Photos: Rev Up Your Motors, Electric Cars Zip Into View

Nissan Turns a New Leaf

Photograph by Tomohiro Ohsumi, Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Leaf sedan is a car that Bell believes will make an impression when it rolls out in select U.S. markets next month. “You’ll remember the first time you saw one silently glide by,” he said.

Compared to the Volt, with its gas-powered range-extender, the all-electric Leaf is “a better city machine,” said Bell. The Nissan Leaf seats five, has a seven-inch navigation display, a top speed of 90 mph, and according to Nissan it can travel up to 100 miles on a full charge when used for city-style stop-and-go driving. At a standard 110-volt outlet, the car is expected to recharge in about 20 hours. At a 220-volt charge point, it would take about eight hours, according to Nissan.

Starting at $32,780, the Leaf is poised to be among the lower-priced plug-ins rolling out in the next few years. According to Kramer, it could be a “perfect second car for every family in America.”

Government incentives will help ease sticker shock for early adopters of electric cars. To address the important problem of fueling, charging infrastructure is being installed across China, Japan, Korea, the European Union, and North America. Also sweetening the appeal of electrics are the regulations in California and elsewhere in the world calling for vehicles that pollute less. Those factors, together with the prospect of rising oil prices, could propel sales of as many as 3.1 million plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles worldwide between 2010 and 2015, according to Pike Research analysts.

Some analysts warn, however, that it will be difficult to persuade large numbers of consumers to switch from conventionally powered passenger vehicles without a coordinated government policy push, a large increase in oil prices or substantial technology breakthroughs that reduce cost and charge times, and extend range. J.D. Power & Associates, for example, recently forecast that 5.2 million hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles would be sold in 2020, accounting for only 7.3 percent of passenger vehicles projected to sell globally that year. And just 1.31 million of those cars, according to the firm's projections, would be all-electric. That would amount to a very slow ramp-up over a decade from the 1 million hybrids and electrics, or 2.2 percent of passenger vehicles, that J.D. Power & Associates forecasts will be sold this year.

Automakers and electric car advocates point out that the market dynamic could change rapidly, however, as charging infrastructure proliferates, battery technology advances, and higher volume production affords economies of scale.

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Published November 10, 2010

Daimler Forwards the Smart Fortwo

Photograph by Gero Breloer, Associated Press

The electric version of Daimler’s diminutive Smart Fortwo looks on the outside just like its gas-powered predecessor—a car that Kramer described as “good for parking” and not much else, with its heavy weight, poor aerodynamics, and unimpressive fuel economy (36 mpg combined city/highway).

The plug-in version, however, has a 16.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack positioned below the driver’s seat (in a way that doesn’t affect interior space) and an estimated 82 miles of electric range. Daimler, which began on-road trials of this model in Europe in 2007 and plans to launch commercial production in the 2012 model year, says the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive will get a full charge in less than eight hours when plugged in at a 220-volt outlet. But a top speed of 62 miles per hour “keeps it off the highway,” Kramer said.

Published November 10, 2010

Toyota Prius Finally Plugs In

Photograph by Yuriko Nakao, Reuters

Converting the world's best-selling hybrid gas-electric vehicle, the Toyota Prius, into a plug-in hybrid has become a cottage industry among an avid group of enthusiasts in the decade since the pioneering alternative vehicle was launched. (One of the best-known of these projects is the RechargeIt experiment carried out by Google.)

Now Toyota is gearing up to sell its own plug-in version of the popular hybrid model in 2012, dubbed the Prius PHV. For some drivers, said Kramer, the plug-in hybrid will seem like “the Prius they should have built five years ago.” Toyota says the model will have three battery packs and a 13-mile all-electric range, and at a standard 110-volt electrical outlet it will get a full charge in about three hours (or an hour and half at a 220-volt outlet).

Once the battery charge runs out, the car runs like a regular Prius, according to the automaker, getting an estimated 50 mpg for combined city/highway driving. Toyota has yet to set the price on the Prius PHV, but expects it to start higher than the $22,800 base price for the third-generation Prius on which it’s based.

(Related: "Electric Car Explosion Coming to the U.S.")

According to Bell, the Prius PHV driving experience is “identical” to the standard hybrid. Toyota still sees the car as “a hybrid first and a plug-in second,” he said, expressing skepticism that American motorists, at least, will find find much value in switching to a plug-in without more electric range. In a city like “congested Tokyo,” however, where drivers might have shorter commutes and access to more charging stations, he said, “it might make sense to have a ten-mile electric range.”

Published November 10, 2010

Wait Likely for Electric Escape

Photograph by Dirk Lammers, Associated Press

If you’re “holding out” for a plug-in SUV with four-wheel-drive, said Kramer, “probably the first one will be the Ford Escape.” It’s the model that Ford and more than a dozen utility partners have used for over 160,000 miles of on-road tests since 2007. Prototypes employ a ten-kilowatt-hour battery pack and can typically travel about 30 miles at up to 40 mph in electric mode. At higher speeds, or when the battery charge drops below a set threshold (30 percent), the plug-in Escape switches over to run like a fuel-efficient hybrid.

It’s not clear at this point that Ford will bring the plug-in Escape to market. But with tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations in the U.S. and Europe, said Bell, automakers like Ford realize they “won’t be able to survive with a purely ICE [internal combustion engine] lineup.” From 2011 onward, “We’re now going to be able to buy our vehicle based on the kind of propulsion [the car] has,” whether that be oil-powered engine, electric motor, or a combination of both, he said. “That’s revolutionary.”

First up in Ford’s plug-in lineup are all-electric versions of the Transit Connect work van (launching this year in North America and in 2012 in Europe), and the Focus (launching in North America late next year and in Europe in 2012), which has an estimated 100-mile range. According to Ford, the Focus will take six to eight hours to charge at a 220-volt charging station or more than 12 hours at a standard 110-volt outlet. The company also plans to launch an unspecified plug-in hybrid model in North America in 2012 and in Europe in 2013.

Published November 10, 2010

Coda Follows the Electric Tune

Image courtesy Coda Automotive via PRNewsWire

The Coda Sedan, a five-seat electric vehicle set to sell for $44,900, is the flagship offering from upstart Coda Automotive in Santa Monica, California. Coda, which plans to launch the car in California in December, says its sedan will typically travel 90 to120 miles on a full charge and have a top speed of 80 mph. The company plans to offer a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on the battery.

Bell expects that Coda will “follow in the wake” of the Nissan Leaf and its well-funded marketing campaign. “If for some reason the looks of the Leaf don’t enchant you, or you’ve had an unpleasant experience with Nissan,” he said, Coda’s model could offer a “curious, attractive alternative.” Kramer is less optimistic. As a young company with a limited track record, Coda is “not proven in any way,” he said. “Why not buy a Leaf instead?”

Published November 10, 2010

Thinking Electric?

Photograph by Richard Lewis, Associated Press

Bell expects that the Think City, like the Coda Sedan, will ride the coattails of the Nissan Leaf. But this car has a longer history, tracing back to a Norwegian company briefly owned by Ford Motor Company in the 1990s.

Today Think, which went through bankruptcy last year, says more than 1,500 Think City cars are on the road in Europe and it’s working to set up distribution in Asia. Think claims the car—a two-seat hatchback with a plastic body—can travel up to 100 miles on a charge, maintaining speeds of up to 70 mph. In future model years, the company plans to offer air-conditioning and an additional row of two child seats as options in upcoming models.

After several delays, a company called Think North America (a joint venture formed in 2008 by the Norwegian parent company and U.S. venture capital firms) is now hoping to expand into the North American market with help from a federal loan program. If the loan comes through, Think plans to begin production at a plant in Elkhart, Indiana, and start selling its electric cars in the United States next year. Either way, the company expects to sell 300 Finland-made Think City vehicles in several U.S. cities before the end of 2010.

Published November 10, 2010

A Car With Karma

Photograph by Andrew Harrer, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Two words epitomize the plug-in hybrid Karma from three-year-old upstart car company Fisker Automotive: “beautiful and expensive,” said Kramer. Slated to launch in March 2011 (after several delays), this $87,900 sports car will be a natural choice for Lexus hybrid buyers looking to go electric, he said.

According to Fisker, a fully charged Karma will travel for up to 50 miles on battery power before a gas engine kicks in to run the two electric motors and enable another 250 miles of driving. The Karma is set to have a top speed of 125 mph, and charging its 20-kilowatt-hour battery pack will take six to fourteen hours, depending on the current used, according to Fisker.

Published November 10, 2010

Reva Reveals Low-Speed Model

Photograph by Namas Bhojani, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Reva, the company behind small, low-speed electric cars sold in India since 2001 and England since 2004 (under the G-Wiz brand), is a Bangalore-based electric car developer acquired by the Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group earlier this year.

The company, now called Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles, says it sells vehicles in 24 countries and aims to take its EVs to another level with the launch of two new models in 2012 and 2013. First up is the four-seat Reva NXR, followed by the two-seat Reva NXG, which is supposed to have 125 miles of range, a top speed of 80 mph, and a starting price of 23,000 euros.

Published November 10, 2010

Tesla's Family Model

Photograph by Fred Prouser, Reuters

Tesla Motors made history with the launch of its Tesla Roadster in 2008, becoming the first company to sell a highway-capable all-electric vehicle in the United States. The Model S sedan is Tesla’s long-planned (and delayed) second-generation model—a lower-priced, more family-friendly electric luxury car than the sporty $109,000 Roadster.

“The smartest thing they’ve done is making it a seven-seater,” said Kramer. That could make it “every large family’s second car.” Well, maybe every large family with $57,400 to spend and little ones who can ride comfortably in the Model S’s two rear-facing child seats. Tesla plans to offer three battery pack options with 160 miles (standard), 230 miles, or 300 miles of range. Deliveries are currently scheduled to begin in mid-2012.

Published November 10, 2010

Mitsubishi iMiEV Shifts Shape

Photograph by Toru Yamanaka, AFP/Getty Images

When the Prius first launched, its distinctive sneaker-like shape was a plus for drivers looking to wear their car as a badge of good environmental conscience. Kramer believes quirky, instantly recognizable designs will be less important for electric cars—a factor that he expects could hurt models like the all-electric, bean-shaped iMiEV from Mitsubishi. “The Leaf and the Volt are distinctive but not funny looking,” he said. “Being electric, that’s enough.”

Mitsubishi, which started selling the four-seat iMiEV in Japan in 2009, has reportedly tweaked the design for American tastes, however. A slightly wider version of the car for the U.S. market with a somewhat sportier shape is expected to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week. European and Japanese versions of the iMiEV have a 16-kilowatt-hour battery pack, and on a full charge Mitsubishi says the car delivers 80-100 miles of range (using Japan's test cycle). U.S. sales are scheduled to begin in fall 2011, with pricing expected to start around $30,000.

(Related: "Trucks Could Be Next Electric Power Frontier")

Published November 10, 2010