"Although Tesla Motors has received most of the attention recently, there's another cool new electric car about to debut in California, and it's surprisingly familiar looking." "Phoenix Motorcars, along with the Tesla Roadster, were on display—and giving out test drives—at the Future in Review 2007 conference this week. Unlike the ground-up electric car built by Tesla Motors, Phoenix Motorcars takes an entirely different approach, which results in a car that looks and drives just like most on the road, at a price within reach of many auto buyers." "The range is only about 135 miles, which is good enough for a daily commute, or running around town, but not for longer trips. However, the company envisions a network of fast charging stations built along major freeways in California; the first one will be installed in San Jose later this year." http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070525/tc_zd/208302
It's great that they're doing this. But I wish news items and boosters would make it clear that this car does not exist yet. You cannot buy it yet. It's scheduled to come out real soon now. Meanwhile I'm driving my Xebra, which is the only electric car you can buy NEW TODAY, outside of California, that goes over 25 mph.
I'm lucky. I'm *in* California. And I'll probably be going to Ontario this November for the CSLA conference. Wonder if I can take a little side trip to visit them. I wonder what they could do with a Prius. As in converting it to plug in with their batteries rather than conventional ones. Or even replacing the current batteries with theirs. Either way you've got a better Prius. I'll have to see what Toyota does with the 2009 remodel. I've got until 2011 when my stickers expire. Then it's a matter of whether I replace my current Prius with a LiIon plug in or wait until there is one. Or wait for ten years and then turn my Prius over to Phoenix Motors and have them convert it to all electric.
I also need to point out that the price of the Tesla is NOT dependent on ZEV credit trading, while the Phoenix pickup must definitely IS. In fact, Phoenix is counting on $200,000 in credit for each vehicle sold! If CARB takes that credit away (well, that's stretching it, since the credit hasn't even been determinited yet!) or changes the proposal, the landscape will look much different indeed! The Phoenix offering will suddenly cost 2.5x as much as the Tesla.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ May 27 2007, 03:24 PM) [snapback]450742[/snapback]</div> Converting a Prius to PHEV is NOT a trivial matter of replacing the battery with a bigger one. There's all sorts of control issues because the HSD does not expect its battery to be charged. There are folks, I gather, doing PHEV conversions. But I doubt that Phoenix would do one.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 27 2007, 10:06 PM) [snapback]450848[/snapback]</div> Now. But we're talking somewhere around 2015. I'll bet there will be someone out there doing it by then if Toyota doesn't have a LiION plug in available.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ May 27 2007, 08:18 PM) [snapback]450856[/snapback]</div> By 2015 there will be so many electric cars on the road that the 2004-2008 Prius will be generally regarded as an irresponsible gas hog. Gas will be so expensive that it will cost you $1 per mile to drive a Prius. The 2015 Prius will be all-electric and will use hypercapacitors to get 1,000 miles on a charge. Every car will have a black box connected by satellite to the government and you'll pay road taxes according to vehicle weight and actual miles travelled, because only Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and GWB will be able to afford to burn gasoline. The black box will also allow for the issuance of speeding tickets and tickets for running a red light; but it will also alert the police if you get mugged or carjacked. But if you want a PHEV conversion NOW, I believe there are people doing it. Just not Phoenix, AFAIK.
