A Breakdown of OEM All-electric Vehicles (BEV's) Part 3

Here is the final installment of the assessment of all-electric vehicles which will be in showrooms at some point in the future. This is the exciting edition of the series thus far, as there are many models and concepts that the OEM's are promising. The list is not intended to be exhaustive but will attempt to touch upon all the cars that have been promised and are on their way to the consumer. The next edition of this series will examine the plug-in hybrids (PHEV's) that are in the works.

Dodge Circuit EV

The Dodge EV promises to be an exciting vehicle, propelling its occupants from zero to sixty in less than 5 seconds. Not only will it perform, but it appears ready to bolt off the line even when parked. Here are some specifics from the website:

• Instant high torque with a 200 kW (268 hp) electric-drive motor
• 0–60 mph in less than five seconds
• Quarter-mile in 13 seconds
• Top speed of more than 120 mph
• Continuous driving range of 150 to 200 miles – more than triple the average daily commute of most consumers

No word yet as to pricing and availability although it could hit showrooms in 2010.

Aptera Motors 2e

The Aptera 2e is an exciting vehicle that will be offered in an all-electric configuration and is still on track to hit showrooms this year. The design is a radical departure from the major auto manufacturer's square and boxy shape. The Aptera is shaped like an elongated egg and is designed for a low coefficient of drag (reportedly at 0.15 which is crazy low). It is a three-wheeled design and registered as a motorcycle, which allows it to elude much of the stringent car safety requirements.

The lithium ion battery pack will store up to 13 kWh's of juice and give the Aptera a range of roughly 100 miles, which is quite adequate for an EV. Early reports have the vehicle priced at roughly $35,000 and this car is eligible for the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, which puts its MSRP in a more obtainable range. Aptera will also offer a plug-in hybrid model which we will discuss next time.

Mitsubishi iMiev

The Misubishi iMiev is an all-electric vehicle based on the i-car line. In case you are wondering, MiEV is an acronym for Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle. Mitsubishi is currently working on a new generation of batteries they have developed in conjunction with GS Yuasa which allow speeds up to 112 miles per hour, and a range of 124 miles. The iMiEV has 3 motors, one in-wheel motor that drives each of the front wheels, and one motor for the rear wheels. Finally, Mitsubishi has announced that it expects the iMiEV to be available commercially for around $17,000. This low price would seem to reflect the fact that the batteries are made in-house. Look for this car to be available in 2010, although we hope it will be late 2009.

Nissan EV

Tennessee will be the lucky State in our Union that gets the Nissan EV first. Their all-electric vehicle will be available next fall and it will have 100 miles of pure EV range. The car will seat five and be in the size range of a Sentra or Versa and will utilize a lithium ion battery pack. Nissan is very confident in this vehicle and claims to be ready for mass production and mass sales. Let's hope they are serious about the mass sales portion as this is the drawback for most of these upcoming electric cars. Many auto makers are just planning on dipping their toe in the water and only producing a very limited number of units in the beginning. The Nissan EV will also be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax rebate and maybe some local or state sales tax rebates as well.

Tesla Model S

It wasn't long after Tesla announced their Roadster that they also announced a four door family sedan, code named "Whitestar". The start up company wanted to have a more useful vehicle in its lineup and chose a family type sedan that would appeal to a broader market. The model S will come in two flavors, a base package that will have a 150 mile range and a premium with a 300 mile range.

The smaller range model will have an MSRP of $57,500 and the extended range unit will sell for $65,000. Serious money for these vehicles albeit only a fraction of the Roadster's cost. These high dollar prices will severely limit the market for would-be buyers, especially in these tough economic times, but there is some more good news. Tesla eventually will offer a model code named "Bluestar" that will be a family sedan in the $20 to $30 thousand range. Factor in the $7,500 federal tax credit and you have a vehicle for the masses.

Zap Alias

Here is a really fun looking car that will be offered by an established EV company. In my prior post, I mentioned the Zap Xebra lineup of lower speed vehicles, but this model can be driven on the freeway. It is a serious electric car with three wheels, meaning that it would be registered as a motorcycle. Here are some of the performance specifications:

• 0 – 60 mph : 7.8 seconds
• Max Speed: 105 mph
• Range: 100+ miles

The Alias is powered by a high efficiency AC induction motor that operates at 216 volts and the battery pack is recharged from any standard 110 volt outlet. Zap World is advertising a list price of $35,000 and is taking reservations of $1,000 for future purchases.

Toyota FT-EV

Toyota Motor Company is also jumping on the all-electric bandwagon and has recently announced its FT-EV model. The car is based on the iQ with a range of 50 miles and utilizing lithium ion batteries, which reduce the seating capacity by one and a half. This car would be marketed towards urban dwellers with a shorter commute distance and would not be geared towards highway driving. Toyota has stated it wants this car to be in production by 2012, which is quite a ways off considering the iQ platform already exists.




Miles XS 500

Like Zap, the Miles company currently makes NEV's but has plans to enter the all-electric freeway capable market. Of all the new vehicles on the list, this particular car has the most promise.

The MILES XS500 is an all electric, zero emissions, four-door, highway speed sedan. It will travel 80+ mph for 120+ miles on a single charge. Pininfarina styling and interior design along with sophisticated electronics systems and an advanced airbag system make the XS500 a desirable consumer and fleet car. The XS500 will offer a wide range of options including Bluetooth capability, air conditioning, power seats, power windows, a sunroof and an AM/FM CD stereo system. The car will utilize a 320 volt, 25 kWh lithium ion battery pack rated to last 125,000 to 150,000 miles.

Here is the best part; The projected U.S. retail price for the XS500 is between $30,000 and $35,000. When you factor in the $7,500 federal tax rebate and local and state tax incentives, you could pick up this beauty for less that $22,000 out the door! It is still on schedule to be available for purchas this year. Very exciting.

Obvio 828E

This EV was supposed to have been here in late 2008, but it obvio-usly didn't make it. Pardon the pun. It is a really radical and cool looking car that shares its frame with the Obvio 828, which is an internal combustion variant.

Here are some quick specs:

Range 200 – 240 miles
Acceleration 0 to 60 <>
Targeted price for this car is $49,000 which puts it out of reach for most. The car promises to be extremely high on the fun factor though.

Phoenix Motorcars SUT and SUV

Here is another all-electric vehicle that was supposed to be available for purchase by now. Phoenix decided to go after the SUV crowd in light of their enormous popularity but this past summer's sky high gas prices have tempered that craze.

The SUT, which stands for Sport Utility Truck, utilizes a 35 kWh lithium titantate battery pack that will propel the vehicle up to 95 mph and provides a range of more than 100 miles. The on board charger will revive the pack in 5 to 6 hours and a super duty off-board high-power charger can do the same in under 10 minutes. This is one of the keys to a truly successful all-electric vehicle, the ability to quick charge. Phoenix is taking reservations for purchasing their truck, but no date is set for its debut to the public.

Think City

This diminuitive EV is being sold currently in Norway and is slowly being rolled out in other parts of Europe. The latest reports are that the car will be made available in the US sometime this year, but there are no specifics.

The Think City currently utilizes three different battery configurations, including a 28 kWh Zebra sodium iteration. It will also use A123 lithium ion batteries as an option. Top speed for the Think City is 62 mph and its range is roughly 112 miles. While the car is technically freeway capable, it would be best to keep it on roads with posted speed limits of 55 mph or less. The all-electric range is more than adequate and it is estimated to have an MSRP of $35,000 which will be offset by the $7,500 federal tax rebate.

Well, there you have it. While this is not an exhaustive list, it covers nearly all of the EV's that will definitely make it to market soon. The good news is that we will have lots of choices, which fosters competition and lower prices.

Next time we will begin looking at the plug-in hybrid vehicles that are coming soon.