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Breaking News 3/20/2010 - Nissan has delivered the first Nissan Leaf to a Customer in the UK
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 expand to other states later. In the UK deliveries are expected to start 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.
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
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
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 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
After the successful
conclusion of the Mini-E trial, BMW have just stared a new trial, this time with
the
Active E, a four passenger sedan based on their popular one series Coupé.
700 Active E are going to be sent to the US for this trial with another 300 or
so being made available in Europe, and will be offered
on lease only. People who formally leased the Mini-E will get priority but
there are going to be more cars this time so vehicles are still available.
The Active E is driven by a 32KWhr Lithium Ion battery that offers about 100 miles of range and can be charged in about 5 hours from a 230V 32amp circuit and about 10 hours from a standard 110V outlet.
The car is powered by a 125KW Electric motor that can provide 170bhp and 240 Nm of torque. This can drive the car from 0-60 in 9 seconds but the top speed is electronically limited to 90mph.
Check out video of the Active E courtesy of youtube
The Active E can be leased for 2 years at $499 per month with $2250 due at lease signing. The lease cost includes tax, license, insurance and all maintenance and repair.
To place a reservation go to their reservation page
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
Tesla Motors
Breaking News 6/20/2011 - Tesla Roadster production has ceased and they only has about one months supply of Roadsters in the US and perhaps 6 months in Japan and Europe so better get one while you can.
Tesla are taking reservations for the Model S now but warn that the reservation money will be used to fund development and if the company goes under the reservation money could be lost. For more info see this Motortrend article.
Tesla Motors have sold out their projected 2007 production and are now taking orders for 2008. To find out more about Tesla Motors' electric sports car go to your favorite internet search engine and search for Tesla Motors.
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.