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There are companies building or designing electric vehicles that, for one reason or another, are not selling vehicles at the moment. Often they are companies in perpetual development like eCycle, and sometimes they are companies like AC Propulsion that build EVs as a way to test out EV components they plan to market, and sometimes the company is actually trying to sell their product but doing a terrible marketing job. This page is dedicated to those EV manufacturers that just might be selling vehicles in the near future.
Subaru recently announced that they are fleet testing the R!e. This is a small subcompact electric car, about the size of a Smart fortwo, based on the Japanese companies R1e mini-car. The car uses a 40 KW electric motor driven by a lithium-ion battery pack that gives the car a top speed of around 65 mph and a range of 50 miles. The 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.
Fleet test are currently being conducted in Japan, the UK and USA. Subaru plan to do consumer testing in Japan starting in 2009 and sales to the public could start in 2010.
See the announcement of on Fleet testing by New York Power and Light from the New York Auto Show courtesy of youtube
Breaking News: Mitsubishi showed the i-MiEV at the 2008 New York Motor Show - I is expected to go on sale in Japan in 2009.
Mitsubishi Motors has indicated that it is currently working on the introduction of an EV to the Japanese Market. They ran tests using a Mitsubishi Colt but indications are that the production vehicle will be a version of the Mitsubishi i minicar. The car shown at the New York Motor Show had a single rear mounted electric motor and a Li Ion battery pack which gives it a top speed of 85mph and a range of 80-100 miles.
Mitsubishi has hinted that it may launch a test fleet in California before the end of 2008 with fleet sales starting in Japan in 2009. The vehicle is expected to go on sale to the public in 2010. There is no indication if the vehicle will be made available to the general public outside of Japan.
Read Richard S. Chang's test drive courtesy of the New York Times
UK
residents can register interest here
Green Vehicles is a company based in Los Gatos CA that is planning on importing a range of electric vehicles from China. The Company will offer offers two different NEVs, the two seat MicroWatt and the four set Moose. They also plan on offering two three wheel electric vehicles, the Buckshot which is an electric pick-up and the Triac which is an Triac which is a four seat freeway capable three wheeler.
The Triac offers a 20KW water cooled AC motor driven by a 144V lithium battery pack giving the car a top speed of 70mph and a range of up to 120 miles. The car also offers a 220V/110V charger to allow faster charging when there is a 220V connection available. Their video says the car is available now but it appears that the car won't be available until July, 2008.
See video of the Triac courtesy of Youtube
The Buckshot is also powered by a 2KW water cooled AC motor and 144V lithium battery pack. The truck offers a 45mph maximum speed, up to 100 miles range, and a very respectable 2200 lbs carrying capacity. The truck also offers a 220V/110V charger to allow faster charging when there is a 220V connection available
The MicroWatt and the Moose are both limited to a top speed of 25mph to qualify it as a NEV they car looks very similar to other Smart clones such as the Flybo that are coming out of China but the Moose is extended with rear seats.. They are powered by a 6.5KW AC motor and a 96V lead acid battery pack which they claim will give it a range of up to 60 miles. I would expect quite a lot less range in real world driving.
See video of the MicroWatt courtesy of youtube
Ronaele has been making performance versions of the Mustang, based on the Shelby Mustang design, for about two years. They are now working on electric versions of this car. They currently plan to build two versions, the 300EV which will be 300hp and the 600EV which will tip the scales at 600 hp. The cars will be driven by a DC motor and LiFePh batteries. The 300EV will offer over 1000 ft lbs of torque while the 600EV will give over 2000 ft lbs of Torque. They are currently experimenting with gearing but expect that both cars will top out at around 150mph and will offer a range of around 100 - 125 miles. The battery pack they are using has the capability to be recharged in 15 minutes. They will also be offering a second battery pack option for increased range.
If you provide them with a mustang and they will convert it to electric, including upgrading the suspension, interior, and exterior including new wheels starting at about $80,000. They hope to begin production around the end of March, 2008
See the interview with Ronaele at EVS 23 courtesy of Autoblog Green and Youtube.
Good Earth Electric Vehicle
Good Earth Electric Vehicle have developed the Freedom line of electric vehicles. This includes two vehicles, the freedom Buggy which is a three wheel vehicle based on a "Vespa style" scooter, and a truck. The company claims to have developed a more efficient drive system that translates about 98% of the battery's energy into motion giving the vehicles a 100 mile range on AGM lead acid batteries. There is no indication at their web site about how fast these vehicles go and so far no indication of when they will be available for sale.
Free
Drive, based in Bozeman, MT, have developed a NEV called the Solar Bug.
The Solar bug is an interesting concept built around an electric ATV. The
car seats two in tandem on motorcycle seats and is steered using
handlebars. One additional feature is the roof which contains a 200W solar
panel which Free Drive say can add an additional 5 miles of range to the NEV in
sunny locations like Southern California or the Arizona desert.
The NEV is designed to go 35 mph to take advantage of the new medium speed legislation that is in effect in both Montana and Washington State and is being considered by several other stated including California. For states without medium speed vehicle legislation the car will be limited to 25mph. Range is given as 60 miles per charge although I would expect usable range in real world driving to be somewhat less than that.
The Solar Bug is driven by a 72 V maintenance free lead acid battery pack which drive the Pancake Motor via a 350 amp controller. Final drive to the rear wheels is by belt. The vehicle has a fiberglass body and weighs in at around 900 lbs. It comes with all the necessary safety equipment to meet both LSV and MSV requirements and in addition it has a built in roll cage.
When I talked to Free Drive a the 2007 Santa Monica Alternative Fuel and Vehicle Expo in October they indicated that the car could be on sale in a few months but they are currently working on putting a dealer network in place.
Breaking News 10/20/2007: Universal Electric Vehicle has still been unable to find funding to go into production. They are going to introduce a sponsorship program soon and are trying to raise 2.8M in capital
Universal
Electric Vehicle Corp is a start-up company that is planning to build a
variety of electric vehicles. They currently have a prototype of a
two-seat electric sports car, the Electrum
Spyder, that has a 112 HP duel motor rear wheel drive system that gives it a
top speed of 80 mph. It will be offered with NiZn batteries with a NiMH or
Li pack as an option.
Range will vary from 70 to 150 miles depending on battery type and driving style. They have incorporated a charger that will accept both 110 or 240 volt inputs which provides for maximum flexibility. It also comes with a removable hard top that should make this a fun car to drive. Target price for this vehicle is around $70,000
They also plan to produce two additional vehicles, both three wheelers. The first will be a commuter vehicle and the second will be targeted at local government applications such as parking enforcement.
See video of the Electrum Spyder on the road courtesy of Youtube
Bramo
is developing an electric motor cycle called the Enertia. The motorbike
uses a permanent magnet DC motor and 76.8V Valance Li battery pack to give it a
top speed of 50 mph and a range of up to 45 miles. The bike is based
around a carbon fiber monocoque body gives makes the Enertia exceptionally
light, it weighs in at just 275 lbs, has a 55 inch wheel base and a seat height
of 33 inches. Power output can be manually adjusted from 40% to 100%,
allowing the rider to select for range or performance. It is designed to
carry just one person.
Brammo are currently taking reservations for the the Enertia. They are offering a limited edition version costing $14,995 for delivery estimated at the first quarter of 2008 for which they require a 50% deposit, or you can wait for the production version, costing $11,995 for which they require no deposit and expect to begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2008
See Video of the Enertia courtesy of Youtube
EVC is developing the Volta G/T, which they term a step through motorcycle that is basically a modern looking "Vespa Style" scooter similar to the Vectrix. The Scooter will be offered in three versions, the EVC-8 will come with an 8KW motor, the EVC-15 will come with a 15KW motor and the EVC-21 will come with a 21 KW motor. The scooters will be powered by a 72V LiIon battery pack which can be configured for 5.5KWH, 8KWH, or 11KWH and the controller can be programmed to meet several performance characteristics so you can tailor the bike to meet your commuting needs. One interesting thing about these scooters is that they use AC motors.
The EVC-8 will have a maximum speed of 70mph, the EVC-15 will have a maximum speed of 90 mph and the EVC-21 can be pushed up to a top speed of 110mph. Stopping power is provided by a combination of regenerative braking and disk brakes on both front and rear wheels. Range will vary depending on which battery option you choose but EVC claim that the maximum range of these bikes will be over 100 miles at 30mph with the largest battery pack option. Your range will obviously vary depending on the battery option you choose.
EVC are currently looking for dealers and plan on selling their scooter during the 2008 model year. So far there is no indication of price.
The Lightning Car Company are developing an electric sports car called the Lightning .that will use four hub motors, one driving each wheel. The car will also be equipped with Altairnano batteries. Three models are planned, the GT, GTS and GTSE. The GTSE has a planned range of 250 miles and is expected to cost around £150,000. The GTS version should do 0-60 in under 4 seconds. The company is currently putting the finishing touches on the ICE version of this car but intends start work on the electric version soon.
Javlon Electic Motor Corporation
Javlon Electric Motor Corporation is a division of Miles Automotive. They are working on a couple of full sized freeway capable electric vehicles designated the XM200 and the XS500. These vehicles are projected to have a top speed of 80 mph and a range of around 150 miles on a charge. Javlon currently plans on making the first of these, a Corolla sized sedan, available for sale towards the end of 2008.
VentureOne is a three wheel two seat vehicle that is being developed in California and is based on the tilting technology developed by Dutch company Carver Engineering BV that allows the car to lean up to 45 degrees into curves. Their prototype a a narrow vehicle that seats two people in tandem. They plan on offering two different hybrid models and an all electric version. The electric version uses two 20KW in wheel motors driven by a 17KW Li battery pack. It is expected to have a top speed of over 75mph and a range of about 120 miles. the car will have an overall length of 11 feet 8 inches and a width of 48 inches and weights in at approximately 1,200 pounds.
The car will include extensive safety features including a roll cage, side impact rails, ABS brakes, driver air bag, and three point seatbelts.
So far there is no indication of when this vehicle might go on sale.
Aptera is a California based company that is working on the development of a streamlined three wheel vehicle that will be offered in a choice of hybrid or full electric configurations. The EV version is expected to go 0 - 60 in 10 seconds and have a range of 120 miles on NiZn batteries. The car is built using Carbon Composites giving the vehicle a total weight of only 850 pounds. So far there is no indication of top speed, number of passengers, They have shown their first prototype, a plug in hybrid, but no indication of when the all electric vehicle will go on sale. Price for the all electric vehicle is projected at $26,900 and you can place a reservation, with a $500 refundable deposit, through their reservation page. In a recent letter to those who had registered they estimate delivery of the all electric version, starting in the San Diego and Carlsbad area of Southern California, starting at the end of 2008.
Check out the test drive done by Popular Mechanics
Silence is a Canadian company formed as a joint venture between electric go-cart manufacture EBW and T-Rex who manufacture a high performance three wheel road vehicle. The result is a high performance three wheel electric car based on the T-Rex chassis which will be designated the Silence PT2. This three wheel freeway capable car will be 13 feet long, 6 feet wide, 4 feet high and will weigh in at just 900 lbs including batteries. It will be powered by a 100KW motor and will have a claimed range of 125 - 250 miles and a top speed of around 125 mph. There is no indication of the type of batteries they will be using but given the range I would expect an advanced chemistry like NiMH or Lithium. The company may begin accepting orders the Spring of 2007 with a price of $50,000 Canadian.
Batscap is a subsidiary of French company Bolloré and are developing a line of Li batteries and super capacitors. At the 2005 Geneva Auto show they exhibited a hatchback sedan called the Blue Car, powered by Lithium batteries, which it claims to have a top speed of 125 kph (77 mph) and a range of 200 Kilometers (125 miles). The car is 3.05 Meters (about 10 feet) long and 1.71 meters (5.6 feet) wide.
There is no indication that Batscap intends to go into production with this car but they might be looking for a partner to manufacture it. However, parent company Bolloré have entered into an agreement with Italian design studio Pininfarina to manufacture an all electric car to be sold under the Pininfarina brand name. The car is projected to have a top speed of 130 kph and accelerate from 0 - 50 kph in 4.9 seconds. The plan calls for the car to be sold in Europe, the US and Japan starting in 2010.
Venturi recently announced their latest EV, the Eclectic. This is a three seat City class car that has solar panels on its roof and comes equipped with a small wind turbine so the car can be charged from renewable energy most of the time. The Eclectic is powered by a 72 volt NiMH battery pack that drives the car to a top speed of 50 kph (30 mph) and offers a range of up to 50 Km (30 miles). On a normal day the solar panels provide a range of around 7 km and the use of the wind turbine can add another 17 km of range. The car can also be charged directly from the grid with a full charge taking about 5 hours. The Eclectic is classified as a heavy quadracycle in Europe and can be driven by anyone 16 years or older.
Venturi say they have started work on the initial 20 test models and expect to produce about 200 for sale in 2007. These vehicles will only be offered in white. Higher levels of production are expected to commence in 2009. Base price is expected to be around 15,000 €
EcoV, based in Michigan, is currently developing a fully enclosed four passenger NEV. The car looks rather boxy but is designed to be reconfigurable to provide for a variety of uses and is also intended to require very little maintenance. This NEV is expected to give a range of between 20 and 40 miles depending on terrain and driving style and can be charged from a standard 110V connection. It is powered by six twelve volt maintenance free batteries driving a DC motor. The car's Dimensions are Length 133", Width 58", and Height 67.5" with a target price starting at $9995.
What happens when you cross an Ariel Atom kit car with an AC Propulsion AC-150 drive train - that's what Ian Wright did at Wrightspeed. What he ended up with was on high performance electric sports car that will blow the doors of almost anything on the road. Their first prototype, the X1 can do zero to sixty in three seconds, do the standing quarter mile in eleven and a half seconds, and reach a top speed of 112 mph. The lithium Ion battery pack gives the X1 a range of about 100 miles at an energy equivalent of 170 mpg. Weighing in at just 1500 lbs the X1 provides all the handling an style of the Ariel Atom in an eco friendly package. They have no target date yet on when they plan to go into production.
Ultra Motor are working on a three wheel, three passenger electric trike. This vehicle uses two 1KW hub motors to give a maximum speed of 50 kph (31 mph) and a a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles). They plan to build three different models from a covered version to an cheaper open top version. There is no indication of when they plan to go on sale with these scooters and it does look like they will be targeting developing nations like India.
The Hotzenblitz project from Treffpunkt Zukunft have developed a 2+2 seat electric vehicle which is capable of speeds of up to 120 kph (75mph) and has a range of 50 km (30 miles) with lead acid batteries. The car, which weights just 780 Kg (1700 lbs) is driven by a 12 KW Asynchronous motor.
The body is built of ABS plastic on a tubular steel frame with double wishbone suspension and disk brakes all around. The target price of the car is €10,000 to €18,900 depending on battery options.
Treffpunkt Zukunft built a fleet of 130 cars that are currently undergoing fleet tests but so far have been unable to move into full production.
They are currently testing a car using LiFEPO4 batteries and have demonstrated a range of 300 km (about 180 miles) using that technology.
EVTAmerica is in the process of preparing the Z-20 Electric Scooter for production. They have a number of prototypes undergoing reliability testing and so far the news on these scooters has been very promising.
The Scooter comes with a 2KW hub motor that is powered by four 50ah 12V lead acid batteries giving it a top speed of 30-35mph and an expected range of 40 - 50 miles with a 160 lb rider on flat paved road. Stopping is accomplished by disk brakes on both wheels.
The scooter comes in a modern design that is similar to the EVT 4000e. It will seat 2 people
EVTAmerica is currently taking orders for the Z-20
Drive Electric are currently building a prototype of a three wheel EV that they call the Defiant EV3 Roadster. This roadster will have a single front wheel and will be based on a modified VW chassis. The car will seat two passengers in tandem, and is driven by an 8 to 10 hp WarP motor and Zilla Controller. Power will be pulled from a 120 volt Lead Acid pack giving a projected range of about 50 miles and a top speed of 75 mph.
Drive Electric plans to start offering the Defiant EV3 as a kit but will custom build if demand warrants.
Progressive Energy Technologies
Progressive Energy Technologies have developed a two seat sports car called the Jester. It has a 39.6KWh Li Ion battery pack and an advanced DC motor that supports regenerative braking. They have a prototype vehicle that is capable of doing 70mph and has a range of between 150 and 200 miles depending on the type of driving.
He currently doesn't have the capacity to produce these vehicles and is searching for a business partner who can supply the production capacity. The designer, Steve Green, thinks that with a volume in the range of 10-50 per year he could produce them for around £15,000 each. Their plan is to produce both a 2 seat and a 4 seat version.
NEWS: Daimler Chrysler has announced at the British Motorshow that they will be leasing an electric Version of the Smart ForTwo, built by Zytech, to a small group of fleet operators as a trial. Deliveries will start in November 2006.
Zytech is a British company that is currently working on an electric version of the Smart. This vehicles will be powered by a 75hp Permanent magnet brush-less DC motor which will give it a top speed of 75mph (electronically governed). Power is supplied from ZEBRA Liquid Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries which give the car a range of between 50 and 100 miles depending on terrain and driving style.
They are planning to begin selling the vehicle in the UK around the middle of next year. They will sell to fleets initially with sales to the public coming once production levels have been established. They are also looking for a distributor in the US although the US version will initially be a NEV, electronically limited to 25mph.
Read about my test drive the Smart EV prototype at EVS 20
The Arian 792 is an electric vehicle designed and built in Malaysia. It is billed as the smallest four passenger EV in the world and at a little under nine feet in length it is about four inches longer than the two seat Smart. The Ariana 792 will be powered by a 180V AC system utilizing NiMH batteries to give it a top speed of about 85 mph and a range of between 60 and 120 miles. The vehicle comes with an intelligent charging system that the manufacture claims can recharge the vehicle in about 5 minutes. This would require a tremendous amount of amps so it would not be likely that it could be used at home.
The prototype vehicle was shown at EVS 20 and the company is planning to begin manufacture in 2004. They are rumored to be purchasing a facility in Calabasas, CA and intend to sell in the US market. Since Crash testing requirements are a major barrier to small companies entering the US market expect to see a NEV version on the streets rather than the full EV version.
Innovech Holdings is an Italian company that is building an electric powered micro car called mycar at a subsidiary in Hong Kong.
The vehicle seats two and will have a removable hard-top. It will be made in four versions, a NEV with a top speed of 45kph; a two seat, a pick-up, and a van all with a top speed of 85kph (about 50mph).
For more information contact Inovech Holdings
Tel:
+39 011/521.74.82
Tel: +39 011/431.93.88
Fax: +39 011/83.43.11.79
Electrovaya are a Canadian manufacturer of Li based batteries. They are in the prototype phase with the Maya-100 Electric Car. The prototype was entered into the 2003 Tour del Sol but had to be pulled out part way through due to a fire caused by a problem in the electrical circuits. The prototype has been repaired and is now back on the road.
The prototype is equipped with Li Ion Super Polymer batteries that they claim give it a range of 120-160 miles (200-250Km) per charge. Charging time is about 8 hours but they also expect to have a fast charge capability available.
There is no indication on when, or where this vehicle will become available to the general public.
Korean company ATT R&D are currently developing a series of vehicles targeted at the US market. Kool Karz recently started selling their first offering, a NEV called the Invita over here and a second NEV should be arriving here soon. They also have a prototype city class EV called the Parade which has an all aluminum body to reduce weight. Top speed is 68 mph. The care will come in two models, the EV60 has conventional PbA batteries giving it a range of 60 Miles, while the EV150 will be fitted with advanced (probably Li-Ion) batteries for a range of 150 miles. The crash test requirements for vehicles sold in the USA might make it difficult for ATT R&D to enter the US market but with a target price of $20,000 for the lead acid version makes us hope that they can really start selling here.
Evolve Motor Works is has build a prototype front wheel drive recumbant three wheel motorbike called the Eilean/G2 that has a top speed of over 45mph. It is designed to lean in curves ("a leaner") which gives it exceptional stability for a three wheel design. The bike is powered by a LiIon battery pack but they are also testing with other battery configurations including a 72 volt PbA pack that they expect will provide a range of about 45 miles at a constant 25mph on a level road.
For more information contact EMW
L/E Autoworks are currently building a prototype of a NEV that they call the LaVie. This NEV was displayed at the 2006 Santa Monica Alernative Fuel Vehicle Expo but was little more than a fiberglass shell. The L/E autoworks talks about a plug in hybrid with a top speed of 40mph but it looks like they have altered their focus to produce a NEV instead.
Their plan is to produce a luxury NEV that can be used by the family and will have such things as Air Conditioning, back-up cameras and keyless operation.
SAM
Sam from Swiss company CREE is a 3 wheel vehicle looks a little like the Corbin Sparrow with two wheels at the front and a single wheel at the rear, but it seats 2 people sitting in tandem.
They originally produced 80 vehicles that they used to conduct a very successful test in real world use. However they did not have the funds to go into production and ended up having to lay off all of their employees. They have since restructured the company and are now looking for investors so they can start production again.
14 Hawker Genesis PbA batteries gives the Cree a projected range of 40 Miles and a top speed of a little over 50 mph. The vehicle is currently being tested by a small group in Switzerland and it is expected to go on sale there in 2003 at a price of about $7600 SF. The batteries will be leased separately at $60 per month. There are no indications so far about when Cree plans to make the vehicle available in the US.
The Takara Toy company recently showed its Q-Car range of EVs at the Tokyo motor show. Their first model is the 2010 which comes in two designs, one that resembles a dune buggy and the other that looks like a modernized version of a Detroit Electric. They both look like something a toy company would manufacture and are targeted at the over 25 group that buys their model cars. The drive train on these vehicles is quite simple. 6 PbA batteries power wheel mounted electric motors with an additional battery to provide auxiliary power. Takara is currently in negotiations with major auto dealers to sell them through their showrooms. The vehicles will be priced at about one million yen
Covco
Covco is a korean manufacturer who makes a series of electric and gas powered vehicles including electric scooters, electric three wheelers.
The ZEMF is a three wheel electric vehicle that seats two in tandem. It has a top speed of about 70 kph (45 mph) and a range of about 60km (35 miles). This electric three wheel car may be available in Korea already so check with the manufacturer.
If you want to help improve your planet then give me feedback about these vehicles. Email evfinder with details if you find out that a vehicle is actually being sold. I am also interested in hearing about new manufacturers and dealers. If you already drive an EV I would like to hear about your experiences.
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