Consumer Reports ^| November 24, 2010 | Gabe Shenhar Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2010 1:18:39 AM by 2ndDivisionVet Everyone's heard of the extended-range Chevrolet Volt and all-electric Nissan Leaf, and many know about Tesla Motors, maker of that lightning-quick electric roadster. But there's another California startup with an all-electric car close to production that most of the public is unaware of: Coda. The car itself is simply called the Coda sedan. It's based on a heavily modified two-generations-ago Mitsubishi Lancer, and, honestly, it doesn't look like much from the outside. Certainly it made few waves at the LA Auto Show last week. There was just one on display and it was locked, so I couldn't even get a close look at the interior, let alone a test drive. (Read: "LA Auto Show: EV newcomers Wheego and Coda provide alternatives to Nissan Leaf.") http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2632826/posts
News of this car has been quietly kicking around since Mar 2010. In that time. the expected price has varied between $30K and $45K. ~$12K more than the Leaf. Apparently first sales will be strictly limited to SoCal and Hawaii. Which would the pricing be; gutsy, stupid, or sly like a fox? CODA ramps up electric car manufacturing in China with new $394M Interestingly, the electric motor and gearbox are US made. That means that the completed chassis can be imported as a kit car/"car parts"! Final assembly incorporating Chinese made lithium-ion batteries will be in SoCal, probably OC. Coda Latest EV Hopeful to Target California for Plant Electric Car Start-Up, Coda, Will Sell Cars With New Business Model Following the Coda's progress towards marketability is real roller coaster ride: With its proprietary battery and thermal management system, Coda estimates a 40 percent increase in usable energy that any other EV in its class. The only way this could occur is if CODA is allowing a much wider range of SOC, a condition that other EV makers avoid. "Starting today [9/21/10] you can plunk down $499 for a refundable deposit to be among the first to buy a Coda the electric car that comes billed as having more range than just about any of the other electric on the way. But don't think this is going to an easy road for Coda. The California startup is pricing its all-electric sedan at $44,900 before federal and state tax incentives. That's substantially higher than Nissan's Leaf electric car at $32,780 including delivery." Electric Coda sedan vows longer range, but higher price "But a small Californian firm yesterday pushed its own compact all- electric car launch back from next month to sometime in the third quarter of 2011. And we think that puts them in a tough and scary position. The announcment from Coda Automotive that its 2011 Coda Sedan won't hit the streets until late 2011 comes a week after both the firm's senior vice president of sales & marketing and the CEO resigned. CODA has said little about the reasons behind this, except that it wishes to make sure the quality of its car is as high as possible." CODA Delays Rollout of Electric Car Coda has worked out a deal with Hertz to position the Coda at its rental locations. Hertz to Add CODA Electric Sedans to SoCal Rental Fleet "Coda also plans to launch first in the California market, with a sales strategy that mirrors Apple’s and is similar to Tesla’s. It will open about 17 storefronts in high-traffic malls over the next year, according to spokesman Matt Sloustcher, giving visitors a chance to check out the car and learn about electric cars in a no-pressure sales environment. California is a first-launch state for most electric cars given high gas prices and a progressive stance on cleantech. And it offers a $5,000 tax credit for electric car buyers — combined with the $7,500 federal credit, that knocks $12,500 off the price tag. The sales strategy doesn’t impress analyst Grose, who says that cars a much tougher sell than iPods. But the key to Coda’s future may well be in fleet sales. The company is targeting 40 to 50 percent of its planned 14,000 sales in the next year to go to fleets. GM does big business in fleet sales (think police cars and rental services), and recently landed a deal with GE to supply the company with 12,000 electric cars by 2015, underscoring the importance of fleets sales in electric car adoption. Coda recently announced a deal for 100 of its sedans with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and hired new fleet sales executives with backgrounds in GE, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler." Can Coda steal sales from the backlogged Nissan Leaf? "In California, Hertz and other fleet owners can receive up to $20,000 in tax incentives for zero emmission commercial vehicles. Also, the federal government is offering rebates from $2,500 to $7,500 to EV purchsers." http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101122/OEM05/101129977/1429 So the price may be set based primarily on fleet sales, not open market, general consumer considerations. Would that qualify as sly like a fox? As a fleet vehicle, you would expect the car to lack many bells and whistles. As for what those amenities that might be lacking, here's a list for the base model, fleet intended Prius.
I am not sure what the legal definition of "fleet" is or whether it varies by state as to eligibility for purchase, but as a business owner you can buy "fleet". And "business owner" is a pretty broad term. There are a lot of sole proprietors and LLCs out there.
