Electric cars to be slow arriving

Dec 5 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Fran Daniel Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.

Folks wanting to buy electric cars from local dealers will have to wait a bit longer as some won't be available for months.

"We should see them in the spring, probably in April or May," Steve Tuttle, the new-car sales manager for Modern Nissan on University Parkway, said of The Leaf, an all-electric car by Nissan. "That's the word that we're getting from our district manager."

He said that people are already asking about the cars.

Other electric vehicles that will eventually be available in Forsyth County include the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is a plug-in electric car with a range-extender fuel engine.

"It's going to be arriving in dealerships later this month, but it's only going to be available initially in certain select markets," said Sam Abuelsanid, a spokesman for General Motors Co.

The Volt will show up first in California; Michigan; the Greater New York Metropolitan area, including Connecticut and New Jersey; Houston, Texas; and Washington.

"Right now, the plan is to build about 10,000 to 15,000 Volts over the first year, so as production ramps up we will gradually increase availability to other areas," Abuelsanid said. "By the end of 2012 they should be available nationwide."

Toyota's Prius hybrid runs off batteries but also has a gas engine that kicks in to recharge the batteries as they run out of juice. The car's new version will let drivers boost the car's batteries by plugging in to an electrical outlet while parked. The fully-recharged batteries will keep the car's gas engine from coming on as often and improve the car's gas mileage.

Kerry Mitchell, the general sales manager at Modern Toyota on Peters Creek Parkway, said that he has not been given an actual date of arrival for The Prius Plug-in Hybrids.

Jana Hartline, a spokeswoman for Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., said the cars should be out in early 2012.

"It will probably be a phased approach," she said.

Hartline said that the first Prius Plug-in Hybrids to arrive at dealerships will be marketed in the "zero-emission vehicle" states such as California and New York.

"Immediately following that we will be rolling them out to other states, but we do not have a specific timeline," Hartline said.

Toyota also plans to release a small, electric commuter vehicle in 2012 that will be powered entirely by battery.

"That will be launched globally," Hartline said. "We have not determined exactly what markets that will go to first."

fdaniel@wsjournal.com

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