All-Electric v. Hybrids

While my wife drives a Prius, I'm still driving a 1994 beater (18 mpg city, 28 highway) as I await a plug-in hybrid. I do most of my driving within 25 miles of home. I would like to buy a car that I can use as an all-electric vehicle for those trips. But it should also have the capacity to shift over to a gasoline or alternative liquid fuel option on those rare occasions when I venture farther from home. And I would like to ride in a car of at least moderate size and comfort for either of those trips.

Yesterday, Nissan announced that it would introduce an all-electric vehicle by 2010. Its chairman, Carlos Ghosn, told reporters that "“I want a pure electric car. I don’t want a range extender. I don’t want another hybrid.” Top range? 100 miles. I can see it now: an enclosed golf cart. He just lost my business.

I sometimes think auto executives are the stupidest people in business. How can men arrive at the top of these large organizations without a clue about what their customers want or need?