Coda electric car for US in 2010: Photos
I was quite surprised that I have never heard about this electric car that is planned for a United States entry in 2010. A lot of things miss me these days – my age must be getting to me.
Coda electric car for US in 2010: Photo
Anyway, the car looks interesting enough. A pure electric car is always a dangerous play – unlike a hybrid, or even the kind of range-extender equipped electric like the Chevrolet Volt, a pure electric car has some limitations which are tough to overcome. Let’s take a look at how Coda is going about this here.
Photo: Coda electric car
Coda Automotive is based in California – and recently it raised $ 24 million in second round funding. That’s nice to hear – it means that the ones with the money have confidence in the car company. Henry M Paulson, ex-treasury secretary has been inducted into the advisory board of Coda Automotive. Another good sign to see men who manage big money part of the company.
Coda electric car rear 3 quarters photo
It is believed that the Coda electric car will hit US streets before Tesla’s Model S electric sedan or the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt.
Colorado-based UQM will supply electric motors for the Coda sedan. The lithium ion battery pack (the Tesla Roadster and Model S have lithium ion battery packs too) can be charged in 12 hours using the standard 110 Volt electric power, or in 6 hours using 220 Volt power. Coda electric car would use a UQM PowerPhase 100 motor, capable of producing 134 bhp, or 100 KW.
The Coda is expected to hit the roads in 2010 at a price of $ 45,000. That would seem high, but there is a federal incentive of $ 10,000 which would bring the price down to $ 35,000. Not bad, at that price point, I think.
Coda electric car for US: Range
So now we come to the million dollar question. What is the range offered by the Coda electric car?
Coda Automotive says that the range would be 90 to 120 miles. Like other electric cars, that would easily take care of commuting to work or city runabout duties.
Like all other electric cars, you would face a problem, though, if you want to take the car out on the freeway. You won’t be able to get much far. The long charging time of 6 hours would also mean that you won’t be able to nip into a restaurant for a quick bite plugging your car into a power outlet, and be ready to go again when you get out of there. Truth is, neither the Coda electric sedan nor any other electric car would allow you to do that.
Looks and design
Sedate. That’s the Coda electric car’s design in a word. Too subdued. I suppose by the time the car is ready to be launched, they might change the grille or something and make it look a little less, ah, sleepy. You can see its sleepy face from the photos on this story. Just looking at them makes me sleepy.
An electric car from China?
Yes, that is what the Coda electric car really is. The chassis is from China’s government owned car maker Hafei. Don’t bolt, guys. Coda went for this chassis because it meets all required safety standards in US, and it was a relatively easy matter of stripping out the gasoline engine and related parts, and plonking in a battery pack and electric motor. Easy way to save costs, eh? Before you gripe, remember that Tesla did pretty much the same thing for the Roadster when it went for the Lotus Elise package for its electric sportscar.
Is it worth it at the price?
I personally think NO. But I personally believe electric cars don’t make financial sense at this point. None of the electric cars planned by anyone for US are full-fledged cars in the traditional sense. They are essentially city runabouts, or useful for a carefully planned trip to somewhere not too far away. Even considering that electricity costs much less than gas, in my mind, they should be priced LESS than your average Honda Civic, and then they would make sense. At the prices they are planned, I don’t think neither the Coda or any other car makes sense at all. Mind you, I absolutely love the idea of electric cars. It is the value-for-money equation that I have a problem with. Now, if saving the environment was my first priority, and saving my bank account comes second, I would plump for all these electric cars right now. Coda, Tesla Roadster, Aptera – bring them on!
Jeremy said on Saturday, September 19, 2009, 0:32
I really have to disagree with you about the question of the range and useability of this car. Almost all of my driving consists of trips of less than 100 miles. I visit my girlfriend who lives 70 miles away on a regular basis, and always stay at least 6 hours, which would give me a full charge for the return trip. Heck, most people I know consider this to be a long drive…
It would be a pretty rare day when I drive more than 100 miles in once day within the city I live in. As for longer trips, such as going from Northern Washington to Portland, Oregon, for instance, well, there are trains, planes, busses, or rental cars for the couple of longer trips that I do per year. If the CODA does well in crash tests, I can’t see why it wouldn’t be a great car. Goodybye to my $50.00 tanks of gas, no more oil changes and muffler jobs… As for all the objections to it being a Chinese built car, all of the nay-sayers should have a look on the back of their dishes, inside their cell phones, at their TV’s and remotes, and 90% of the other consumer items they’ve purchased in the last couple of years. Betcha it was mostly made there, too.
jean michel urbani said on Friday, October 9, 2009, 19:40
the only mean of judging electric vehicles is to drive them and to learn to use them .
I use in your american vectrix in france day after day for my commutes
it is an expensive vehicle compared to the petrol ones, but god I wouls never ever ever turn back to a petrol vehicle .
don’t know how to explain this, a question of feeling, a deep feeling about shameless and inexpensive transportation system .
Electric vehicles are magic, try one everyday during a year and you will be able to make a descent judgement .
financially they don”t cost more given the price of electricity and the total absence of service .
the battery life is somewhere limited and but a nominal 3000 thousand full charges turns to 10.000 charges if you charge a soon as possible and a battery is something one have to master just as we learnt to handle internal combustion engines .
the simple fact of never having to stop at a gas station is something that seems stupid but you gets use of it and see people at the gas station as aliens .
here in france we are about to get small 150 km range 110 km/h max speed lithium cars for 12.000 euros and it will be absolutely economically unbeatable .
but they will be tube frames plastic bodied cars, very light cars , a nearly eternal no service mean of
city transportation mean .
Ok one will never go on holidays with such a car, and so forth ? when I need to drive 500 km in one day a rent a 60 euro compact car i do what I do and that’s it .
just give them a try on a long term basis and come back with other reason not to buy an electric vehicle .
regards
jean michel
Cannes France