ExxonMobil and Electrovaya Announce LSV Sharing Program

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Marc Cesare

ExxonMobil and Electrovaya just announced, AltCar, a vehicle sharing program to be based at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD that will use Electrovaya’s Maya 300 low speed vehicle. The fleet of five vehicles will grow to ten shortly and people will be able to rent the vehicles for the day. The Maya 300 uses Electrovaya’s Lithium Ion SuperPolymer battery, which incorporates ExxonMobil Chemical’s separator film. Learn more: greencarcongress.com

Update: According to Green Energy News rental rates for the vehicles will be $14.50 per hour but decrease to $7-9 per hour if you join the sharing program. Additional fees apply with the program.

Miles Automotive Creates Coda Automotive For highway Speed Electric Vehicle

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Miles Automotive has created a new company, Coda Automotive, for the marketing of their first highway speed all electric vehicle, aptly named Coda. The Chinese manufactured vehicle will have a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 90-120 miles. The four-door sedan will seat five and include amenities like bluetooth and an iPod dock. According to the company’s CEO, Kevin Czinger, a test fleet of 200-300 vehicles will be on the road in June 2010 and vehicles will be available for consumers later in the fall. The vehicles will be priced around $45,000 but that could be reduced to around $35,000 with federal and state tax credits.

The vehicle has been modified from a Mitsubishi designed internal combustion vehicle manufactured for the Chinese market by China-based Hafei and sold under the name Saibao. Coda has partnered with Tianjin Lishen of China to manufacture the vehicle’s lithium ion batteries. Learn more: MSN Autos

Miles Automotive To Unveil Highway Speed Electric Sedan

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Marc Cesare

On June 3rd Miles Automotive is planning to unveil their highway speed electric sedan and announce a new strategic partner. The vehicle will be re-branded under a name other than Miles. Sale of the vehicle is expected to begin in 2010 and reach production levels of 20,000 in 2011. Rumored cost is $45,000. Learn more: Autobloggreen.com

BG Automotive Looking In Windsor, Ontario For Facilities

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Marc Cesare

BG Automotive C100 NEV

BG Automotive is now looking in Windsor, Ontario for facilities to assemble their NEV, the C100. According to the report, if funding can arranged, the company believes they can be producing vehicles within three months. Windsor has an existing automotive manufacturing base and skilled workforce that appeals to the company.

As noted in a previous post, the company plans to develop six facilities around the country which can each produce up to 15,000 vehicles. Other states being considered include Connecticut, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Georgia and Massachusetts. Learn more Windsorstar.com

Miles Automotive Highway-Speed EV To Be Sold Under Different Brand

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Miles Automotive has removed the reference to their highway-speed electric vehicle from their website. While the company still expects the vehicle to be available in 2010, apparently it will be under a different, and as of now, publicly unknown brand. The company will provide a progress update on the vehicle during this summer. Learn more: autobloggreen.com

Mini Trucks Offer Competition In Some Utility Vehicle Segments

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Marc Cesare

I came across a story about how farmers were choosing Japanese mini-trucks to replace pick-ups for use on their farms. This puts them in direct competition with utility vehicles which are also replacing pick-ups on farms, college campuses, parks and other areas. The mini-trucks are typically faster than utility vehicles, a top speed around 50 mph, although some new vehicles are being built to LSV standards, and have the advantage of an enclosed cab. They offer better gas mileage than pick-ups, upwards of 40-50 mpg .

There however is an issue with registration of the vehicles and road use regulations. The law varies from state to state on whether they can be registered and or used on local roads, even if it is driving between parts of the same farm. Louisiana recently passed a law allowing them to be used on certain roads.

Many of the mini trucks are purchased as used vehicles imported from Japan where various regulations apparently make it more economical to purchase a new vehicle after certain amount of use rather than comply with the regulations. Learn more: japanese4x4minitrucks.com and here

More Peapod News

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Marc Cesare

A recent interview with Peapod designer Peter Arnell reveals some more information about the vehicle. The first version of the vehicle will be a four-door version with a 10hp motor. A two-door version, called the Twinpod, is coming later in the year and a utility configuration, the Utilitypod, hits the market in April 2010. Arnell remarks that one of the drivers for their target market of younger purchasers is iPod and iPhone integration. He also refers to the vehicle as an appliance because it is a “personal transport pod” that can be plugged in. Learn more: Treehugger.com

Comment: It will be interesting to see if they can reach the younger market. In other coverage they have talked about college students as a specific target segment. In a recent interview I had with a dealer that sells NEVs, including the GEM, they thought the Peapod might face tough competition from fully functional vehicles like the Kia Soul that do not cost much more than the Peapod. However, the dealer thought the speed restricted vehicle might have some appeal to parents purchasing the vehicle for their teenager to use.

I have spoken with an executive of another NEV manufacturer who also likes to sell their NEV as an appliance, but more in the context of an appliance as part of the typical set of appliances you would associate with a home. It will be interesting to see if this “appliance” label gains any traction in the market. mcesare

Peapods Available To Order Starting On Earth Day

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Peapod From Peapod Mobility

Peapod Mobility will be taking orders for the Peapod starting on April 22nd, Earth Day. The electric powered, four passenger LSV with a top speed of 25 mph will retail for $12,500. A primary target market for the vehicle is college students. The first vehicles should be drivers hands in September. Learn more: wired.com

Peapod Interior With iPod Dock

Evergreen Electromotive Looking To Produce Three-Wheel Utility Vehicles

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Evergreen Electromotive based in Bainbridge Island is raising funds to finish additional prototypes and establish production facilities for three-wheeled utility vehicles. Led by Bob Fraik, a former software engineer from Sun Microsystems and NeXT, the company has already produced the ECH, a four wheeled MSV prototype with a carbon composite body and lithium iron phosphate battery pack giving it a range of 80 miles.

Evergreen Electromotives Prototype Four-Wheel Vehicle

Evergreen Electromotive's Prototype ECH - Four-Wheel MSV

The company is finishing work on two prototype three-wheel vehicles and is looking to establish production facilities in the Port of Bremerton, WA industrial center. The production vehicles are expected to have a top speed of over 50 mph but can be calibrated for lower speeds, and will be targeted for government and corporate fleets. Learn more: Kitsapsun.com

Think Inks Deal For Dutch Market

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Think Global has signed a memorandum of understanding to supply 500 Th!nk vehicles in 2009 to Elmonet for sale in The Netherlands. Elmonet is a subsidiary of Mobility Service Netherlands. The cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam are expected to be key markets. The Dutch government has developed a 10 million euro fund to advance the introduction of electric vehicles.

Previously in financial difficulty, Think Global has recently raised funds from a variety of sources and is looking to expand beyond Norway, it’s original market, to Europe and the US. Learn more: Cleantech.com

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