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Breaking News 2/29/2012 - Nissan wil start taking orders nationwide in the US on March 1, 2012
On
August 2, 2009 Nissan took the covers off the pre-production version of the
electric car, called the Leaf.
The car is a 5 door hatchback with seating
for five and while looking a little like the Versa at the rear is longer and
more aerodynamic.
The Nissan Leaf's 80KW motor is powered by a 24KwHr Lithium battery pack that offers a range of about 80 miles (160 Kilometers) and a top speed of around 90mph (145kph).
The car comes standard with a charge cable that can plug into a regular 110V connection but charging at 110V will take about 20 hours. An optional Aerovironment 220V charger can also be purchased that will allow the car to be fully charged in about 8 hours from a 220V plug. Another purchasable option is a DC charging port for a fast charger connection which will allow the car to charge to 80% in about 30 minutes.
The car will included electronics that allow the car to communicate with a cell phone so the driver can check the state of charge or turn on the AC to precondition the car remotely. Preconditioning the car while charging can help with range since the required energy is taken from the grid instead of from the batteries. The onboard navigation system will also allow the driver to locate and navigate to nearby public charging stations.
Nissan began delivering cars on December 11, 2010. Their initial market for the car will be in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee and North Carolina then going nationwide on March 1, 2012. In the UK deliveries Started in March of 2011.
Recommended retail price in the US will be $32,780 before any Federal and State incentives, and there will be an additional charge of about $2,200 for the charger installation. They will also be offering a lease option but the batteries will not be leased separately. Nissan is now taking reservations for the car which is a four step process. Fist you make a reservation and put down a $99 refundable deposit. then an electrician will come to your home to evaluate charger installation, the charger will then be installed at your home and finally the car will be delivered to the dealership of your choice. For those who can manage with 110V charging, or want to install a 220V charger from another vendor, the 220V charger option can be waived.
Read my Nissan Leaf test drive
In the US use the Nissan Leaf Dealer Locator to find your nearest dealer
In
the UK you can locate a Dealer by going to the Nissan
Leaf Dealer Locator page
See video of the Nissan Leaf courtesy of youtube
Mitsubishi
Motors is now selling a freeway capable EV. They ran tests using a Mitsubishi
Colt but their first production electric vehicle, called the i-MiEV,
is be based on the Mitsubishi i minicar.
The car is powered by a single rear mounted electric motor and a Li Ion battery pack which gives it a top speed of 130kph (80mph) and a range of 160 kilometers (100 miles).
It can be fully charged from empty at 220v in about 7hrs or in 14hrs using a standard domestic 110V supply. The i-MiEV also comes equipped with a second charge port that allows the car to be charged to 80% from a DC source in about 30 minutes.
The iMiEV went on sale to the Public in Japan starting April 1, 2010 with prices starting at ¥3.98 Million. In the UK the car sells for a base price of £23,990.
Mitsubishi has also indicated that it will sell the cars in both the US sales did not expected to start until late 2011. The US version is specifically designed for the US market and sold under the name Mitsubishi I. It is slightly larger than the i-MiEV but retains most of the range and performance characteristics of the Japan spec vehicle but the EPA rating on this car gives it a 62 mile range on a charge. Price starts frp, a base price of $27,990 before tax incentives.
Read my test drive of the i-MiEV
Read my Test Drive of the Mitsubishi I
Read Richard S. Chang's test drive courtesy of the New York Times
To place an order for the Mitsubishi I go the their Order Page
In
the UK you can locate a i-MiEV dealer through their Dealer
Locator Page. Please note that to find an i-MiEV dealer you have to
enter your post code, check the box marked i-MiEV and then click on the find
button. Using the map will show all dealers not jus those that sell and
service the i-MiEV.
Honda
is a huge proponent of fuel cell vehicles but at the 2011 LA Auto show then
announced a battery electric concept car, the Fit
EV, that is scheduled to go on sale in the US in 2012.
In creating the Fit EV Honda has borrowed from a wide range of technologies including their earlier EV+ electric car. The high density 92KW motor is based on the one that powers the Honda Clarity FCEV while the three mode drive system has borrowed heavily from the CR-Z. The body is pretty much the same as the standard five door Fit and the car should seat 5 in a squeeze.
The 20 KWH battery pack can be charged in about 12 hours using a standard 110V outlet and about 6 hours using a 220V outlet and gives the Fit EV an EPA rated range of 82 Miles and a combined fuel economy of 118 mpge.
The three mode system provides standard mode that gives the car the equivalent performance to the Gas version of the Fit. Sports mode allows the driver to use the full power of the electric motor at the expense of range. Econ mode produces reduced acceleration but increases range by up to 17%.
The Fit EV is available in Califronia, Oregon, and certain areas of Massachuasetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey, but only on a 3 year lease which costs $389 per month. People interested in leasing this car can sign up at the Honda FitEV site
Tesla Motors
Tesla
is currently producing the Model S which is a luxury four door sedan that seats
up to 7 passengers. The cars are powered by a Lithium Ion battery pack that
is based on the small format Lithium Ion cells that was used successfully in the
Tesla Roadster.
They currently offer three model options based on battery capacity. The 60KW version offers an EPA estimated range of 208 miles with a top speed of 120mph. The 302hp electric motor will propel the car from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. The base price for this model is $62,400.
There is also a version that comes with an 85Kwhr pack that drives a 362hp electric motor to give the car a top speed of 125mph and an EPA estimated range of 265 miles. This model offers a 0-60mph time of 5.6 seconds. The base price for this model is $72,400.
Their top of the line offering is the Model S Performance. This model also comes with an 85KWHr pack but it is coupled to a 416hp motor that will take the car from 0-60mph in just 4.4 seconds and has a maximum speed of 130mph. The Model S Performance starts at a base price of $87,400.
Starting in the spring of 2013 Tesla is scheduled to begin production of a lower cost model that sports a 40KWHr battery pack. The EPA has not yet evaluated the range of this car but I would expect it to be around 140 miles on a charge. It will be driven by a 235hp electric motor and will offer a 110mph top speed with a 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds. The 40KWHr model will have a base price starting at $52,400.
Tesla also offer a high speed charging option and are creating a network of fast chargers that will offer charging up to 80% in about 30 minutes. These chargers are free for tesla owners.
Tesla are taking reservations for the Model S now but they currently have a wait list of about 13 months so you may need to wait a while to take delivery of a car. They are currently delivering cars at a rate of between 1,500 and 2,000 per month.
Tesla are also taking orders for the Model X which is expected to begin deliveries toward the end of 2014.
To find out more about the Model S and Model X, or to make a reservation, please go to the Tesla Motors web site
BREAKING NEWS 3/28/2012 - Azure Dunamics who installs the power train in the Transit Connect EV has filed for Bankruptcy - Transit Connect EV production has been suspended
Ford
began delivery of the Focus EV in late 2011 they begin selling an all electric vehicle version
of their Ford Focus sedan in California and New York with sales in other
states beginning in the Spring of 2012 and Europe in 2013.
The car is based on the latest Focus platform, It will be powered by a
23KWHr lithium ion battery from LG Chem which will be temperature controlled
using a liquid cooling/heating system to keep the batteries at optimum
temperature. Ford have not yet released any figures for range but the pack
should allow the car to be driven about 100 miles on a charge.
The car can be charged from a standard 110V outlet but charge time is around 20 hours. The optional 220V charger has the capability to charge the car in 3 to 4 hours. The Focus EV comes with a feature called "Value Charging" which helps the owner charge when utility rates are at their lowest. Top speed is 84mph although range will suffer greatly if the car is driven at high speed.
Ford is now taking orders for the Focus EV
Read about my Test Drive of the Focus EV prototype
See Drew Barrymore take Jay Leno's Green Car Challenge in an Electric Ford Focus courtesy of Hulu
Ford recently announced that it would be putting electric vehicles for sale starting in 2010. Their first offering is a version of the Ford Transit Connect van that is built as a glider in the Ford factory in Turkey then shipped to Azure Dynamics to be fitted with an electric drive train and lithium batteries.
The 2011 Transit Connect is driven by a 28KWhr Li battery pack that offers a range of about 80 miles with a top speed of 75mph. Charging for this van can be accomplished from either a 110V or 220V source. The van will seat 2 people and has 135 cubic feet of cargo space. Ford are currently working on an option for a second row of seats and this should be available early next year. The power assisted rack and pinion steering provides a turning circle of just 39 feet which makes it ideal for maneuvering in narrow city streets.
Ford is currently focused on Fleet sales for the Transit Connect but the van is also available to the general public at select Ford dealerships. The Transit Connect is ideally suited to business setting like Pizza delivery or for use by an electrician or plumber that typically drive well within the range limits of the car.
Price for the Ford Transit Connect EV begin at $58,000.
Read my Test Drive of the Transit Connect
See video of the Ford Transit Connect courtesy of youtube
Toyota recently started shipping a second generation version of the RAV4 EV in California. The whole drive train was engineered by Tesla Motors and the SUV is powered by one of their Lithium Ion battery packs made up of a large number of small format cells like the ones used to power a laptop.
Based on the current RAV4 body, the EV is powered by a 41.0 KWH battery that gives it an EPA rated range of 103 Miles which is 17 miles less than the 120 miles range of the 2002 Model. To be able to charge this battery pack in a reasonable time the SUV comes with an on-board charger capable of 10 KW which will charge the car in about 5.5 hours using a special Leviton supplied EVSE. On a standard 220V EVSE the charge time is increased by between 1 and 2 hours.
The car is driven by a 154hp AC induction motor that can be driven in two modes, normal and sports mode. In normal mode the SUV will go from 0-60 in 8.6 seconds and top speed is limited to 85mph. This increases to 100mph in sports mode with a blistering 0-60 time of just 7 seconds.
Toyota has said that it will produce 2600 of these SUVs which will only be offered in California. The 2013 RAV4 EV starts at a base price of $49,800 plus destination chargers.
Peugeot Citroen
Over the last twenty years Peugeot has been the largest producer of electric cars in the world producing both the Peugeot 106 Electrique and the Peugeot Berlingo Electrique for the European market. Now they are going to start selling the Peugeot iOn which is really a re-branded Mitsubishi iMiEV and will also be sold under the Citroen name as the C-Zero.
The iOn will be driven by a 330V lithium ion battery pack that will give the 4 door 4 seat microcar a range of about 80 miles (130 Kilometers). Top speed from the 64hp electric motor will be around 80 mph (130 kph).
The car can be charged using the on-board charger from a standard 220V outlet in about 8 hours. The car will also come with a fast charge port that will allow the car to be charged to about 80% in just 30 minutes.
In the UK both the Ion and the C-Zero lease for £415 plus vat per month.
To find an Ion dealer in the UK go to the Peugeot
Ion Specialist Page
To
find a C-Zero dealer go to the Citroen
Find a dealer page and remember to check the electric vehicle box
The Renault Fluence ZE is an electric version of Renault's four door sedan and will seat 5. It will be powered by a 94hp electric motor and a 22KWh lithium battery pack that can be swapped at one of Project Better Place's battery swap stations. The car will reach a top speed of 100kph (81mph) and offers a range of 185 kilometers (114 miles) between charges based on the New European Driving Cycle but I would expect range to be a little less in real world driving. In addition to the battery swap option the car can also be charged from a standard 240V receptacle or by using a DC fast charger.
The Fluence ZE is now on sale throughout Europe and also in Isreal through Renault dealerships
The ZOE is a two door hatchback that is driven by an 87hp electric motor driven by a lithium battery pack that propels the ZOE from 0-60 in 9.1 seconds and to a top speed of 135kph (84mph). Range based on the New European Driving Cycle is 210 Kilometers (130 miles) but I would expect less in real world driving. The vehicle also comes with fast charging capability allowing the car to get 35 miles of range with just a 10 minute charge.
The Zoe is now on sale throughout Europe through Renault dealerships
The Renault Kangoo ZE is an all electric version of Renault's popular light Van. The Van comes equipped with a 60hp electric motor driven by a 22Kwhr Lithium battery pack located under the floor. The batteries should provide a range of around 160 kilometers (100 miles) and can be fully charged from a standard 240V outlet in 6-8 hours. Top speed will be 130kph (81mph). The Van offers a payload of 650Kg (1433lbs) so it should be ideal for local deliveries.
The Kangoo ZE is currently on sale in France and the UK through Renault dealerships with prices starting at €26,000 on top of which will be VAT and a charge to lease the batteries.
Subaru recently began sales of the Stella EV in Japan. This is a small subcompact electric car, is based on the existing 4 seat Stella Minicar, a boxy looking 3 door. The car uses a 47 KW electric motor driven by a lithium-ion battery pack that gives the car a top speed of around 62 mph and a range of about 55 miles. The 346V Lithium pack is projected to last for 10 years or 130,000 miles. The battery pack can be charged up to 80% in about 15 minutes using a high power dedicated charger or the car can be charged overnight using a standard 110V household outlet.
Subaru is selling only 170 of these cars during the 2010 model year and most of these will go to fleet operators but the car is also available to the Public
See video of the Stella EV courtesy of youtube
They are now taking fully refundable deposits for the Tango kit cars, the Tango production vehicle, the T600, and the more basic versions of the Tango that are projected to be built in the future. These deposits will be placed in an escrow account that will make them fully refundable at any time. They are Currently working on the first run of 10 cars of which seven will have Lithium batteries. They can now build to UK Specifications and will be delivering the first T600 to the UK later this year.
The Commuter
Car Company has built a prototype Tango which seats two and gives impressive
performance. They claim a top speed of over 100 mph, a 0-60 time of 4
seconds and a range of up to 50 miles. The car is fitted with a battery
management system which will allow you to do close to the rated mileage without
risking damage to the batteries although deep discharges will reduce cycle life.
Their first produciton vehicle was completed by the UK company Prodrive, and was delivered to Actor George Clooney in August last year. The cost of producing vehicles using Prodrive however proved to be too high so the body molds have been bought from them by Commuter Cars and they have just started production of their second vehicle here in the US. They recently announced that they had 6 firm orders for the T600 and had several more orders that were currently pending.
The cost of the T600 varies from $85,000 to $108,000. To avoid the cost of crash testing they are selling these cars in the form of a Kit. They are also looking to partner with one of the automobile manufacturers so that they can produce the car, and a lower cost version at a cost competitive price.
Read the Seattle Times article on the Tango
Chinese
carmaker BYD, who already sell a plug-in
hybrid sedan in China, has begun to sell the E6 5 door sedan in China. Powered by BYD's lithium battery pack which drives two
electric motors one to power the front wheels and the other to power the rear
wheels. The combined 268 hp gives the E6 a top speed of 140kph (87mph) and
will drive the car from 0 to 100kph(0-62mph) in a rather sluggish 14
seconds. The battery pack provides a range of around 330 kilometers (205
miles) on a charge. The BYD web site quotes charging as 330V DC and 100
amps but since that sort of charging wouldn't be practical for home use I would
expect a more modest 110V/220V charger to be installed in the production
model.
The car is just under 15 feet long, 6 feet wide, 5.3 feet tall, and their web site quotes a curb weight of 5060lbs which seems really heavy to me but might well account for the sluggish performance.
BYD started using the cars in a taxi service in Shanghai in 2010, and they are also have a test program with the city of Los Angeles in the US. They recently announced that sales in the US would be restricted to fleets initially. They opened their US headquarters in Los Angeles in October, 2011 but so far there is no indication of when BYD will begin selling cars in the US.
See Video of the E6 courtesy of youtube.
Venturi Fetish
The
Venturi
Fetish is a high performance sports car built in Monaco. It uses the
ACP 150 drive train manufactured by AC 
Propulsion and the ACP Li Ion battery
pack. It boasts a top speed of a little over 100 miles per hour and 0-60
of 4.3 seconds. The Li Ion battery pack give it a range of between 120
-200 miles. It can be charged in about 3 hours at 80 amps but a full
charge on a 110v circuit at 16amps requires 16.5 hours.
The Fetish is currently being sold in Europe, Japan and California, USA. It is hand made to order and is not cheap at €450,000 (approximately $630,000 at current exchange rates). They are only going to build 25 of these sports cars so they will be very rare and unique vehicle.
Venturi already have three people interested in purchasing one of these vehicles so even at this price there is still a demand.
Here
is some excellent video of the
Fetish courtesy of youtube (in Italian)
Contact Venturi Phone: 377 99 99 52 00
World Class Exotics produces electric conversions based on the Porsche 911, Porsche Boxter,. They will also add exotic bodies to the Porsche chassis creating electric versions of such vehicle as the Lamborghini Diablo and the 1987 Rolls Royce Silver Spur. These cars can be built to a number of voltages from 156 to 365 volts and a range of battery types including Lead Acid, NiCAD, NiZn and Li Ion can be selected. The 11 inch Kostov motor gives a top speed of around 85 mph. Range varies from 50 mile per charge up to 200 miles per charge depending on the battery option chosen. A fast charger option is also offered.
Prices start at around $29,000 for the basic lead acid model.
For more information visit their contacts page
Micro-Vett is the leading maker of electric vehicles in Italy and was the company responsible for designing the electric Piagio Porter. They are now producing two electric vehicles, Ydea city car and the Doblo freeway capable EV.
The Doblo is an all electric conversion of the Fiat Doblo MPV with a top speed of 125 kph (75 mph) and a range of 150 Km (90 miles). It comes with a lithium Ion battery pack and will seat from 2 to 5 passengers depending on the model. It comes in all configurations that are available with the Doblo Diesel.
In
France contact Newteon
In
Norway contact EnviroEiblisalg
For details on purchasing a Doblo contact Micro-vett using their contact page or phone 39 0542 362050
Ecolari is and Italian based company that is now selling an electric version of the five door Fiat Panda sedan which they call the EnerMove. Their information on this car appears to be a single PDF with specs on the car and as Babel Fish doesn't seem to want to translate the entire page I have done the best I can to translate information.
It appears that the car has a 190V pack of Zebra batteries that give the car a top speed of 110 kph and a claimed range in city driving of 120 Km and a 135 km at a constant 50 kph. The car will accellerate from 0 to 50 kph in 7 seconds. The car comes with a 220V charger and also features regenerative braking.
For more information about purchasing the EnerMove contact Ecolari
The AVT 100E is a 4 passenger minivan that is built by AVT in the UK. They will custom built one for you at a cost starting around £20,000
Top Speed in 100mph
Range 20 - 150 miles depending on Battery Options
Blue Lias House,
Station Road,
Hatch Beauchamp,
Somerset TA3 6SQ
England
phone 01823 480196
Fax 01823 481116
email info@avt.uk.com
They can also provide conversions of such cars as the Smart ForTwo and the Peugeot 106.
Blade Electric vehicles make a freeway capable 4 seat electric car called the Electron. This car is based on the Hyundi Getz. It is fitted with a 40 KW 3 phase AC motor driven by a LiFePO4 battery pack that offers a range of 120 Km (74 miles) and a top speed of 125 kph (77 mph). The car offers two speeds, the lower "Town" mode allowing a top speed of 80 kph (50 mph) and the "Highway" mode for higher speeds. The car can be recharged at any 240V outlet but can also be charged at a faster rate if 30amp service is available.
Blade offer a 5 year warranty for labor only, parts are only warranted using the original manufacturers warranty so it will vary from component to component. Prices start at around $32,000 Australian plus the cost of the donor vehicle.
View Video of the Electron courtesy of youtube
To purchase a Blade Runner contact Blade Electric Vehicles Pty Ltd, Hardcourt Victoria telephone 0410 49 2195
If any owner out there would like to email evfinder and tell me their experience I would love to pass on the information to prospective buyers. I would also like to hear about any full sized EVs that are not listed here, or send any questions you might have about EVs.
Now for the fine print - remember always read the fine print.
The information contained in this web site is based on information I have received about the availability of vehicles both new and used. I attempt to keep the information here as current as possible but I would appreciate being notified of any inaccuracies you may find. The appearance of a vehicle on this site does not imply any endorsement of that vehicle, or any implication that the vehicle will be suitable for your needs. As always you should investigate the vehicle and the seller before shelling out your hard earned money.