Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2013

From Pike Research:

If 2012 was the year when the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry shifted from neutral to first gear, then the industry will be racing ahead in second gear in 2013.... Sales of PEVs in 2013 will continue to outpace the first years of hybrid vehicle sales as more than 210,000 PEVs will be sold globally and more than three dozen PEV models will debut. Consumers will have a much greater variety in vehicle types and in all-electric range, while consumer familiarity with the capabilities of the segment will also greatly increase.

California will continue to drive PEV sales in the United States as purchases will expand into smaller urban and suburban regions with more dealers beginning to offer the vehicles. In China, the PEV market will begin to reap the benefits of the many international automotive joint- ventures (JVs) that have developed during prior years. The industry will not be without its casualties and consolidation as several startup electric vehicle (EV) companies are likely to be absorbed or discontinue operations during the year.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which is now accessible in many large cities in the developed world, provides a baseline of public charging to pacify anxious EV drivers and will be more frequently utilized in 2013. Increasingly detailed analytics about PEV sales and charging habits will be the basis for identifying the most suitable locations for public EV charging. This data will begin to offer value to vehicle manufacturers and utilities as the percentage of PEV sales in some cities will approach double digits.

Loving the DMV

Good source of info (noted by a colleague).

www.nysdmv.com

•In the yellow bar at the top, click on “online-transactions”
•Then under “Online services” click on “DMV-Regulated Business Transactions”
•Click on “Find DMV-Regulated Businesses”
•In the middle of the page you can click on “Find DMV-Regulated Businesses Now”
•You can then choose from Public Vehicle Inspection Stations, Motor Vehicle Repair Shops, Dealers, or Businesses that Deal in Junk or Salvage Vehicles. At the bottom you can select by ZIP Code or County.
•Once you get to your selection, you can sort by clicking on the headings, e.g. by Facility Number, Facility Name, Street, City, ZIP or County.
•If you click on the Facility Number, you can get additional information, for example, if the facility is licensed both as a dealer and an inspection station.

On the DMV site you can also get the annual # of registered cars, commercial vehicles, etc. by county.