EVs are selling fast, saving consumers money, creating jobs and are just as safe as the average gas-fueled vehicle

• More than  487,480 electric drive vehicles – hybrids, extended range and battery – were purchased in the U.S. in 2012. (Source: Electric Drive Transportation Association, http://bit.ly/JJXV0w)

• Research from Mintel states that sales of hybrid and electric vehicles rose 73% in 2012, “making it the fastest growing segment in the U.S. auto market” (http://bit.ly/10XTPP1)

• General Motors Co. 2012 sales of the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt tripled from 2011; over 23,000 Volts were sold in 2012, compared to around 7,600 in 2011. (http://bit.ly/VwepSQ)

• The Chevy Volt was the number one-ranked car in Consumer Reports’ consumer satisfaction survey for the second year in a row. http://bit.ly/WGN5xV

• The all-electric Tesla Model S was named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 2013. Motor Trend praised the car, calling it “a truly remarkable automobile” and “one of the quickest American four-doors ever built.” As for the electric drivetrain? Motor Trend concludes, “at its core, the Tesla Model S is simply a damned good car you happen to plug in to refuel.” (Source: Motor Trend Magazine, http://bit.ly/UDUMEj)

• Nissan – world’s largest seller of electric vehicles – is upgrading the Leaf for 2013. All 2013 Leaf models have improved electric range, and recharge time for SV and SL grades falls to four hours from a 220-volt outlet, from about seven hours currently. Nissan is also adding a cheaper, entry level Leaf to boost sales, after Leaf deliveries to the U.S. rose 1.5% in 2012. (Source: Bloomberg News, http://bloom.bg/13in39Z)

• Nissan is also bringing manufacturing jobs to the United States. The new 2013 all-electric Leaf will now be produced at a new plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. This plant was funded, in part, with a loan from the Department of Energy and will soon be producing Made-in-the-USA electric vehicles. (Source: Bloomberg News, http://bloom.bg/13in39Z)

• 155,000 Americans were employed by suppliers of clean and efficient vehicle components in 2011. (Source: NRDC/NWF/UAW, http://bit.ly/q0i8kI)

• A study from Pike Research, released in January 2013, finds that worldwide electric vehicle sales will reach 3.8 million annually by 2020. The study estimates that EV sales will grow at a rate of 40% annually, in comparison to general car sales, expected to rise at only 2% annually. (Source: Pike Research, http://bit.ly/VxnM4K)

• There are eight models of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that retail for under $32,000. (Source: Media Matters, http://bit.ly/HN06Vy, http://engt.co/R6dmHv, http://bit.ly/OKTEB4). By comparison, the average price of a car purchased in the United States in April 2012 was approximately $30,000. (Source: True Car, http://bit.ly/PLVmzl)
• Ford Motor’s C-Max hybrid, a lower cost competitor to the Toyota Prius is enjoying high demand as one of the top 10 hardest cars to find in 2013, spending an average of only 17 days on dealer lots (http://yhoo.it/Rx3rw5

• Maintenance costs for electric drive vehicles are as much as 50% lower than traditional gasoline vehicles, thanks to fewer fluids to change, significantly reduced brake wear due to regenerative braking, and far fewer moving parts. (Source: Center for Automotive Research, http://bit.ly/L07he8 and U.S. Department of Energy, http://bit.ly/QBLmGY)

• By 2020, it could be cheaper to own an electric vehicle than a traditional gas-powered car. If average gas prices are at or over $3.50/gal in the U.S., manufacturers will be able to offer even more cost-competitive electric vehicles once battery prices hit just $250/kilowatt before 2020. This could happen sooner if gas prices – currently at $3.70/gal – continue to spike. (Source: McKinsey & Company, http://bit.ly/NhMhMR)

• The LA Times published a mea culpa after running a story that misstated the facts about electric vehicles. When the author admitted his mistake, he noted, “…in terms of cumulative ownership costs, the Leaf is pretty much even with the Mini, Focus, Prius and Civic until after five years, when it starts to surpass them all.”(Source: Los Angeles Times, http://lat.ms/PlXZvQ)

• The price of batteries—a key component of EV cost—could fall 66% by 2020. According to McKinsey & Co., battery costs “could fall from $500 to $600 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2012 to about $200/kWh by 2020 and to about $160/kWh by 2025.”(Source: McKinsey & Company, http://bit.ly/T1qXQX)

• The U.S. military is embracing electric vehicles – The Army is placing electric vehicles at more than 40 installations and the DOD aims to integrate about 1,500 road-capable electric vehicles over the next few years. (Source: Stars and Stripes, http://bit.ly/SiJHuf)

• “The Department of Energy, with strong bipartisan support, awarded $2 billion in grants to 29 companies to build or retool 45 manufacturing facilities spread across 20 states to build advanced batteries, engines, drivetrains and other key components for electric vehicles. More than 30 of these plants are already in operation, employing thousands of American workers, and our grants were matched dollar for dollar (or more) by private investments.”(Source: U.S. Department of Energy: http://1.usa.gov/REqXCX)

• The advanced battery market is expanding dramatically in the United States and around the world — from $5 billion in 2010 to nearly $50 billion in 2020, an average annual growth rate of roughly 25 percent.(Source: U.S. Department of Energy, http://1.usa.gov/REqXCX)

• Concerns about vehicle range are exaggerated: the Telsa Model S is capable of travelling 250 miles per charge. (That’s Boston to New York with roughly 50 miles to spare.) For reference, in 2009 the average American traveled 28.97 miles in a vehicle per day. (Source: Green Car Congress, http://bit.ly/MGLNRN and U.S. Department of Transportation, http://1.usa.gov/T1ErI4)

• EVs are safe. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, there were an estimated 184,500 conventional highway vehicle fires in 2010, and 31,000 other non-highway vehicle (equipment) fires.  In the extremely rare incidents where a fire has involved an EV, no findings of any relationship to the electric drive components have been found.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration thoroughly examined the safety of EVs in accidents and found no real-world electric vehicle crashes that resulted in battery-related fires. (Source: National Fire Protection Agency, http://bit.ly/N3fEBG; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, http://1.usa.gov/TJJ5xC)