by Laura Hampson, Palm Beach Post, August 15, 2010
At the turn of the 20th century, drivers grew accustomed to putting gasoline in their cars instead of feeding their horses. Now several car manufacturers are hoping you won’t mind plugging in your car instead of filling it up at the pump.
But with slow speeds and high prices, mainstream America has not embraced electric cars. Most major car manufacturers and several smaller start-up manufacturers are racing to create an all-electric car capable of hitting the highway without breaking the bank.
Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Ford have announced plans to produce highway-speed electric cars within the next year.
The Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is racing to be the first all-electric car capable of highway speeds from a major manufacturer. The mid-size hatchback will drive 100 miles on one charge and seat five, according to Nissan. It will retail for about $32,780 and is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.
Steve Cobb, Leaf sales consultant at Royal Palm Nissan, said the dealership expects to receive a demo car in January. The cars will be available for purchase in South Florida by April, he said.
The Leaf can reach 90 mph and will cost less than $3 for a full charge, he said. Nissan has been working on the Leaf for 17 years, Cobb said.
A navigation system will come standard on the Leaf and it will guide drivers to nearby charging stations, said Angela Montoya, Internet sales director at Royal Palm Nissan. Charging stations will be installed at the dealership as well as buyers’ homes, she said.
Online reservations, made with a $99 refundable fee, opened in April. Montoya said the reservation also asks several questions to determine whether the Leaf fits the customer’s driving needs. The Leaf is designed for people who drive within the 100-mile range every day. Just like gas-powered cars, the dashboard will display when the car needs to be recharged.
The Volt
While the Volt is not powered by electric alone, Chevrolet said it can be a primary car because of the approximately 340-mile total range.
For about the first 40 miles, the Volt is powered by electricity from its lithium-ion battery. When the battery runs low, the gas-powered engine switches on to generate electricity, providing another 300 miles on a full tank. It is powered by electricity at all times, but is emissions-free only while using battery power.
The four-passenger sedan can reach 100 mph. Chevrolet estimates that drivers who commute 60 miles a day could save about 550 gallons of gas per year, compared with a similar-sized car averaging 30 miles per gallon.
Chevrolet said it will produce 10,000 Volts by the end of 2011 and an additional 30,000 in 2012.
Before receiving Volts, dealerships will install 240-volt charging stations.
The Whip LiFe
Atlanta-based Wheego might beat the big boys to the punch with its second car, the Whip LiFe. The all-electric car can reach 65 mph and will ship starting Sept. 1. It seats two and has a range of about 100 miles on one charge, according to Wheego.
“We hope to be the first affordable all-electric solution,” said Susan Nicholson, manager of public relations for Wheego Electric Cars.
Many electric cars on the U.S. market are also not capable of highway speeds. The GEM car from Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars division can go up to 25 mph and doesn’t meet the same safety requirements as faster cars. It can go about 40 miles on a charge and costs about $13,000.
The California-based Zap Xebra can reach speeds of 40 mph and has three wheels, which legally makes it a motorcycle. It can go about 25 miles on a charge and retails for about $12,000. The Tesla Roadster, in production since 2008, can reach 125 mph, but retails for more than $100,000.
Several manufacturers have electric cars in production stages or have cars available only in Europe. Daimler began testing electric Smart cars in London in 2007; it says they will be mass-produced in the U.S. starting in 2012.
The Wheego LiFe will retail for about $35,990, with air conditioning and delivery. It qualifies for the maximum tax incentive of $7,500, which brings the price down to about $28,490. Wheego began taking reservations, with a $100 refundable fee, in June. The cars are assembled in California.
