http://www.worldcarfans.com/109060419739/coda-ev-revealed---set-for-california-launch-in-2010 I was just about to start a new thread, because I've never seen or heard anythng about them before. Next thing I know, Prius Chat has an advertising banner for them at the top of their page . . . so I looked 'em up to see what the heck they're all about. Supposedly they're selling 'em this year? That would necessarily mean they've been U.S. crash tested already. The look certainly is 'basic'. I can't find much about quality/history on the chinese company. For the sake of competition, I hope they don't end up being more vaperware.
That's a scam site, not a web site. Any site that ask for all your info and provides absolutely no information whatsoever on a $50k+ automobile, or auto company, or contact point, or dealership, or anything else that a real car company needs, should set off all kinds of alarm bells.
It's very suspicious when a company you've never heard of claims they'll be selling a car in the U.S. in half a year. I cannot find any crash-test report for the Coda, which means it ain't gonna be here this year! I did find reference to the company. Apparently it does exist and has raised a pile of money, and was claiming it would sell cars here in 2011, but the impression I got was that it's vaporware. Companies like Corbin, Zenn, Zap, and Tesla began selling cars when there was really nothing else available, and managed varying degrees of success. But with the Leaf coming out this year, nobody is going to buy a Chinese-built car, priced 50% higher than the Leaf, from a company that did not exist a year ago.
I share your skepticism, but one thing in Coda's favor is that it is based on an obsolete Mitsubishi car, so they may have a head start on design for crash worthiness. On the whole, I still think it will flop if it ever makes it to market.
Do you ever wonder how come people smart enough to accumulate enough money to invest in a company like Coda are dumb enough to invest in a company like Coda?
