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| Coda Electric Sedan Priced At $44,900 Posted: 21 Sep 2010 01:59 PM PDT
It has taken the major automakers around the world decades to catch on with electric vehicles. Where we should already all be driving electric cars, major electric vehicles will only start hitting the market in the next few months. Much attention has been paid to the Volt and Nissan LEAF, but there lots of other start-ups and contenders out there. One of the most promising is Coda, based out of Santa Monica, California. They have just put a price on their electric sedan of $44,900, in the same ball park as the Chevy Volt. Is this the EV “sweet zone”?
Coda seems to be promising 90-120 miles of travel consistently. When you do need to charge, it will take 6 hours from a 240 volt connection, though 40 miles of range can be restored in just 2 hours on a fast-charging system. The Coda has a 6.6 kilowatt on-board charger, compared to the Leaf’s 3.3 kw charger. The Coda also claims to have a 42% larger batter, thus more range. Interesting is the strategy I would use to describe how Coda plans to market the car. They are accepting deposits of $499 starting today, and it will take anywhere from 45 to 60 days to receive your car. There also won’t be any dealerships, as car shopping will be done online via Coda’s website, Coda Automotive. Electric cars require very little upkeep, though Coda has announced it has signed with a large department store chain that has its own auto-service department to become a de facto service department for the EV. The Coda initially goes on sale in California, though if it proves sucessful, it will surely spread to other states. So, what say ye? Yay or Nay for the Coda sedan? Is $44,900 too much for an electric sedan, or do you expect all electric cars to be priced here? Source: Green Car Advisor | Image: Coda |
| Saab EV Coming to Paris Auto Show Posted: 21 Sep 2010 11:13 AM PDT
My first car ever was a Mercury Villager minivan. That lasted me about three months before it joined my ever-growing collection of “former cars.” After a summer of cleaning toilets as a janitor, my parents took me car shopping with a wad of cash in my pocket, and high hopes. My hopes were quickly dashed though, as I was told in no uncertain terms that I would not be buying a Mustang. Instead, I settled on a turbocharged Saab… which was probably faster than the Mustang I originally wanted. I love Saab, and I’m happy they survived the Great Recession. Now it looks like the geeky Swedish brand is coming back in a big way, preparing to unveil an electric vehicle at the Paris Auto Show. I was lucky enough to own a Saab 900 turbo, though I’ve always had a soft spot for the Saab wagons. Something about a turbocharged wagon really gets me revved up. The Saab electric vehicle, called the 9-3 ePower Sedan, will be based on their SportCombi wagon, and has a proposed range of 120 miles on a single charge. Not ground breaking, but enough for most people to get to work and back in a day. Saabs are known for their sportiness, and the 184 horsepower electric motor should provide decent enough “oomph” to put a smile on my face, as well as get the wagon from 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds. Again, not a blistering pace, but not slow either. Saab says it will test a fleet of 70 ePower sedans in Sweden, which should certainly help with cold weather testing. Is it a viable vehicle though? Spyker, who now owns Saab, seems to think so, and they aim to pump Saab production back up to 125,000 units annually. I like Saab, and I am hoping they can make a big comeback with an electric tint a few years down the road. Source: Green Car Advisor | Image: Saab |
The $44,900 price tag is before the Federal tax credit of $7,500, which would bring the cost of the Coda down to around $37,400. Not exactly chump change, but it isn’t the Tesla Roadster either. In addition, Coda only plans on selling the sedan in California initially, which provides an addition state rebate of $5,000 for an electric car purchase. For your hard earned money, Coda promises a “real” 90-120 mile range. The press release aims squarely at the LEAF, which uses ambient air cooling for its batteries, whereas Coda uses an active thermal management system (the same air conditioning/heating system as is used in the cab) to manage its batteries. As batteries are affected by how you drive, as well as by the temperature, the Nissan LEAF’s range could vary drastically by time of year and climate.
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