Two Years and 119 Cars! (Tomorrow)

Previously

…I wrote about some of the Electric Vehicles available today.

Tomorrow

In just the last year, a number of cars have been announced with varying levels of fanfare, most of which targeting a 2011 or early 2012 release.  Many of these are listed on the Plug-in America Vehicle Tracker, and others are too new for even that list.

Ford Focus Electric

I first learned about the plans for an electric Ford Focus in late 2010, mentioning it as early as my And when problems with the LEAF were announced in early December, I became very keen to find out as much as I could about this potential LEAF competitor.

Tesla Model S

A Tesla as a family car, I first mentioned the Model S indirectly in my EVSE installation post.  With the highest upgrade boasting a range of 300 mi (483 km), this isn't just a work-and-back-again car; it can really take you places, if you're willing to pay.  But that range-extended upgrade is currently price unknown and for that $57,400 Plug-in America lists, all you get is 160 mi (257 km).  Still, it's a very beautiful car and if I had $5,000 to spare I know I'd reserve one today!

Toyota Rav4 EV (2012)

Just when you thought Toyota had forgotten how to make an EV, they're back with an all-new, redesigned with a Tesla drive train, Rav4 EV 2012!  I've yet to talk much about the 2012 Rav4 EV but I have seen it and I'm very excited!

Ford Transit-Connect EV

I first learned about the Ford Transit-Connect EV when researching the Focus Electric.  I have notes from the big announcement at that time that I've yet to transcribe onto this blog.  Then again, if I had I dime for every post I intended to make but never have time to get around to, I'd be a professional blogger by now!  The Transit-Connect is more of a delivery van than a commuter car, so it's not really an Affordable Electric Car so much as an Affordable Electric Truck; but I'll leave someone else to write that blog.

C-Max Energi

I've mentioned the C-Max Energi in a post about the Focus Electric, but then dedicated a post of its own to this PHEV and a wholehearted recommendation for a blog about it written by a friend of mine who recently received his very own Nissan LEAF.

BYD Auto e6 and Coda Automotive CODA Sedan

I mentioned both of these cars in the Ford Focus Electric post as a counterpoint to an established, American automotive corporation.  Both are built in China and both worry me a great deal in terms of safety because of this.&nbps; It's not that China isn't a country full of skilled laborers, but in a country that would put lead in its toys and poison its milk, I just don't want to trust my life to one of their cars.

Li-ion Inizio

The Inizio, and indeed all of Li-ion Motors cars are missing from the Plug-in America site.  But, I did see this car back in January and even interviewed a representitive from Li-ion Motors that I hope to bring to you in the near future and I look forward to learning more about their future Liv line of vehicles.

Next up

A summary of the Plug-in America Vehicle Tracker…

Your Second car: The Ford C-Max Energi

Meet the C-Max Energi

The C-Max Energi is the next generation of Ford's C-Max line.  It's a Plugin Hybrid (PHEV) that can go en estimated 500 mi (800 km) on a full charge and a full tank of gas, meaning that it's the perfect fit for daily driving on mostly electric with a range extension allowing it to go half-way up the eastern seaboard on a single tank of fuel.  And of course, as a hybrid, it can still fill up at any of the thousands of petrol stations across the country.

How far can the C-Energi Max go on electricity alone?

That's an excellent question to which we don't yet have an answer.  My friend EVNow from the My Nissan LEAF forum has calculated an estimated electric range of between 30-40 miles, which would put it at slightly more than the Chevy Volt, no doubt due to the C-Max Energi's larger size being able to accommodate a bit larger battery.  And the plug for the C-Max Energy is conveniently placed next to the driver's side door so it can be quickly hooked up to an EVSE for charging.

A Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) for the daily commute, and a Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) for getting around town town and extended trips

This paradigm, first introduced to me by EVNow, allows a two-car family to never use petroleum for their weekly travel needs, relying on gasoline only for those rare trips out of town to visit grandma and the like.  The BEV can be used by the daily commuter who travels under 80 miles (128 km) round-trip per day.  The PHEV can then be used by the other household driver who either has a shorter commute to work (say 30-40 miles, round-trip), or to run errands around town.  And, unlike the Ford Focus Electric, the Ford C-Max Energi has ample storage space in the rear via its easy to load hack-back.

The ideal family sedan

One of the problems with a BEV is that you need to keep the weight down, which means most highway compatible EVs can only accommodate 4 passengers comfortably.  These cars make for ideal commuting to and from work, or even for limited carpooling.  However, the C-Max Energi, being a PHEV, is also built to transport the neighborhood kids to soccer practice or to take the entire family on an extended trip.  This is because, unlike the Chevy Volt, the C-Max Energi's larger body easily holds 5 passengers.

Want more information?

For more information on the C-Max Energy, you could do no better than reading my friend EVNow's C-Max Energi blog, or follow him on Twitter.

Is Ford headed in the right track?

Ford's Impressive Sustainability Strategy

In Andrew Winston's piece, linked above, he argues that Ford may be too late to the EV game and wonders if the automaker has the commitment to see its lofty goals through.  I, for one, wish Ford all the best in this venture, as I do General Motors with the Chevrolet Volt, and look forward to seeing where Ford takes its Focus Electric and Plug-In Hybrids, Transit Connect Electric and C-Max Energi lines.  But for me, it's more a question if whether Nissan is too little, too late.

Clearly, I've been blogging a lot recently about the Focus Electric here — and am due to post my CES report someday — but I once wrote a pro and con evaluation of the Focus Electric on the MyNissanLEAF forum where I said I'd pay as much as $3,000 for the 6.6kW charger — again, search my blog and my posts on the MyNissanLEAF forum to see how much I gripe about the LEAF not having a 6.6kW or 7.2kW charger and also the missing Cold Weather Package trim — but man, the trunk space is a joke!  I don't mind too much in a commuter car, as my future-EV is so designated, but it makes Costco runs almost impossible since the back seat is typically already filled when I take the Avalon.  And I know folks in the semi-conductor industry that do not have positive impressions of what Ford is attempting, especially with respect to BMS (Battery Management System).

Would I get a Focus EV?

Well, if Nissan keeps pushing back the LEAF roll-out in the Washington, D.C. region, and the Focus Electric is supposed to go on sale here at the end of the year for the 2012 model, then heck, yeah, I'll consider it.  You can only poke us Tier 2 states in the eye so much.  If I had the money, I'd get a Tesla Model S 300-mi edition, but IMHO it's gonna sell for $77,000 and that's well too much to swallow!  So I'm still in the LEAF camp but keeping my options opened.  In 2010 we had only 1 choice: the 40 mi-on-EV PHEV Chevrolet Volt.  This year, we may have as many as 4 choices, including the recently available for leasing Smart Electric.  Maybe even more if the Plug-in Prius makes its debut in the 2012 series as planned.  Perhaps the Coda or BYD may finally get their acts together (but don't get me started on those Chinese cars), or any number of surprises that may come our way in 2011.

We live in interesting times, my friends.  Interesting times.