Comments on: Compliance Cars: Fiat 500e, Honda Fit EV

By: DaveINLA

DaveINLA — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Wasn’t one of the points that the Honda Fit EV wasn’t selling. Or to be more specific, not leasing? Honda made “the offer”: lowered Lease to $259/mo, paid for Comprehensive/Collision Insurance, and gave away the Charging Station. That is when they became backordered.

Also, what’s wrong with Honda being conservative and trying to get the EV Market right? They are not one of the two largest Automotive Manufactures like Toyota & GM in the US/Worldwide.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 23:18:00 +0000

Good writeup.

(My first new car was a 1969 124 Spyder. Second most fun to drive car I’ve owned, after my RX7.)

By: Dr Obnxs

Dr Obnxs — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 23:09:00 +0000

Oh, and you posted that you wanted to read a review…. Check here for what I wrote about flogging the car up by where I live….

http://www.fiat500owners.com/forum/66-fiat-500e/12938-after-week-ownership.html

By: Dr Obnxs

Dr Obnxs — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 23:05:00 +0000

Who really cares if it’s a compliance car or not? Supply side or demand side is a debate for armchairs. Fact is, the car is economic, and compelling as it shows that one can have an electric car that is both stylish and inexpensive. End result is that more cars are on the road, other manufacturers lowered their price to compete, Sergio complains about California ZEV mandate, more people are supportive and USING the chargers that are in public places, and the mindset of the masses slowly changes. But I gotta say, boycotting ANYONE who offers a EV is shooting your nose to spite your face. No matter the motive or model that FIAT has or doesn’t have, the cars are hear and for sale. The best thing one could do to counter Sergio’s anti EV stance is to show him that he could sell a lot more than he’s offering now, and that offering them ups the sales of the cars he does care about (which is a pretty compelling little economy car itself!)

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:24:00 +0000

from the article above: “Each of Honda’s 200 electric-car-certified dealers will get one Fit EV at a time, potentially meaning one every four months. If you’re in fourth position on the waiting list, that means you might wait more than a year for a car.”

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:23:00 +0000

Ha, fun story. Happy to feature a review of it if you’re interested. zach@importantmedia.org

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:23:00 +0000

Hopefully we can get 1 or both of them to publish a review.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:22:00 +0000

Thanks for the info. And congrats on getting one early! Looks like a great car. Happy to feature a review of it if you’re interested. zach@importantmedia.org

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:20:00 +0000

Thanks for the extra info. Ridiculous. (Regarding the parts: interesting.)

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:19:00 +0000

Definitely. I love the look of the Leaf, but otherwise, just really like the look of the 500e. (Of course, excluding Tesla, which is in another class right now.)

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:18:00 +0000

You mean the standard 500? In any case, with the Fiat 500e bringing in such a high % of new customers, it’s ridiculous that they aren’t building more.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:17:00 +0000

It’s a true shame.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:17:00 +0000

Definitely the positive spin from this story. It is a huge positive.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 08:15:00 +0000

It’s simply not producing many Fit EVs. So dealers have to wait ages to get the cars for customers who have reserved them. Honda is simply being lame about the EV transition.

By: sweetelectricity

sweetelectricity — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:45:00 +0000

Honda Fit EV would be perfect for me, a NYC resident with a garage and a 54-mile round trip commute. I’m sure there are thousands of people in my neighborhood (Queens, population 2.2 million) who would buy the car if they saw that it worked for me. Why is Honda so cautious about supplying more to New York? I’m third on a waiting list, and have been waiting for more than a month.

By: Cam

Cam — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 09:08:00 +0000

They know how to sell the car, I wouldnt have though about buying one but I could be tempted. They probs come to England in 2020 though lol Tradesure Motor Insurers

By: Wayne Williamson

Wayne Williamson — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Elyse, If you can remember, post back here with how it goes..Thanks, Wayne.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:12:00 +0000

California continues to go where few other dare.

They follow along later…

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:09:00 +0000

To paraphrase the FORD CEO, “we will make better cars (safer, better mpg, EV) only if forced to by the government”. So yes raising the fleet required average a lot faster (given EV’s great ~mpg), and you will see fast results. If city, go to the “user fee” to drive in city unless EV then ..
Yes California is out front, and it would be wonderful if other join in.

At some point, not to far in the future we will reach a tipping point. And company’s that don’t provide a valid EV option will find they have to scramble to catch up.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 14:41:00 +0000

Refresh my memory. What was the exact context of that discussion? Perhaps direct me to the exchange….