Considering that it took the Prius about 5 years to hit that yearly number, I'd say 40k is very reasonable for this type of car. Even if they don't hit their target, I don't think you will see the same firestorm of criticism as there was in 2011, especially from the right. Romney has essentially taken credit for the Obama bailout of GM, which shows how the election year has changed the political atmosphere.

I disagree, there are a significant number of EVs in Santa Monica. Everywhere I look I see a Leaf or Volt (and sometimes now an Active E).

I think there are two issues going on here. First, LA had many old, paddle style EV chargers installed a decade ago. After the first year or two, most sat completely unused for years, so people starting iceing the spaces. Since no one was using the spaces, no one complained.

Second, is enforcement. About 1.5 years ago when I first started driving my Volt, the garage at Santa Monica Place didn't initially ticket for iceing one of their EV spaces and often the spaces were iced. Sometime in the last year, they apparently started ticketing and I haven't seen an iced space there since.

Anders sounds old, grumpy, and set in his ways. Most people under 40 are programmed to plug anything and everything in to recharge. Laptops, phones, iPads, GPS devices, etc. The Volt, or any plugin vehicle isn't much different. And I'd much rather spend an extra 2 seconds plugging in every day than stopping off at a gas station once a week.

After a year and a half with my Volt, I am still extremely satisfied. Way more than any other car I've owned. And not just with the car, but with GM too. They've been extremely responsive to any perceived problems and have bent over backwards to accommodate owners (e.g., offering to buy back Volts during the bogus battery fire issues). Contrast that with Nissan who seems to be dragging their heals and maybe even covering up the battery degradation issues.

Battery pack is my vote. If the Volt is getting a modest increase in its battery size, the Leaf should too. I want to see a battery arms race get going here.

With an 8 year battery warranty on my Volt, I'm not worried about battery costs. Plus, GM is charging about $3k for replacement Volt batteries. That's very reasonable.

The calculations here are a little fuzzy/misleading. 1 gallon of gas supposedly has 34.02 kWh of energy (this is what the MPGe calculations uses). 34.02 x $.11 (Avg. electric rate per kWh) = $3.74/gallon, at least technically. The real benefit is that electric motors are more efficient, getting 2-3 times the miles out of that energy. I think a $/mile comparison is a better way to make this comparison.

You missed the other part of the story here, which is that Nissan has a less-than-stellar warranty. It only covers power performance, not capacity. GM by contrast guarantees at least 70% of the original range through year 8. See: http://insideevs.com/some-leaf-owners-experience-early-capacity-loss/

John B, why didn't you look at Voltstats.net for a better sample size of Volt data? It actually gives you the %EV usage too. For example, last month the average was about 76% EV usage. Second, you really have to compare data from the same months. As you can see on Voltstats, the percentage usage varies a bit, mainly due to the temperature. I am sure the PIP numbers will be lower when driven through the winter.

This is right on the mark. Even higher-end ICE cars feel rough, unrefined and primitive to drive once you are used to driving electric. I have no intention of ever going back to a car with a primary ICE engine.