy cytotec cebu buy cytotec china buy cytotec in bahrain buy cytotec in egypt buy cytotec in hong kong buy cytotec in lebanon buy cytotec in london buy cytotec in nigeria buy cytotec in qatar buy cytotec in saudi arabia buy cytotec in singapore buy cytotec in store buy cytotec in the philippines buy cytotec in the uk buy cytotec in turkey buy cytotec in usa buy cytotec ireland buy cytotec kenya buy cytotec miami buy cytotec misoprostol tablets buy cytotec online canada buy cytotec online fast delivery uk buy cytotec online malaysia buy cytotec online uk buy cytotec per pill buy cytotec tablet online buy cytotec thailand buy generic cytotec buy mifepristone cytotec ru486 misoprostol buy pfizer cytotec online can buy cytotec can you buy cytotec tablets cheap cytotec for sale cheap cytotec pills online Environment Renewable energy where buy cytotec where can i buy cytotec for abortion where can i buy cytotec here in cebu where can i buy cytotec here in philippines where can i buy cytotec quiapo where can i buy cytotec uk where to buy genuine cytotec in manila where to buy real cytotec
  • Popular
  • Today Week Month All
  • Jetpack plugin with Stats module needs to be enabled.
Ajax spinner

Upcoming Conferences

There are no upcoming events.

View Calendar


  • Home
  • / The News
  • / Energy Virgins
  • / Energy Society
  • / Get involved
  • / Energy Conference
  • / Daesung Today
Back to TOPBack to TOP
Energy Korea

©2011 DAESUNG ENERGY. All rights reserved.

About us Terms of Service Privacy Guidelines Contact us
Powered by
KOREA.COM