In the electric car category, which includes all-electrics and plug-in hybrids, the Volt led with a residual value of 30 percent.
But in vehicles that run for long periods on electricity only, like plug-in hybrids and all-electrics, engineers need to fully charge batteries to maximize driving range, the drawback to electric vehicles.
Into this field of all-electrics and semi-electrics comes the entry from Smart, which I tested for a week.
We think we've gotten hybrids to the sweet spot where they make sense for more customers, but all-electrics will take longer, and it's clearly tied to the cost of the batteries".
Green cars, especially all-electrics, do have at least one distinct advantage, however.
Generating its own electricity could help Hertz weather the transition of its fleets from gasoline models to hybrid plug-in and all-electrics.
Inside, it's surprisingly quiet, thanks in part to the fact that the motorcycles Alta makes are all-electrics, and final assembly of these bikes is ultimately done by hand.
The BYD Qin plug-in hybrid, introduced in December 2013, ranked as the top selling plug-in electric car in China in 2014, with 14,747 units sold, followed by the all-electrics Zotye Zhidou E20, with 7,341 units, and BAIC E150 EV, with 5,234.
"When I went down into the basement there was thick smoke and all the electrics were on fire.
When global sales are broken down by type of powertrain, all-electric cars have oversold plug-in hybrids, with the pure electrics capturing 59% of global sales.
To get there, I predict we will see increased engine efficiency and advances in plug-in hybrid electrics before we reach an effective and well-priced all-electric car.
