A Breakdown of OEM All-Electric Vehicles (BEV's) Part 2

The last post looked at EV's that had been produced in the past by auto manufacturer's and many of you may have been surprised by the selection. Today, we will examine the current offerings and you will immediately notice there is virtually no selection and really nothing that the common person can use on a daily basis. In other words, there is nothing like the trucks and cars and vans and SUV's that we saw in the last post.

The obvious question is why, or what happened? The answer is as convoluted and obfuscated as the current US tax code. Oil companies and automobile manufacturers have resisted alternate energy vehicles for decades and indeed, have done everything in their power to keep us hooked on petroleum and used to the freedom that a multi-car garage gives.

In the late 90's, California issued a mandate that required any automaker doing business in their state to offer zero emissions vehicles for sale or else they would not be allowed to market their wares. In response, we saw all the vehicles listed in the previous post, but when the mandate was rescinded, all the vehicles went away. One of the reasons the mandate went away is because the auto manufacturers promised fuel cell vehicles would be the norm by now (meaning 2009). Obviously, this never happened and never will happen due to their cost and lack of a Hydrogen infrastructure.

So with that in mind, let's see what we can buy today:

The Myers Motor's NMG

This car began its life as the Corbin Sparrow and then the troubled company was purchased by Dana Myers, moved to Tallmadge, Ohio and renamed the NMG, which stands for no more gas. The NMG is a single seat, all electric vehicle capable of speeds up to 75 mph and a range of 30 miles. The vehicle has three wheels and is registered as a motorcycle. This particular EV is very specific and limited in its functionality, intended to be a personal work commuter and in that role, it is extremely successful. Plan on spending $30 K for a new model.


The ZENN (Zero Emissions, No Noise)

Here we begin a series of Neighberhood Electric Vehicles designed to be "run around" vehicles that are used in gated communities and campgrounds. They have recently been prettied up and can now be driven up to 35 mph in some states and driven on streets with speed limits up to 45 mph. However, most states have a limit of 25 mph for these vehicles and limit them to streets with posted 35 mph limits.

ZENN Motor Company, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada bulds a very nice looking NEV with accoutermnets that today's drivers are accustomed. Power windows, locks, air conditioning, remote keyless entry are the standard for their vehicles. The car is a three door hatchback with much more room than the NMG and is quite comfortable for around town driving. Unfortunately, this is all you can do, drive around town. Driving on 35 mph city streets at a max speed of 25 mpg can also be quite stressful. Try it someday and see what happens. Nevertheless, if the majority of your driving is done in town and your state will let you drive these vehicles at 35 mph, the ZENN may be for you. A software hack allows the ZENN to be driven at speeds greater than 25 mph.

Zap Motor Company

Another all-electric vehicle maker, ZAP has been producing cars for a few years now and specialize in a sedan and pickup truck, named the Xebra. The Xebra Sedan is a three-wheeled, four door model capable of speeds up to 40 mph with a range of approximately 25 miles. Since Zap decided upon the three-wheel design, the car can be registered as a motorcycle and is not limited by the NEV regulations. Unlike the NMG, ZAP utilizes two rear wheels instead of one. Having the two rear wheels also allows for the pickup truck configuration. Once again, you can go green with these vehicles but just don't plan on going far or fast.

Miles Electric Vehicles

Another manufacturer specializing in all-electric NEV's is the Miles Motor company. Their ZX40 series of vehicles are designed with a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 40 to 50 miles. Like the ZENN, its top speed can be modified to 35 or 40 mph, although the driver needs to be cognizant of their State's regulations concerning top speeds for these types of vehicles. The ZX40 series has four wheels and and four doors and is intended to cart the entire family around town. Miles, like most of the others in this list, utilizes Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) lead acid batteries to provide the current for the motor. These batteries are ultra low maintenance and relatively easy to manage when charging.

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM)

Probably the most popular NEV to date, GEM has been cranking out their golf-cart-like vehicles en masse for quite some time. The vehicles are the quintessential gated community vehicle of choice and are built almost exactly like golf carts. They come in many flavors, including two, four and six passenger models. Some even come with an egg shaped roof and side curtains for the adverse weather. The GEM vehicles are ideal for campus transportation and moving VIP's from one building to another. As a commuter vehicle, this electric car does not make much sense.

The Tesla Roadster

Ahh, here is where we get to the fun in today's list. Tesla Motor Cars set out to prove what was possible and show what was missing from the major auto makers, namely a fun, sporty and powerful all-electric vehicle. In case you didn't notice, all the vehicles listed above are small, quirky and with the exception of the NMG, slow. The Tesla Roadster is fast, as in 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds fast and is styled like a real sports car. The Roadster has a range of nearly 250 miles and a wow factor that is off the scale. With the help of Lotus engineers, the car resembles the Elise model and subsequently exudes its sexiness. There are two drawbacks to this vehicle, its $109,000 MSRP and its capacity for two people and little else. Tesla has already announced a four door sedan that will be coming soon, though and offered at an MSRP between $50 and $60 thousand.

Final thoughts:

I have not compiled an exhaustive list of electric vehicles as there are other NEV's like the American Kurrent and the Think Neighbor. I have also omitted the two wheeled variants of electric vehicles like the excellent Vectric scooter and Xtreme lithium ion scooters now available. The purpose of this list was to show the dearth of OEM all-electric vehicles that can be purchased in the automaker showrooms today. Not one major automaker has an EV for sale. This is truly tragic in light of what we had in the past. All is not lost however, as we will have a look at the future of the electric vehicle in the next post.