Audi To Build R4 Electric Roadster
via insideline.com
Wow... this is a pretty sweet car. The fact that it is electric is an added bonus. Depending on the price point, this might be a better alternative than the Tesla Roadster.
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tesla roadster
How to get a $42K discount on a Tesla Roadster
via denverpost.com
This is an amazing offer. Some small strings attached - 1. Gotta live in Colorado, 2. Gotta buy a Roadster before the year is up. Still, getting a $109K+ top of the line electric car for less than $70K is a huge win. Hope anyone in Colorado who reads this and has the resources gets in on this.
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"Coda unveils 'practical' all-electric sedan" - But who would want to buy it?
via news.cnet.com
CNET News reports that Coda Automotive, a new electric auto company, is launching a "practical" sedan called The Coda. Though I applaud any alternative energy automobile, this one leaves me wanting more. First, its design is horrible. There are Hyundai's I would rather be seen in than this car. Second, it's not cheap. At $45K, it's more expensive than a BMW 3 Series and just $1K cheaper than a 5 Series! To be fair, The Coda can be up to $10K cheaper with federal and state tax credits/incentives.
Obviously, the "practical" reference in the title of the article suggests that it's making a jab at Tesla Motors. I'll give you that the $100K+ Roadster is a little bit eccentric for most people. However, the Model S is handily a much better car in all facets than The Coda. First off, it's only $5K more expensive. Second, it has room for 7 (5 adults + 2 kids) versus 5. Third, it has more range - 160 miles (expandable to 300!) versus 120 miles. Let's not forget that the Model S does 0-60 in just 5.6 seconds versus almost 11 seconds for The Coda. And lastly, it's just a much more elegantly designed car that compares with the design qualities of higher end car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.
Kudos to you Coda, for adding another choice to the electric car pantheon. I'm still holding out for a Model S.
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bmw
coda automative
electric car
hyundai
lexus
mercedes
tesla motors
tesla roadster
tesla sedan
the coda
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Could electric cars be the new SUVs? Let's hope so.
News came out last week from the Detroit Auto Show that Toyota and Ford will be looking to release pure electric vehicles (not range extending fakers like the Chevy Volt) in the near future - about 2012. It seems to be a theme at this year's show, as all other automakers were releasing some sort of hybrid version of something. The big question is whether next year's show will still have the same focus. As oil prices decline (I paid $1.89 per gallon the other day!), there will be less pressure for consumers to buy fuel efficient cars thus less incentive for automakers to develop new technologies. Do you think a company like Tesla Motors could have been built and funded in an era where gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon? Perhaps, but it wouldn't get as much attention as it does (and deservedly so, the Tesla Roadster is amazing). When you think about it rationally, there are many reasons to want to get a fuel efficient car, the least of which should be to save money. The environment and national security should be the top reasons but often times we only see what's directly affecting our wallets.
UPDATE: As a point of clarification, I don't mean to say that people shouldn't be cost conscious in these difficult times. My point is that not buying a hybrid because it may cost more initially is not a good argument. The cost of buying a hybrid versus a non-hybrid compact or mid-size car is not that great plus the savings in gas over time will minimize that gap even further. If you don't want to buy a hybrid because you need to haul kids, groceries, lumber, etc. that's fine. However, if you're waffling over whether to get a Corolla, Focus, or Jetta, buying a Prius or a Civic Hybrid isn't much of a stretch. Trust me, you'll make that money back in about 4-5 years.
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