“Group Buy” Programs Have Ridiculously Low Price for EVs; Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Model Starts to Deliver in California; Swatch Eyes on Manufacturing EV Batteries
“Group Buy” Programs Have Ridiculously Low Price for EVs
EcoWatch reported that through such “group buy” programs, the price of available EVs can be discounted by thousands of dollars, on top of all the government incentives. For example, a Nissan LEAF can go for less than $12,000!
The “group buy” discount is the result of bulk purchase. Dealers are willing to offer lower prices in exchange of large-quantity purchase. Individual consumers can participate in such programs. Currently, “group buy” is available in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, DC and Utah.
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Model Starts to Deliver in California
According to Green Car Reports, the first delivery of 6 cars was made on Dec. 19, at Honda’ Torrance campus.
Clarity has an EPA range of 366 miles per fill and can accommodate 5 people inside. As compared, the earlier Toyota Mirai FCV has 4 seats.
Now Clarity is available at 12 locations in Southern California, the Bay Area and Sacramento. The leasing is at $369/mo for 36 months, with $2,868 due at signing.
Swatch Eyes on Manufacturing EV Batteries
According to Reuters, the world’s biggest watchmaker Swatch plans to launch an EV battery and make $10-15 billion sales by 2020. The sales target is greater than the watch sales of $8.36 billion in 2015.
Swatch is developing the battery at Belenos Clean Power, a joint venture with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Swatch Renata battery unit is working on prototypes near Basel. The battery technology was reported to be based on a vanadium oxide cathode and a new electrolyte system.