Electric vehicles once were billed as the answer to high gas prices and dependence on foreign oil. But U.S. oil production is rising, gas supplies are abundant and pump prices have remained relatively stable the past three years, making consumers reluctant to switch from internal combustion engines. There’s also the worry that an electric car could run out of juice on longer trips.
As a result, electric car sales, while growing, are only a tiny fraction of overall U.S. auto sales. Automakers sold just over 12,000 pure-electric vehicles in the U.S. through April, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank and Tesla Motors. That’s less than 1 percent of the 4.97 million cars and trucks sold during the same period.
Still, automakers have rolled out new electric models, increasing the competitive pressure.
Automakers generally lose money on electric cars because the technology is so new and the batteries are costly. But they have been subsidizing sales by lowering prices. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said earlier this year that his company will lose $10,000 on every Fiat 500 electric vehicle it sells. Others have reported similar losses.
With the Fit EV, Honda is offering a $259 per month lease, down $130 from the initial $389 per month offer when the car went on sale in July of last year. The reduced lease price starts June 1 and will apply to existing EV leases, Honda said.
The three-year lease requires no money down and comes with unlimited mileage, free routine maintenance, collision insurance coverage and a free 240-volt home charging station, the company said Thursday. The charging station normally costs $995. The car buyer must take care of installation.
Read more: Cheap leases offered to spur electric car sales – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/businessbreakingnews/ci_23353418/cheap-leases-offered-spur-electric-car-sales#ixzz2UnfbGRic
