Two Years and 119 Cars! (Yesterday)

Previously

…I wrote an introduction to the Plug-in America Vehicle Tracker.

Yesterday

Of the original 4 cars I listed 2 years ago, 2 of them have a place on the Plug-in America Vehicle Tracker, 1 is considered Low-Speed (link to EAA broken) and therefor not suitable for this list and one that may never come to market and therefore may never appear on the list.

Eliica

Specifically, the Eliica is still just a pipe dream of Keio University and although in many ways ahead of its time, it isn't likely the path that the standard electric vehicle will take given it's 8 wheel design.  None the less, I still say the in-wheel motors are the best design possible for an EV, eliminating the need for Rack and Pinion steering — I can tell you from experience, lack of Rack and Pinion steering makes it really hard to turn at speed — since the in-wheel motors could be digitally tuned to turn ad different rates as with the Rack and Pinion gearbox.

Zenn

The Zenn cars of my beloved Québec haven't gone anywhere — at least not anywhere in a hurry.  The Zenn is still, at its core, a city car.  Thus, it's neither appropriate for the Plug-in America list, nor sutable by my EV Criteria.  But I have to support La Belle Province…

Tata Indica EV

Okay, so it's not the Nano-E I mentioned 2 years ago, but Tata motors of India is most indubitably still in the EV market with the Indica EV due out later this year.  And with a range of 124 mi (200 km) and 65 mph (105 kph) top speed, if the price is right it may just be one of the first Affordable Electric Cars out there.  But it's got some stiff competition.

Tesla Roadster

Ah, the Tesla Roadster.  Still going strong.  Still $109,000.  Still not nearly affordable.  But the Roadster isn't ever meant to be affordable; Tesla has another car for that.

Next up

Some of the Electric Vehicles available today…

Electric Cars only for the Rich and Famous?

Let's start out with a basic rundown of what exists today for the aspiring electric car enthusiast from a few car companies you may never have heard of:

Tesla

The Tesla Roadster lists for $109,000 (US) and goes approximately 224 mi (360 km) highway per charge.

Eliica

The Eliica is an 8-wheel car designed by Professor Hiroshi Shimizu and is one of the fastest cars in the world, combustion and electric combined!  The Eliica can go about 200 mi (320 km) and can reach speeds of 230 mph (370 kmph).  It uses an innovative design where each wheel has its own electric motor and thus no torque is lost in drive train transmission.  But, now for the sticker shock: the Eliica is estimate to cost a staggering $255,000_US if a retail manufacturer can be found, though as yet Professor Shimizu has yet to find a manufacturer in Japan willing to make his prototype into a practical choice, all be it again for the Rich and Famous.

Tata Nano-E

Tata Motors of India is renowned as the makers of some of the smallest and most inexpensive cars in the world.  The Nano, a concept car which is to be Tata's smallest and least expensive offering, is proposed to have an electric model, the E-Nano which is to have a fully electric drive train.  Though not on the market yet, the likely range of the Tata E-Nano will not make it practical for daily commutes in the U.S., which for me is about 75 mi (120 km) round-trip.  It remains to be seen whether the Tata may make the first affordable electric car in the world, or will it just be a grocery-getter no good for anything more than puttering around town.

Zenn

The Zenn car of Québec, Canada, is an around-town, short trip car with Lead-Acid batteries that allow it to go 35 mi (55 km) per charge and have a maximum speed of 25 mph (40 kmph).  Ironically, these cars were until recently only street-legal in the U.S., and not in their home of Canada.  Of course, with a maximum speed of 25 mph (40 kmph), the Zenn car isn't good for much of anything except keeping to roads where the speed limit never exceeds 35 mph (55 kmph), meaning that again we do not have a practical electric vehicle.

A number of major automobile manufactures have also proposed electric cars or series hybrids with a fully electric drive train, and I shall provide a rundown of those in a subsequent post.  But for now, chew on this: imagine the Eliica's axle-free drive-train with the Tesla's batteries at a Zenn-car price?  Alas, the Lithium-Ion batteries used by the Eliica and Tesla are what make these cars beyond the average consumer's budget, but we can dream!