Interesting article. A mate who is a bit of a boffin was at Toyota's launch for the Camry Hybrid and on Toyota's reckoning, even using the worst energy in Victoria, electric cars are ahead using well to wheel calculations. The CSIRO have calculated the same and come up with a similar conclusion. What I suspect is that the energy provider making such claims who doesn't divulge what the basis is for their claims and puts them out on prime time "News" (and I use the term lightly) is probably more interested in selling their green energy packages to people charging their cars so they can fell good about it all. Maybe not such a bad thing. Why else would they even bother to weigh into the argument? By putting it on the news they don't have to pay for advertising. Of course this is all conjecture.

So why would I put Toyota's and the CSIRO's claims before these? Toyota don't have an axe to grind. Further, they were arguing that once battery technology moves forward a bit they see electric taking over in inner city and they are working madly towards this. Bottom line is for us mere mortals there is so much bullshit out there that is self interest dressed up as news that we have little hope of working it all out. So what happens is that we have an opinion and in this case if its against electric cars then you'll go out and grab what ever info you need to support your opinion and the stuff that doesn't you'll discount as coming from unreliable or stupid or whaterver sources.

That's why I say better to take these things at face value. The young bloke driving the Volt is saving money, enjoying driving it, along with the notoriety and is probably a convert if not for the high cost of entry.

So are you gunna try and tell him his an idiot and can't be saving money and shouldn't be enjoying it? If its not for you then leave it alone and move on.