Wait a minute, you're counting the Volt here? EV World giddily reports that for what may be the first time in modern US automobile history (i.e. not counting the turn of the 19th century), there are more electric vehicles on US roads than there are gas stations beside them. Specifically, there are about 120,000 electric vehicles, compared to about 119,000 gas stations. Granted, that gas station number is based on 2007 estimates, but EV World says any growth in chain stations has likely been offset by closures of independent operations.
But we have to quibble that the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in, which as we all know isn't a pure electric because its on-board generator is powered by gas, is being counted here. That's a pretty big difference, given that the Volt's moved more than 46,000 units since the beginning of 2011 (for the first eight months of the year, Volt sales were up 11 percent to just a smidgeon under 15,000 vehicles). How long will it take pure EV sales to make up that difference? Well, with the Nissan Leaf selling about 2,000 cars a month, the Tesla Model S moving about 1,700 (the other pure EVs sell in far lower volumes), we could be celebrating a truer version of the EVs-beat-gas stations milestone this time next year. We'll supply the party hats and streamers.
But we have to quibble that the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in, which as we all know isn't a pure electric because its on-board generator is powered by gas, is being counted here. That's a pretty big difference, given that the Volt's moved more than 46,000 units since the beginning of 2011 (for the first eight months of the year, Volt sales were up 11 percent to just a smidgeon under 15,000 vehicles). How long will it take pure EV sales to make up that difference? Well, with the Nissan Leaf selling about 2,000 cars a month, the Tesla Model S moving about 1,700 (the other pure EVs sell in far lower volumes), we could be celebrating a truer version of the EVs-beat-gas stations milestone this time next year. We'll supply the party hats and streamers.
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