Best Electric Cars including Plug-in Hybrids 2011
Posting this article, as i was thinking the other day as to why the Lithium space has been quiet and stagnant compared to other sectors that have been hot like gold, silver, REE. So I was thinking and it may have a lot to do with ``People struggle with not believing in investing into something until things are actually witnessed infront of their eyes`. I was doing a bit of researching and seems that by end of this year, that`s when we`ll see most intense competition among EV space and competition. So i`m hoping we`ll see a minimum of $10 SP by end of 2011 as a reasonable target.
Best Electric Cars including Plug-in Hybrids 2011
By John Addison (updated 3/19/11)
Best Selling Electric Cars and Plug-in Hybrids in the U.S.
Chevrolet Volt was awarded Car of the Year by Motor Trend and Automotive Magazine and awarded Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal. General Motors is the current plug-in leader with the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid with 40 miles of electric range and added 300 miles by engaging a small gasoline engine that is coupled with an electric generator. GM has a complete Voltec Propulsion System roadmap, which envisions added offerings of pure battery-electric, E85, and diesel. Our Volt Test Drive showed that this is plug-in hybrid is sportier to drive than regular hybrids and a great 4-door, 4-seat sedan for those who want to minimize fill-ups and avoid range anxiety. The Volt starts at $41,000 with nice tax credits or $350 monthly lease.
Nissan Leafis a pure battery-electric car with 100 mile range. Enterprise Rentals has received the first of 500 ordered. Of the 50,000 who have ordered, the first have received theirs. The LEAF can be purchased starting at $32,780 or $349 per month. Drive it at 30 mph and you might get 140 miles; drive it at 80 mph running the air conditioner at you might on go 60 miles. LEAF Test drive. This 5-door, 5-seat, hatchback has the right size and range for many who drive under 100 miles daily, or for households with more than one car.
Ford Transit Connect Electric. This pure battery-electric van has an electric charge range of 80 miles and is a great fit for many fleet, small business, and delivery applications. Although Nissan and Chevrolet are the center of EV attention, fleets are the early adapters of new vehicles. Southern California Edison, New York Power Authority, and Johnson Controls each ordered 20 Ford Transit Connect Electrics. By the end of 2011, Ford will have sold thousands of these practical electric delivery vans. Transit Connect Electric Test Drive and Review
Tesla Roadster. Tesla is the first to sell 1,000 electric cars for the U.S. highways. Like its Roadster, the company is going zero to sixty in less than four seconds. Thousands of
added Roadsters will be delivered in the next couple of years. Tesla is also developing a roomy Model S hatchback that starts at $57,400, about half the price of the Roadster. The Roadster is battery-electric with a 240-mile range; the Model S will have a remarkable electric range option of 300 miles per charge. Tesla is working with shareholder Toyota to bring back the Toyota RAV4 EV, an electric SUV. Tesla is working with shareholder Daimler to put Smart EDs on U.S. streets this year. Tesla is determined to eliminate the battery-electric car range issue. It started by integrating thousands of 1.4 amp-hour batteries. Now it has access to consumer batteries with double that energy and triple in the future.Tesla Roadster Test Drive
Fisker Karma is a luxury plug-in hybrid to compete with the Roadster. Fisker Karma is a luxury sports plug-in hybrid with prices starting around $90,000. With 20kWh of lithium batteries, you could go 50 miles before the 2L turbo engine is engaged. The Karma invites you to accelerate, using two electric motors that deliver 403 horsepower, so your mileage may vary. In theory it’s a 4 seater; good luck fitting someone in the back seat. The Karma is about sex appeal, performance, and luxury. A more affordable family sedan is planned for 2012.
Mitsubishi iwill be the larger version of the current best selling electric car in Japan – the IMiEV.
Mitsubishi will take orders next year for the 2012 U.S. version of the iMiEV. Mitsubishi may be the first to price a 4-seat freeway-speed electric car at less than $28,000. This fun-to-drive 5 door, will have a wheel base 5 inches wider for the U.S. market, but the micro-compact will still be able to get those precious city parking spaces that no other car can take except the Smart. The more powerful U.S. version will have an electric range of 85 miles with a 16kWh lithium battery.Mitsubishi Electric Test Drive
Ford Focus Electric. Although Nissan and Chevrolet have been getting most of the electric car media attention, both automakers are worried about Ford who will give customers the widest choice of electric and plug-in hybrid cars and vans. In 2011, Ford will make a big splash with a new Ford Focus family for the global market. We expect customers to be given the choice of efficient gasoline engine, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure electric. We forecast Focus Electric deliveries in late 2011 and plug-in hybrids in 2012. Next year, Ford will also be selling the C-MAX Energi, an exciting new Crossover SUV can seat-up to seven. The big question is will Ford under-price Nissan, Toyota, and others? Stay tuned. Ford Focus Electric Test Drive
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHV) will build on the million-car success of Toyota hybrids. At first glance, the PHV looks like another Prius until you spot the J1772 plug for smart charging. Five hundred PHV are in fleet trails from cities to car sharing services. In 2011, U.S. dealer orders were planned, but with Toyota’s 8 million vehicle recall this is may be delayed. The Prius Plug-in is more of an expansion to the Prius family, rather than a breakthrough. With only a 5kWh lithium battery, electric range is limited to 14 miles at which point the engine engages giving you a 60 mpg hybrid. With the smaller battery, Toyota could price this plug-in hybrid at $29,900, over $10,000 less than the Chevy Volt. In late 2011, Toyota will expand its offerings to include a pure battery-electric FT-EV. New Toyota Prius Family and Plug-in Test Drive
Smart Fortwo ED will be have 250 electric cars in U.S. tests this year using Tesla battery packs. The Smart Electric Drive is smaller than the rest but underpowered with a 16kW electric motor.
Honda Fit EV. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito announced the Honda Fit EV and a plug-in 
hybrid for sale in the U.S. in 2012; with the cars hitting the streets in 2011 for a demonstration program in fleets such as Google and Stanford University. Honda will not let Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi get too far ahead with electric cars. We speculate that the new EV will use Blue Energy lithium-ion batteries and will price below $29,900. The 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid will lso ause Blue Energy lithium batteries.
EV Forecasts and Renewable Energy
This report is about freeway speed EVs and PHEVs for U.S. delivery. It does not include the 40,000 GEM and other light-electric vehicles already on U.S. streets. Heavy vehicles, goods movement, e-bikes are not part of this report.
Accenture forecasts 1.5 million electric vehicles in the United States by 2015. By 2020, that many are forecasted just in California by the CEC. Over 10 million electric vehicles are easily possible by 2020. Single electric utilities have scenarios for charging over one million electric vehicles in their own service area by 2020. With renewable energy investment required of utilities in 30 states, these utilities are most interested in night time charging of electric vehicles with wind, geothermal, and hydropower. Utilities are also implementing smart grids and incentives for off-peak charging.
By 2011 year end, competition will be intense for electric car leadership. The above cars represent our best guess about the market share leaders for delivered plug-in vehicles on the United States roads in 2011, although not necessarily in order of installed market share. Interviews with automakers and test drives make us confident about our forecasts for Nissan, Chevrolet, and Ford. Beyond those, deliveries could slip a year, or executives could accelerate plans by a year. We are betting that executives at Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi will not want Nissan to grad too big a lead.
Over 100 competitors will be fighting for U.S. share by 2012. Some may be struggle to get significant share due to the time and cost of safety and other regulatory approvals, delays in funding, unpleasant surprises from a battery, drive system, or component supplier. It’s a tough business. Even Tesla had to add 700 pounds and two years to get the first Roadsters in customers’ hands.
CODA deliveries have slipped by a year, and may not reach the market until 2012, even though they hope for late 2011 deliveries. Promised test drives at the LA Auto Show did not happen and they have a new CEO. One thousand Volvo C30 Drive Electrics will be delivered in Europe in 2011. Let’s hope Volvo brings this C30 to the U.S. in future years.I was impressed with the performance of the VW Golf Blue E-Motion Concept that I test drove, but we may not see it in the U.S. until 2014. BMW will continue demonstration programs ahead of its commercial electric car launch in 2013. Think is focused on 2012 and beyond.
Electric cars with range extended by fuel cells continue to make progress. Mercedes is putting 200 of the new F-Cell B-Class on global streets, Toyota putting 100 of its 400-mile range FCHV into fleet applications, Honda and others move forward.
China could have several price leaders being delivered to U.S. customers in future years, but BYD, Coda, and Chery are slow to have everything in place for U.S. sales and service . India might bring us a Maharinda Reva or Nano EV that under prices everyone. Don’t count out the good old United States “can do” entrepreneurs with exciting innovation and venture capital backing. Some think that V-Vehicles or Aptera will be on the list.
What are your favorite electric cars on the list or off the list? What’s your 2011 forecast? Join the dialog. Check back. We will update the list as the market share battle unfolds. Bookmark Clean Fleet Report and check this report monthly for updates.
Share and Enjoy:
