Here comes the competition

[pudgie_child]

In one week's time, Nissan will reportedly unveil not one, not two, but THREE electric cars:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2009/07/report-nissan-to-debut-three-electric-cars-in-august.html

I'm intrigued by the electric "mini-car." If it looks anything like the Micra or the Mixim and gets decent range, sign me up!

[speculawyer]

Nissan has reported its plans to unveil an all new global pure electric car based on this platform in Japan on August 2nd. The car will get 100 miles of range and the company expects to produce 50,000 units globally in the first year. It will be available for sale in certain US markets by the end of 2010 for reportedly a lower monthly cost of ownership than a comparable gas car. Nissan has also been awarded $1.6 billion in loans to build-out a plant for this car in Smyrna Tennessee.

The car will be a compact or C-class hatchback sedan with a distinct electric appearance. It will use a 24 kwh battery pack mated to an 80 kw front mounted motor, and have a top speed of about 90 MPH.

If they can hit all those specs, that will be pretty impressive. 100 miles on 24Kwh pack will require a pretty aerodynamic & light car.

[hill]

Like I've told the good folks of Aptera TIME & TIME & TIME again ...
(to quote Nissan)
"The First Manufacture into the Game has the First Place Lead"

Nissan points to the very successful folks selling the Prius. They're not really the first ... but they ARE the first to really push it hard, developing and manufacturing the most efficient drive system. Now ... can anyone catch them? Can anyone even get CLOSE to catching them?

C'mon Aptera ... be FIRST !!
:character0009:

.

[KarenRei]

If they can hit all those specs, that will be pretty impressive. 100 miles on 24Kwh pack will require a pretty aerodynamic & light car.

They're almost certainly using a very high DoD, like Mitsubishi.

[speculawyer]

They're almost certainly using a very high DoD, like Mitsubishi.
It has got to be a lot more than just that. Well, we'll see soon.

Their 10 year old entry, the Nissan Altra EV, got 100 miles with a 32.8 KWH pack (0.345KV*95Amp-hour). To get the same range performance from a pack 3/4s that size (24Kwh) will require lots of the standard optimizations (much more aerodynamic, lightweight materials, smaller size, low rolling resistance wheels, power-conserving electronics, LED lighting, etc.).

I hope they really pull it off. If gas hits $4+/gallon again soon there could really be a sea-change towards EVs.

[rayfellow]

I have the feeling that the economists in the OPEC have come up with a price per barrel between $50 and $80. They can manipulate the price to some degree by controlling the supply. The puts the price at the pump in the US at $2.50 per gallon. At that price, I will continue to drive my old Honda (25 to 30 mpg) until it drops.

How I wish there were the political back bone to tax gasoline a dollar a gallon. If gas was $3.50 or $4.00 a gallon, I would be seriously shopping the EV alternative.

[jhm614]

EV looks like the only way I can significantly reduce my carbon footprint. So my next vehicle decision will be based on EV spec, availability and price -- irregardless of the price of gas. If there is an EV with highway speed (at least 75 mph), a 75 mile range, for 25K (after tax credits) and it's availabe in Texas, that will be my next car. The manufacture doesn't matter -- ideally, I'd like to buy American -- Aperta or (maybe) Ford but I would buy an EV even if were Japanese. I won't need to replace my current Mini for another 2 - 3 years but I would replace it earlier than that if an EV that meets my criteria hits the market.

[paddler13]

I should be so lucky to be paying $2.50/gal, we haven't seen the underside of $3/gal in ages. Also, it isn't supply pushing the price up these days as much as speculation, there is actually plenty of oil in the market right now, but speculators are driving prices up.