Read the following words about E-cars and answer the questions,1) What factors in the marketing environment present opportunities or threats to automakers? If you thought that getting 50 miles per gallon driving a Toyota Prius hybrid was
good, how about 230 miles per gallon? Or 367 mpg? Well, you are about to see a
new breed of automobiles from big and small automakers touting this level of
performance. Look for GM’s Volt and Nissan’s Leaf, but there will also be
offerings from unknown startups such as V-Vehicle, a California-based electric car
company backed by billionaire T. Boone Pickens. These automobiles range from
hybrids—a combination of gas and electric—to all-electric vehicles. This level of
performance comes at a high price, however. Although consumers will receive an
expected $7,500 tax credit for purchasing one of these cars, the Volt’s expected
$40,000 price tag will still cause sticker shock. Also, the lack of public recharging
stations poses a significant challenge, especially for all-electric vehicles such as
the Leaf, which needs recharging approximately every 100 miles. And some might
question the efficiency claims, especially since the Environmental Protection
Agency is still finalizing the methodology that factors in electricity used when
making miles-per-gallon equivalency claims.
