Category Archives: electric vehicles

Wheego Starts Taking Orders for the Whip LSV

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Wheego announced yesterday that they have begun taking orders for their Wheego Whip electric vehicle.?? The LSV is expected to ship in May of this year.?? Last week’s announcement regarding the launch of their dealership network generated a strong response from potential vehicle buyers as well.?? According to the company’s press release:

The Wheego Whip is a fully loaded two-passenger automobile with fit, finish and features that compete with any other subcompact car on the market. Remote keyless entry, air conditioning and an mp3 stereo system are standard equipment on the Whip. It retails for under $19,000, and it only costs about 3 cents per mile to operate. There is also a 10% Federal Tax credit on the purchase price of the car as a Low Speed Vehicle in 2009.

Wheego is offering a number of incentives related to the launch of the Whip including special programs for upgrading the vehicles when Lithium ion battery packs or full speed versions of the vehicle are available, as well as cash rebates for referring other customers.?? Learn more

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company Claims Impressive US Sales

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BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China recently reported impressive US sales for their BaoYa vehicle. The company claims 500 vehicles were sold in 2008 and that orders for 2009 have already reached 4,800. The vehicle has a top speed of 50 mph (limited to 25 mph as a low speed vehicle) and a range of 90 miles according to the company. The vehicle is priced in China at $4,500 to $5,000.

Comment: I am skeptical about these sales figures for both 2008 and 2009. The 2008 figures would mean they outsold more well known LSVs like ZENN and Tomberlin and the 2009 figure would put them on par with GEM sales, all while going largely unnoticed in the market. The performance characteristics at that price point also seem optimistic.


Axeon Dramatically Improves Battery Performance For Modec

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Axeon recently announced that they had nearly doubled the performance of their Lithium ion battery back in on road tests for Modec’s 3.5 ton electric urban delivery vehicles. While independent testing indicated only a 25% increase, prototype tests nearly doubled vehicle range from 76 to 150 miles. Axeon attributed the improvement to a new cell design that increased power density. Based on these results Modec is planning to offer the battery back in the second half of this year.

Pursu Mobility’s Urban Vehicle Concept

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This story from greencar.com reports on an interesting three-wheel hybrid vehicle concept targeting the urban commuter segment.?? The concept includes technology of Dutch origin that allows the vehicle body to tilt during turns depending on vehicle speed.?? As a three wheeler it would be classified as a motorcycle.?? The company, Pursu Mobility, expects a launch in 2010.

Urban Use Spikes Electric Scooter Sales In Canada

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Greenwit Technologies reports increasing sales of their Motorino electric scooter.?? While not the usual type of vehicles covered in this blog, scooters do rub up against some of the vehicles we cover in the urban use segment and I think it is important to track this tangential market.

Steve Miloshev, company president, estimates that a 1,000 units were sold in 2008.?? He recently made his first shipment to the US for East coast distribution and plans further expansion into Florida and California.?? He attributes fuel prices, environmental concerns and the practicality of the vehicles.?? In the article he remarks that some buyers are replacing second vehicles with the scooters and about 15% use it as their main means of transportation.?? The scooters, which reach speeds of 60km/h and can travel up to 60 kilometres on a single charge, retail between $3,700 and $5,000. Learn more

Electric Utility Vehicles Claiming Market Share?

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This story exemplifies the potential for electric powered utility vehicles to make inroads into gas powered segments of the market.?? In this case, an electric powered Club Car replaced an older Gator utility vehicle in a county park.???? The lack of noise and odor emitted by the vehicle is noted as the advantages of the new vehicle.?? On the other hand, the staff remarked that the vehicle can only be used on the more developed parts of the park and not the trails, and cannot be operated all day or the power runs out.?? The vehicle is used for regular maintenance around the park.?? They did receive a number of favorable letters and calls from park users about the vehicle.

Comment:?? In much the same way utility vehicles have replaced full-size trucks when appropriate, I can see electric powered utility vehicles replacing gas powered vehicles or being the first vehicle of choice where they can perform just as efficiently, especially as the “going green” trend continues.?? However, except for vehicles like the Bad Boy Buggie, most of the electric utility vehicles will still fall short in some key performance requirements for the more demanding tasks required of gas powered vehicles.

Electrovaya’s Maya 300 To Be First Li-Ion Powered LSV In North America

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Electrovayas Lithium-Ion Powered Maya 300

Electrovaya's Lithium-Ion Powered Maya 300

If all goes according to plan the Maya 300 will be available this summer in the US and Canada.?? The LSV will be available with either a 12 KW or 18 KW Lithium ion battery pack, which will give the vehicle a range of 80 km or 120km respectively.?? Produced by Electrovaya, the LSV will be priced around $20,000 and will be assembled in either Mississauga, Ontario, or Malta, NY,?? the final decision is yet to be made.

The Maya 300 is based on the Chana Benni car which is manufactured by Chana International Corporation in Chongqing (province of Sichuan) with styling by Bertrone of Italy.?? Learn more

Wheego Announces Launch of Dealer Network

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Wheego recently announced the official launch of their dealer network.?? According to the company’s press release, their first car, the Wheego Whip will be available in May of this year and they plan to have 50 dealers in place at that time.?? Commenting on the dealer network President Jeff Boyd states,

These will be a combination of traditional car dealers as well as a new type of dealer who exclusively sells electric vehicles and combines several manufacturers such ZENN, ZAP, and MILES in one dealership.

Wheego is a division of RTEV which produces electric vehicles for recreational use under the Ruff & Tuff brand and vehicles for street use under the Wheego brand.

Chrysler Creates Separate Subsidiary for Peapod

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Peapod From Newly Formed Peapod Mobility, Llc

Peapod From Newly Formed Peapod Mobility, LLC

Chrysler recently created a separate subsidiary, Peapod Mobility, LLC, to market the Peapod, which had been under the GEM brand. The new company is headed up by Chrysler “brand guru” Peter Arnell who helped design the Peapod. The company is targeting the 20 something segment with the vehicle. Arnell recently told Brandweek,

You know how the Beetle was the vehicle of choice for the whole ’60s, the hippie revolution and everything? We’re hoping that this becomes the new-wave car for the younger set as well as addressing mom and her needs with her kids.

The company expects to deliver the first Peapod. a four-seater, in September 2009 followed by a two-seater later in the year and a utility vehicle in the Spring of 2010. Learn more

Comment: If they do produce a utility vehicle what will that mean for GEM which sells a large number of vehicles configured as utility vehicles. It seems like it would put the companies in direct competition. The other question is whether or not NEVs with their limited mobility will appeal to a younger and presumably more mobile market segment.

NEVs Helped By Stimulus Bill

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The tax credit for NEVs made it into the final stimulus bill recently signed by Obama.?? The tax credit is for 10% of the purchase price of the vehicle with a?? maximum credit of $2,500.?? Three wheel vehicles like those produced by ZAP will also be eligible.

The bill also includes $300 million for federal fleet purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles which could help NEV manufacturers. Vehicles must be replaced on a one-to-one basis, and to remove a functioning government vehicle, the hybrid or electric replacement must have an improved fuel economy at least 10-percent greater than the original. Learn more