This day, we feature a rundown on electric car plans for several carmakers. The one to receive the most publicity so far is the Chevrolet Volt, which is due in the showrooms about a year from now. The Volt is said to achieve 40 miles between recharges, but it does have a small gasoline engine to recharge batteries.
By the way, the purchasers of electric cars are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, which may help with Volt’s reputed $40,000 price tag.
Ford Motor Co., which is showing a resurgence in car and truck sales, is announcing an electric version of the C-Max minivan, to go along with a stable of hybrids.
Nissan’s electric car, the Leaf, is expected to be ready for sale in a year, Chief executive Carlos Ghosn told Automotive News recently, “The potential payoff from pioneering zero-emission cars is worth the risk of investing billions. Electric cars could take 10 percent of the global market by 2020, or roughly six million units in annual sales.”
Nissan’s plan calls for funneling billions of dollars over the next several years into building electric vehicle assembly lines and battery plants for the cars in the United States, Europe and Japan, the report said.
Last week at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Renault announced four electric vehicles to add to the mix. The company told the Wall Street Journal, “The cars, fueled by rechargeable batteries, will be at least as cheap as their gasoline-burning equivalents.”
In the same report, the WSJ added, “Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., among others, say batteries still cost too much, they run down too quickly and recharging them takes too long. Instead, they are making progressively more electric versions of hybrid vehicles that run on both gasoline and batteries.”
Chrysler, despite the bankruptcy interruption, plans to go ahead with an electric vehicle. Robert Lee, vice president of power-train product engineering, said, “Chrysler and other major automakers must sell electric vehicles in California and the other 13 states that follow California’s emissions standards.”
Richard Truett, a writer for Automotive News, reports, “Starting in 2012, at least 3 percent of major automakers’ sales in those states will have to be of battery-powered electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids.”
Mitsubishi has stated it is preparing an electric car for the U.S. market. It is reported the company already has 900 customer orders in Japan for the i.Miev model, where the electric motor is mounted under the rear seat.
Grabbing some of the limelight at Frankfurt were a number of electrics, some in the luxury car segment. Again, Automotive News said, “BMW says it will unveil a plug-in, diesel-electric supercar concept. Arch rivals are also working on electrics, including Mercedes-Benz and Audi.”
You may not have heard about the Fisker Karma, which was conceived and built in California by designer Henrik Fisher. The Karma gets an average of 100 mpg, can go 0-60 in about six seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. Its lithium-ion batteries will power the car for 50 miles after being fully charged from any 110 or 220v outlet. After 50 miles, a generator, powered by a small gasoline engine, provides energy needed to turn the Karma’s two electric motors.
The Karma has a prospective annual production of 15,000 units with a price of around $88,000.
And, lastly, there’s the Tesla Model S., also built in California with an anticipated U.S. introduction in 2011. It is a midsized five-passenger sedan powered by 8,000 small lithium-ion batteries. Also included will be a glass roof and retracting door handles — all of this in the $100,000 range.
Source: postandcourier
