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In Jamaica, it's not easy to sell or buy hybrid cars

Jamaica's mellow reputation and Rasta vibe contributes to an international reputation of an island nation that moves at a leisurely pace. And the term "leisurely" certainly applies to the rate of sales of hybrids there. And we thought Mitsubishi i sales in the US have been slow. The country's Toyota dealership is still in the process of explaining hybrid technology to many of its prospective customers, with the widespread perception remains that a standard Toyota Prius needs to be plugged in for electrical charging, the Jamaica Gleaner reports. Because of such slow exposure, Toyota has only sold about 10 hybrids in Jamaica since the Japanese automaker started selling them there in 2010. And we thought Mitsubishi i sales in the US have been slow. Toyota dealers in Jamaica continue to tout hybrid technology that can boost fuel economy by about 30 percent but are going up against the fact that Toyota's hybrids now need to be pre-ordered and aren't kept in stock because of sluggish demand. There's also the fact that Toyota's Japanese operations insist on an approval process that ensures the hybrids sent there can handle Jamaica's road conditions, and it typically takes three to four months for a Prius to get to Jamaica once ordered. Island locales provide a curious dichotomy for advanced-powertrain vehicles. On one hand, the driving distances tend to be relatively small, lengthening the amount of time it takes to pay back the original cost premium. On the flip side, importing fuel to islands makes gas prices skyrocket and can prove costly for the economy in island nations. Late last year, for instance, the government of another Caribbean nation, Barbados, estimated it spends about $250 million a year on gas used for personal vehicles. That's why the government there is pushing for more electric-vehicle adoption, though the number of EVs on the island was in the low double-digits as of mid-2013.

Is 120 miles just about perfect for EV range?

When it comes to battery-electric vehicles, our friend Brad Berman over at Plug In Cars says 40 miles makes all the difference in the world. That's the approximate difference in single-charge range between the battery-electric version of the Toyota RAV4 and the Nissan Leaf. It's also the difference between the appearance or disappearance of range anxiety. The 50-percent battery increase has zapped any lingering range anxiety, Berman writes. The RAV4 EV possesses a 40-kilowatt-hour pack, compared to the 24-kWh pack in the Leaf. After factoring in differences in size, weight and other issues, that means the compact SUV gets about 120 miles on a single charge in realistic driving conditions, compared to about 80 miles in the Leaf. "The 50 percent increase in battery size from Leaf to RAV has zapped any lingering range anxiety," Berman writes. His observations further feed the notion that drivers need substantial backup juice in order to feel comfortable driving EVs. Late last year, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), along with the Consumers Union estimated that about 42 percent of US households could drive plug-in vehicles with "little or no change" in their driving habits, and that almost 70 percent of US commuters drive fewer than 60 miles per weekday. That would imply that a substantial swath of the country should be comfortable using a car like the Leaf as their daily driver - with first-quarter Leaf sales jumping 46 percent from a year before, more Americans certainly are. Still, the implication here is that EV sales will continue to be on the margins until an automaker steps up battery capabilities to 120 or so miles while keeping the price in the $30,000 range. Think that's a reasonable goal to shoot for?

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota to go electric with Aygo? Renault Zoe bests BEVs in e-Rallye Monte-Carlo

Toyota could sell the Aygo hatchback as an EV. Toyota Europe CEO Johan van Zyl says that the A-segment city car could be a candidate for all-electric power. "We see a stronger growth of that type of thinking in cities where they're saying, 'We'd rather have emissions-free vehicles so it should be a plug-in or a pure-electric vehicle,'" he says. As the Aygo is produced alongside and shares most components with the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1, it's possible those cars could see a plug-in version in the future as well. Read more at Hybrid Cars. The Renault Zoe took first and second place in the battery electric category of the 2016 e-Rallye Monte-Carlo. Defending Renault's title for a third year, two of the updated Zoes with improved range topped the category, taking second and third place overall. A hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai bested the Renaults by taking first place overall. 34 crews entered the competition, which took them from Fontainebleau, France to Monaco over four days. Read more from Renault. Teslarati talks to Youseph Tanha (AKA Yoshi) about his Tesla Transformer comic art project. Tanha, who cohosts the TransMissions podcast, commissioned artist Brendan Cahill to sketch a comic book cover featuring the Tesla Model X as a Transformer. The result is the Voltic (a name borrowed from Grand Theft Auto 5), an impressively reimagined Tesla Transformer that launches missiles from its falcon wing doors. While it doesn't necessarily fit into IDW's Transformers storyline, the commissioned piece does capture the imagination of comic fans and Tesla enthusiasts alike. Read more at Teslarati. Singapore is launching an EV carsharing program. The nation's Economic Development Board and Land Transport Authority have commissioned Bollore Group's BlueSG to operate the fleet of 1,000 EVs and 2,000 charging points by 2020, with 125 cars and 250 charging points available by the middle of next year. The program – sort of similar to the BlueIndy program in Indianapolis – is part of an effort to reduce pollution. "The future of transport in Singapore will look very different from today," says Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Khaw Boon Wan. "Most people will not see the need to own a car." Read more at Wards Auto.