How many ways do the American people have to say “No” to taxpayer-subsidized electric and hybrid-electric cars before Washington gets it?
Sales of the cars are notoriously slow. In one month earlier this year, for instance, only about 600 hybrid-electric plug-in Chevrolet Volts were sold, compared with around 27,000 Chevrolet Silverados. The numbers were similar for Nissan’s electric-powered Leaf, though the Nissan Altima had sales of more than 22,000. All told this year, manufacturers of electric vehicles have sold only about 10,000 of the cars – or less than one-fifth of 1 percent of the car and truck market in the United States.
And that is despite the $7,500 tax credit that Congress showers on buyers of electric cars.
Now add the new electric version of the Honda Fit to the ungainly mix.
The electric Fit gets the equivalent of 118 miles per gallon – a stunning figure, to be sure, but one that comes with a sticker price nearly twice as high as the 31 mpg gas-powered Fit.