Miles EV launches Coda Automotive for full speed electric sedan w/VIDEO
by Sam Abuelsamid on Jun 3rd 2009 at 3:54PM 
click above for a high res gallery of the Code EV sedan
Today, Miles EV announced that the full speed electric car that it has been developing for the last several years will bear the new Coda Automotive brand. The Coda sedan will be assembled in China by Hafei under the direction of staff from Coda. The new car is based on an existing Hafei chassis that has been heavily re-engineered by Porsche Engineering. The car is powered by a UQM electric motor driving the front wheels with energy storage via lithium iron phosphate battery pack.
The 34 kWh pack will use cells provided by Chinese battery maker Lishen. Coda and Lishen are forming an joint venture for battery manufacturing and hope to eventually produce batteries in the U.S. Coda and an unnamed partner have applied for a DOE loan under the ATVM program to build battery packs in the U.S. Coda expects real world range to be about 90-120 miles depending on driving conditions. The Coda will go on sale in 2010 with factory direct sales at a price of $45,000 before incentives. Following a 200-fleet test in the summer of that year, Coda will be offered to the public starting in the fall. You can read more about the car itself here. Check out the video after the jump.
Gallery: Coda EV sedan
[Source: Coda Automotive]
Coda Automotive Unveils Mainstream All-Electric Sedan
Announces Global JV with Lishen to Develop Automotive Grade Battery Systems
Santa Monica, CA – June 3, 2009 – Coda Automotive, formed and developed under the stewardship of entrepreneur Miles Rubin (known for his marketing and sales of low-speed, electric fleet vehicles under the Miles Electric Vehicles brand), today announced that it will be introducing an affordable, full performance all-electric sedan to the mainstream California market in 2010. Additionally, the company, which has an existing long-term sourcing contract with Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co., Ltd., (Lishen) for lithium-ion batteries used in the Coda, announced the establishment of a global joint venture with Lishen to design, manufacture and sell transportation and utility power storage battery systems.
As a new automotive company, Coda Automotive's focus will be on branding, designing and manufacturing fully safety compliant, all-electric cars capable of mainstream performance and highway use. Scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2010 in California, the four-door, five-passenger, fully-equipped mid-size Coda sedan will be available for $45,000 (mid-$30,000s after including a $7,500 Federal tax credit and additional state incentives). Powered by a 333V lithium-ion battery with a real-world range of 90 to 120 miles depending on individual driving habits, the Coda sedan travels far enough between charges to satisfy 94% of daily driving routines. The onboard charger plugs into any 110 or 220V standard outlet and completes a full charge in less than six hours at a 220V service. Charging the battery for a 40-mile commute can be completed in two hours.
"The Coda sedan is an all-electric vehicle for everyone," said Kevin Czinger, President and CEO, Coda Automotive. "It's a practical revolution for real drivers who need reliable transportation."
The battery system is the chief enabling technology for electric cars and Coda has established its strategic position in the development and commercialization of automotive grade battery systems through the joint venture with Lishen. Lishen is one of the world's largest manufacturers of lithium-ion cells and a key supplier to Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Vodafone, among others. The joint venture's manufacturing facility is located within Lishen's existing manufacturing complex in Tianjin, China, thus accelerating the company's ability to commercialize the battery system and bring an all-electric car to the mass market. Plans have been made to establish capacity in the U.S. in partnership with a U.S. battery company.
"The uncertainty of battery supply is an issue that plagues many electric vehicle manufacturers today," explains Czinger. "This long-term agreement has enabled us to design an integrated battery system with an existing world-class partner with mass manufacturing capacity. That enables us to rapidly industrialize Coda's power system for commercial volume production and to scale the business. Eventually, we expect to manufacture batteries in the U.S."
Coda's internal team, along with specialized U.S. and European engineering partners, oversee the manufacturing process to ensure that Coda vehicles are built to Western safety specifications and market expectations. This includes vehicle body design, safety engineering, the design and engineering of the battery pack, battery management system and power electronics, and additional engineering to integrate an electric vehicle drivetrain (comprised primarily of Tier 1 U.S.-based supplier components) into the chassis. The Coda sedan is engineered to be FMVSS complaint, and based on existing crash test results the company expects a four or five-Star NCAP crash rating.
Coda Automotive employs a creative, open and flexible variable cost/low capital expenditure business model. The company has a core team of engineers who work with a network of top-tier partners that provide engineering services and components. The company controls brand, design and IP while teaming with established large-scale manufacturers and assemblers to avoid the most capital intensive aspect of the car business. Coda's manufacturing partner, Hafei, is an established state-owned Chinese manufacturer of automobiles and airplanes and has delivered more than one-million vehicles and currently produces two-hundred thousand vehicles per year.
Featuring a fraction of the moving parts of a gas-powered vehicle, the Coda sedan is less susceptible to wear-and-tear and never requires an oil change. The company estimates that it will cost less than $3, on average, to drive 100 miles. A comparable gas-powered sedan that gets 20 mpg costs about $17 per 100 miles. Driving a Coda equates to over $2,000 in operation and maintenance savings per year at normal driving rates – that's $20,000 in savings over a ten year period.
The Coda sedan is fully-equipped for comfort, convenience and safety. Factory-standard equipment includes a telematics package, navigation with turn-by-turn directions, a "green screen" that monitors driving efficiency, roadside assistance with an emergency button, a Bluetooth system with an embedded microphone, AM/FM/XM radio with Sirius satellite capability, iPod dock, MP3/USB connectivity, security system, aluminum wheels, and power windows, doors and mirrors. Safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes with electronic stability control and advanced airbags with an occupant detection system. The vehicle is backed by a three-year/36,000 mile warranty.
Coda Automotive employs a direct distribution model, and will sell the vehicle only in the state of California initially. Coda will also perform the vehicle's maintenance and service through an outsourced network comprised of brand name car service partners. Customers interested in purchasing a CODA can register their interest on the new CODA website at HYPERLINK "http://www.codaautomotive.com" www.codaautomotive.com. The company will contact interested customers on a first come, first served basis later this year.
For more information, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.codaautomotive.com" www.codaautomotive.com.
About Coda Automotive: Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Coda Automotive is a manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, highway capable vehicles. Launched in June 2009, the company brands, designs, markets and distributes electric vehicles utilizing a manufacturing partnership strategy which allows Coda Automotive to develop vehicles rapidly in a flexible manner – avoiding the traditionally capital-intensive nature of the automobile business. Coda Automotive's first vehicle, the Coda sedan, will be delivered in the fall of 2010.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
kert 4:37PM (6/03/2009)
What EV1 Mk3 should have been ...
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brn 5:57PM (6/03/2009)
Overpriced and ugly?
ShaunneyCakes 4:44PM (6/03/2009)
I am not feeling the lack of front grill, but overall, a pretty solid looking sedan. Looks very similar to the concept.
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Don J 1:24AM (6/19/2009)
Why have a grille when there is no gas engine to cool and it would screw up the aerodynamics? If anything, I'd rather have it be more streamlined but I'm an engineer that sees beauty in function.
Nick P. 5:03PM (6/03/2009)
Great news. The design is acceptable and the price will go down over time.
These things must come out *before* Mini-EV and Smart-EV if they are to have a fighting chance. Otherwise, the *practical* early adopters will opt for an established brand name.
I hope that Chinese manufacturing will help drive the price down.
Go Miles!
- Nick -
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Rick 5:01PM (6/03/2009)
Everything above the front wheel and forward is horrible. It's like they took a completely normal car and changed the hood and front end to make it look different and instead they ruined it. And it's $45 grand? Wow.
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CascadianPDX 11:16PM (6/12/2009)
I think it looks just a tweak away from looking just fine. It seems to be missing a front bumper.
ninjit 5:44PM (6/03/2009)
Given the target price of ~$45k, why would anyone pick this over the upcoming Tesla Model S (also ~$50k). Assuming they both meet their price targets, the Tesla looks much better, and sounds like a much nicer vehicle (at least, on paper), AND it'll be made in the US - I'm not a stickler for patriotic purchasing or anything, it just seems retarded to buy a crappier imported car (and crappier looking) for the same price as a better one produced within the country you live in.
And besides, isn't the whole point of producing things in China to drop the cost/price of products compared to local manufacturing??
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amtoro 12:13PM (6/04/2009)
The model S will be available at ~$50k after federal incentives of $7,500; this one would be around $37,500 after the same rebates. over $10k is a measurable difference i.m.o
TJ 5:47PM (6/03/2009)
$20,000 over ten years?? Let me see if I got the math straight...
Take a Chinese piece of junk car worth about $8k at most, sell it at $45k and make half the money back after ten years? Doesn't sound like someone crunched the math for the consumer...
And they can keep the ricey rims and fake-Audi LEDs...
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Andrew 5:51PM (6/03/2009)
ninjit, The tesla is only $50,000 after the tax break. So your really comparing a $35,500 to a $50,000. A $15,000 difference is a bit of a stretch for most in that budget....
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Chris M 3:46AM (6/04/2009)
Um, no, that $50,000 price estimate for the Model S is before any tax rebate. So, it looks like the price difference between the Model S and the Coda is $5,000. Of course, those are early estimates, the prices may change before sales and deliveries begin.
Of course, the Tesla S is a better looking car, and will probably have more features and better quality than the Coda. Might be worth the extra bucks.
Andrew 9:14AM (6/04/2009)
A simple visit to TeslaMotors.com will show you the Tesla Model S is " 49,900* " then scroll to bottom of page and Tesla states, " *Price includes $7,500 US federal tax credit. "
Or, for further evidence you can go to the wired article on the Model S and read:
"The Model S will have a list price of $57,400, but the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs and plug-in hybrids will bring that down to $49,900." http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/03/first-look-of-t/
So yes the price does include the 7,500 tax credit and it is Not a $5,000 difference.
And although I agree the Tesla is better looking I am also in the market for an EV and a Coda/Volt/Aptera/iMiEV might just make it into my price range (and many many more than the Model S) while the Model S is way to steep for me. And Tesla has yet to say what is included in that $49,900 price, but if you compare it with the roadster you can't get much without options and upgrades that can increase the price of the Roadster over $25,000.
jpm 6:20PM (6/03/2009)
If this is a green-car forum, why are there a bunch of people crying about car cosmetics!? The car looks average. Does it really matter? What's most important is performance, efficiency, emissions, source of energy...etc.
You know, there are millions upon millions of cars on the road. When there gets to be so many of something, they start to lose their visual appeal because of lack of uniqueness. Also, one spends most of their time INSIDE the car. So interior features are more important after the purchase. So I don't understand everyone on this forum crying about car looks -- seems rather immature. Do you want the car to give you a boner ever time you walk into the garage?
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tim 1:23AM (6/04/2009)
The problem is not a lot of people are going to buy it. EV Innovations will sell you a Toyota Yaris with a 120 mile range for $40k if a 12o mile range Mini that you can own for about $60k. I sat in the same car at an auto show overseas, just wait until the US buyers check s them out, Chinese crap, just like the Yugo. The US car buying public demands quality, end of story.
ShaunneyCakes 8:36AM (6/04/2009)
Look, reality is reality; I do not care about a vehicle which will only sell 15,000-20,000 a year; that is not good enough. I am interested in a vehicle which all of America will want to buy. The average American will not buy a design monstrosity like the Aptera, they want something that looks like it was not designed by a 5 year old after reading "The Grinch." This car is an ok design, nothing more, and for 45,000 Americans want something that is a little more.
wave54 6:26PM (6/03/2009)
There's a bit more info on this page -- top speed, acceleration, features, etc.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/06/coda-20090603.html
What caught my eye was the warranty for the battery pack -- 8 years/100K miles. Considering that expected vehicle life in the US is at least 200K miles before a vehicle hits the salvage yard, will that warranty scare potential buyers off knowing that they're in for a sizable bill if they choose to replace the pack?
I suppose that depends on how usable the original battery is. If the reduction in capacity isn't too severe, it would make no sense to replace it.
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Chris M 3:53AM (6/04/2009)
An 8 year / 100,000 mile warranty is fairly typical of cars now, although there are a few companies offering slightly longer warranties.
With all the quality control problems in China, I just hope the construction quality is sufficient to match the warranty, otherwise that company could wind up with excessive warranty costs and go under.
Andrew 9:26AM (6/04/2009)
I'm actually surprised they warranted the battery for that long as the only highway speed production electric car you can buy (Tesla) didn't backup their 100,000 mile claim and only warranted the vehicle and batteries for 3 years/36,000 miles. (The extra 3 year extended warranty does not cover the battery.)
Snowdog 6:40PM (6/03/2009)
EVs are simply not cost effective until we have a real significant battery breakthrough.
You buy an EV for reasons other than economics (or because you have so much money that economics don't matter).
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