Where's Wally? - Looking for EV's in The Netherlands

Nissan Leaf Charging

In the Netherlands the title of this post lost a bit of sense, because i didn't had to look for them, as they were about everywhere, especially white Opel Ampera's, but also Plug in Prius (PiP) and some Leaf's and Mitsubishi i-Miev's.

Opel Ampera - A company favorite due to tax benefits and sweet deals made by Opel, they are now part of the auto landscape, being driven by young executives of both genders and wanting to show their green credentials.

Toyota Prius Plug in -  Also fairly common here, the first posterchild of greeness is also favored by companies interested in tax rebates. It is said that many of these plug-ins are used purely as hybrids because their drivers have fuel payed by their companies, so they don't bother on plugging them...

Fisker Karma -  I only saw one example of this handsome beast, a grey one parked in downtown Rotterdam, at the time i remembered Fisker's sales success in the Netherlands and the taste that dutch drivers have for stylish cars, realizing then: "Tesla will be sooo welcome here!..." 

Mitsubishi I-Miev family and Nissan Leaf - Limited to urban areas, they are still a rare sight and fail to ignite interest from company and private buyers alike.

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The Fisker Karma test drive

Fisker calls the Karma the "first true electric luxury vehicle" - actually it is a hybrid and costs more than $100,000.

Watch Dan Neil Test Drive the 2012 Karma.

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Fisker unveils the Surf

Fisker Automotive recently unveiled the "Surf" at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car is styled by former Aston Martin and BMW chief designer Henrik Fisker.

The car is a finished production model rather than a concept car and it's also Fisker's second model to go on sale. The company's first car, the Karma, which was launched earlier this year has generated more than 4,000 orders.

Fisker Automotive has been producing electric vehicles with extended range since 2007. BMW has signed an agreement with the company whereby the German car company will supply Fisker with engines and other components for future Fisker models.

Fisker was formed in 2007 and has raised 1.5 billion dollars worth of investment, with 1500 people employed worldwide.

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