Concerns about climate change are slowly reshaping American attitudes towards transportation -- the number of folks who are considering the environmental impact of their driving is growing faster than Al Gore's waistline. In response, several independent auto companies are vying to build an all electric or plug-in hybrid car that functions like a gas vehicle at a competitive price. But could someone without the resources of a Toyota or GM actually pull it off?
Malcolm Bricklin -- he of Subaru and Yugo fame -- says he can, and is working with a Chinese company to build a luxury plug-in hybrid. China, with it's low-cost labor and manufacturing capacity -- looks like the only place where vehicles could be built in volume and stay price competitive (like under $20K) with American vehicles.
Others competing in this space include Phoenix Motorcars, several plug-in hybrid groups, a Google spin-off, Tesla Motors, ZAP, and an open source group called the Society for Sustainable Mobility. Ford, GM and others are promising plug-in hybrids within the next 3-4 years, but if these vehicles ever make it to market at a price close to a standard SUV is far from certain. A successful launch from an independent company would be strong motivation to get Big Auto into the picture.
So who do you believe will be first to market with a commercial EV or plug-in, a startup or one of the big auto companies?
