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Health & Fitness

4 Reasons Your Next Vehicle Will Be Solar Powered

It may sound far-fetched but there is a good chance the next vehicle you purchase will be powered by solar energy. Plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles are more affordable than you think. And as demand  is increasing with each new sale, auto manufacturers are taking note and incorporating plug-in capabilities into new vehicle models.

Below is a list of 4 main reasons we at Solar Energy USA think your next vehicle purchase will be a plug-in, solar powered car:

1. Availability. Virtually every auto maker is unveiling a plug-in model. Last month some Mercedes beta tested stopped by our free public charging station with their plug-in crossover model. BMW is introducing the i3 all-electric followed by the i3 plug-in hybrid. And don’t think that plug-in car development is limited to just the premium automakers – the Fiat 500E EV is already available and Toyota has seen record breaking sales on their line of Prius hybrids including increasing sales of theplug-in Prius model.

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2. Competition. Likewise, as these auto makers vie for plug-in market share, competition will decrease prices and make it more and more affordable to own a plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicle. Prices are already dropping, in fact.  Battles are brewing between Nissan (Leaf) and Chevrolet (Volt), and the winner at the end of the day is the consumer. Currently, the 2013 Nissan Leaf (MSRP $28,800 dollars) is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and another $5,000 dollars back from a GA state tax credit.That means the net cost has now dropped to $16,300 for a brand new plug-in all-electric vehicle!

3. Innovation. Advancements in battery technology and recharging capabilities will drive adoption. Since the beginning of 2013 we have not only seen fast-charging stations that rapidly refill a battery (see the solar powered fast chargers Tesla Motors is installing across the nation), but also wireless recharging capabilities (Plugless Power story here), and battery swap techniques (again, thank you Tesla Motors).

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