GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

On April 20th Nissan opened up the registration process for consumers wishing to buy or lease the all electric car when it first becomes available in their area.

Nissan stated there were 117,000 US people on their handraiser list who had expressed interest in the car by registering on their website.

Emails were sent out to the whole group offering them a chance to reserve an early spot for the car in exchange for a $99 fully refundable deposit. The registration process took the user’s credit card and allowed them to choose either the base model for $349/month lease or $32,780 or an upgraded SL trim including a trickle charging solar panel spoiler for $33,780.

So how many people put their money where their mouth was?

“As of this morning,” Nissan spokesperson Katherine Zachary told GM-Volt, “6,635 consumers have reserved a Nissan LEAF.”

“We had 2,700 reservations in the first three hours,” Dave Mingle, Nissan’s senior director for customer management and business strategy told Wired. “It exceeded what we expected, though we knew from what the hand-raisers were telling us this is an exceptionally passionate crowd.”

Interest was strongest in the so-called smile states of the coasts and Texas. The car will initially only be available in California, Oregon, Seattle, Phoenix-Tucson and east-central Tennessee when it first rolls out in December. Nissan has said it will roll out nationwide in 2011.

In a poll of GM-Volt.com readers, only 21% said they would be reserving a LEAF on April 20th, with 70% stating they had no interest at all.

I also asked AutoblogGreen to run a similar poll. There 21% said they had reserved a LEAF, 23% said they were waiting to give GM money for a Volt, and 56% they were still waiting for the EV market to mature.

Reservations will open to the greater population on May 15th.

Nissan will begin deliveries of its LEAF pure electric car in selected US markets at the end of this year.

We didn’t talk much about this car until early last year when it was unveiled.  The car represents Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn’s vision for the future of his company and his belief that demand will be strong.

Though both Nissan and GM state we should not compare the LEAF and the Volt because they are in different categories, comparisons in the media are rife and frankly, inevitable.  Both cars will compete for sales to the early adopters and represent the country’s first steps off of oil.

Despite its arrival in the public eye a full two years after the Volt concept, Nissan has approached the LEAF’s launch quite differently from GM and now appears considerably ahead in transparency over the purchase process. The company has been signing up interested hand-raisers on their website, http://NissanUSA.com, and as of today report more than 115,000 in the US have registered.  In contrast, this site has registered just over 51,000 handraisers, and GM’s official site, anonymous sources indicate, has around 41,000.  There may also well be some overlap between the two Volt lists.

Today Nissan will begin accepting refundable $99 reservation deposits on the $25,280 LEAF, giving those on their early adopter list priority. Only those who had registered on the Nissan site by today will be able to register.  Open registration starts on May 15th. The car will not roll out nationwide until 2011.

Emails from Nissan will go out between 1PM and 6PM ET today giving registrants an exclusive link to place their deposit by credit card, configure their car, answer profile questions and to indicate their dealer of choice.

Yes we are Volt fans here, but I suspect many among us may also be on Nissan’s list. After all despite a one month earlier launch date, and two year earlier unveiling, GM has yet to release the Volt’s price or its intention to reward early supporters by allowing an early purchase option of the car.  Also, some among us may want both a Volt and a LEAF for their two car household.  Availability of both cars should be limited for most of 2011 anyway, so getting one’s hands on either may be a challenge.

So are you the LEAF list and reserving your car today?

It is hard to believe how far they have come. Just four and a half years ago Aptera (then Accelerated Composites) introduced us to a three wheel, 330 MPG hybrid concept, priced at around $20,000. At the time of the announcement, the prototype was “approximately half completed,” but would be fully completed in a couple months, with production up to 1,500 cars in the first year, and full production running in 2 to 3 years.

Well, I guess they haven’t come that far after all.

Aptera starting taking customer’s deposits long ago, promising deliveries in late 2008. When that didn’t happen, they reassured customers that everything was still OK with the company, but production had been pushed back to October 2009. They also noted that customer’s deposits were safely tucked in a escrow account, fully refundable if requested. However, they were also offering customers the ‘opportunity’ to convert to a non-refundable deposit (that they could use as they pleased) in exchange for some future incentives discounts. Lucky day!

As we know, no vehicles were produced by October 2009, and Aptera, possibly punch drunk from missed deadlines at the time, just issued a more ambiguous ‘it is coming sometime in 2010′ release. That is until now. Finally, those locked in deposit holders will get a date they can expect their cars! Right? Nope.

Production is now scheduled for 11 months after…wait for it…after they go through a couple more rounds of funding. /behold the white flag has been waved

Related to the funding issue, Aptera originally sought some $75 million in ATVM loans, and had reportedly been turned down because of its 3 wheeled configuration that made it ineligible. But thanks to couple self-interested members of Congress, that benchmark was changed, and now Aptera has now come back to the table, but with a $184 million dollar request fresh in hand. I am assuming they have now realized it is expensive to build cars.

The new loan application is a long shot at best, there is still the sticky point of being considered viable for the term of the loan, which at 25 years, is probably 20+ years too long, even by Aptera’s own admission. According to CEO Paul Wilbur, “Aptera can only compete thanks to federal loans,” and those funds should get them through the next five years. /foot meet bullet

As for the car itself, this week we got a look at the new-new production intent Aptera 2e, a freshly reshaped homogeneous blob of its former self. This new, less appealing version of its former self also now apparently only gets 200Wh/mile, up from a estimated 80 Wh/mile.

Current information gleaned from the demonstration drive (no test drives please…come back in May) in Carlsbad, CA this week put the expected range at 100 miles from a 20 kWh pack from A123; but then again maybe it will get “nearly 200 miles” according to a conflicting press release from electric motor producer Remy International a day later. This is the kind of thing we have grown to expect following this car.

Looking for insight into the specifications, pricing and delivery of the 2e, you will find that
Aptera’s site is mostly full of tidbits like “…two carefully placed cup holders will welcome even the most enormous cup of Joe,” however it does reference the fact the car will offer “over 100 miles per charge” if you dig deep enough into the reservation system.

Currently, I am at a loss as to the reason for this car to exist at all. It made marginal sense when it was to come to market as a relatively inexpensive 2 seat alternative to the Tesla roadster in 2008, but now with the Nissan Leaf committed to delivering its own 100 mile BEV to customers later this year at $25,000 (after rebates), and with the Chevy Volt/Mitsubishi i-MiEV both also moving product in North America in 2011 ahead of the 2e, why would one buy a Aptera 2e? Maybe to cement your Über-nerd status with your peers at UC Berkeley? Seems like a small demographic to sell to.

If Star Trek is a good indicator of the future, at least the 2e will be in production by the year 2250. /sounds about right to me

We are here because we want to wean off of oil. GM is to be applauded for bringing the Volt to fruition. So too should Nissan be praised for trying to make the Leaf pure EV a mainstream vehicle.  Even though they are in different segments, the two cars and the categories they represent will compete for the hearts, minds and wallets of the early adopters, and eventually the mass market.  Aaron Bragman is a leading automotive research analyst with IHS Global Insight in Troy Michigan, who is frequently quoted in the media. I asked him whether he thinks Volt or Leaf will wind up being more popular.  He shares with us the following insights:

There really isn’t any data yet on the popularity of either Leaf or Volt, as of course neither is on the market yet. We’re also not really a consumer market research firm, so we don’t track things like “desirability” like some of the other organizations do.

However, we often do comprehensive market studies and analysis for clients, and have basically come up with a few conclusions about both vehicles.

1. Leaf is likely to look very appealing to many, but only make practical sense for a few.

It’s not an urban car, as most urban dwellers have nowhere to charge it. There’s no plugs in the high-rise garages in New York, or the street parking in Chicago. If you live out in the country and commute to work in the city, you have to be sure you live within the vehicle’s 100 mile range, or have to make sure you can charge it when you get to work. Leaf will make the most sense for suburban dwellers who go from point A to point B commutes out in the suburbs, where they can either charge it at work or stick within their 100 mile range for the entirety of their commute, and charge it in a garage at home nightly. Volt, on the other hand, has no range anxiety issues at all, and is likely to both appeal to and be usable by a much wider range of consumers than Leaf. It’s also a bigger vehicle, which is also likely to appeal to Americans, who are not yet entirely sold on small cars in big numbers.

2. Neither car has a price advantage.

Leaf may be $25K after tax rebates, but it is not usable as an only car. Anyone who owns a Leaf will almost certainly have to own a second vehicle for longer trips, or be very familiar with their local rental car companies or ZipCar outlet. Either way, this is an added expense. Generally not talked about is the home charger system that Leaf buyers will also have to have installed, at a cost of several thousand dollars, if they want to charge their Leaf in anything under 9 hours. Consider that a 100 mile range is roughly about 1/4 of a tank of gasoline in a conventional sedan (or less in an SUV), which is right about the time where most people stop to fuel their vehicle. That range anxiety is likely to be a factor for the Leaf buyers who are not early-adopter types. Volt, on the other hand, can be used as an only car, as it can make long-distance treks as easily as short around-town hops, without any worry of range anxiety. You do not have to buy a second car if you buy a Volt.

Volt may be more expensive initially, but given that people pay $30,000+ for a Toyota Prius, I doubt that people will balk at paying $35K+ for a Volt, which has gotten even more press and hype than the Prius, especially if is viewed as novel and cutting-edge. The price of Volt is also likely to come down quite a bit for the second and third generations, as GM concentates mainly on taking cost out of the battery pack and expanding use of the Voltec system to other vehicles globally.

All in all, I think Leaf is a fantastic car that will have very limited appeal due to the limitations of both the vehicle and the American infrastructure. Volt will have some of those similar challenges, in terms of infrastructure, but it is not being billed as an urban runabout like Leaf is. It may be more expensive initially, but I think the greater utility of the Volt and its ability to be used by a greater sampling of consumers will make it the more popular choice long-term.

One of the more dramatic elements of Nissan’s Leaf EV pricing announcement is the remarkably low lease price of $349 per month.  Consider that the MINI E is being leased for $850 per month, and the Leaf is a much more-refined, feature-filled and road-ready vehicle.

Also take into account that the average driver driving 1000 miles per month, at $3 per gallon of gas, and 25 mpg, will save about $100 per month in fuel costs by using electricity.

So how has Nissan created such a striking number?

The trick is that they have incorporated the $7500 federal tax credit into the lease payment.

In the case of the Leaf, when a person leases the car, it is actually being bought by Nissan, who will then get the $7500 tax credit from the government.

“Since Nissan is technically the owner of a vehicle that is leased,” says Nissan spokesperson Katherine Zachary.  “Nissan will receive the $7,500 tax credit.”

“Nissan will apply the benefit of that tax credit into the lease price, which is why we’re able to offer the $349 lease price,” she added.

Aside from state taxes, which the $349 payment doesn’t include, monthly lease payments are otherwise composed of two main components; the depreciation payment, and the finance payment.  Nissan hasn’t disclosed the the Leaf’s 36 month residual value, nor the APR of the deal’s financing.

If there were no tax credit, the Leaf would lease for $558 per month.

BMW has not offered to contribute the $7500 tax credit into its $850 per month MINI E lease for the current 450 US drivers.  They have offered current drivers, one of which I am, the opportunity for a second year lease at $600 per month, with the option to lease the upcoming BMW Active E electric 1-series after that.

It isn’t clear if BMW will be receiving the $7500 per vehicle tax credit for the MINI Es, and BMW spokespersons have not yet responded to requests for comment.

GM having not yet priced the Volt, also has the opportunity to price the tax credit into a creative lease as well.  We shall see.

For what its worth, I declined a second year lease on my MINI E.  For me its Volt or Bust!

Honda CR-Z

In the early days after the Volt concept was first unveiled, Honda stood out as being particularly hesitant to embrace the idea of electric cars. In fact their CEO at the time, Takeo Fukui, went on record saying he saw “no value in developing plug-in cars.” He also publicly disparaged the Volt concept calling it “a battery electric vehicle equipped with an unnecessary fuel engine and fuel tank.”

By Spring 2009 he had completely changed his tune when he made the announcement of a lithium-ion battery joint venture with GS Yuasa. In the fall of 2009 Honda unveiled their very own city car EV concept.

Now according to anonymous sources the company is testing its own extended range electric car design.

Honda has so far largely put its resources into developing hybrids.  Last year they brought the second-generation Insight to market.  The $20,000 car is small, slow and offers lackluster driving experience.  Along with a mild hybrid design and 40 mpg|41 mpg EPA fuel economy, sales numbers have been low, only about 25% of the 100,000 per year in North America that Honda projected.  Coming in just around $2000 less than a 50 MPG more powerful base Prius hasn’t helped either.

Honda is now releasing a new hybrid sports coupe called the CR-Z which has already sold 10,000 copies in its first month in Japan.  It is not available in the US yet. Those sales figures are surprising in that the car is a 2-seater with a 122 hp engine, only does 0 to 6 in 8.3 seconds and obtains 36 mpg city | 38 mpg highway using a 1.5L mild hybrid IMA system with a continuously variable transmission.  Honda executives were unsure if it was worth building at all.

Now according to inside sources, Honda is already developing a higher power next generation CR-Z, and of particular interest to us, an EREV drivetrain.  The next gen CR-Z would utilize a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine with mild IMA hybridization, and offer improved performance as well as four seats.

The EREV drivetrain employs a gas engine and electric motor and is said by the insider to be intended for use in medium to large passenger cars as well as SUVs.   The design is said to contain a third capacitor-based range extending component:

Honda would employ an engine and electric motor setup, which, when all the stored electricity is used, would automatically switch to an on-board capacitor that would further extended its range.

The drivetrain is apparently set to first appear in the next generation Accord.

If this report is true it would be very substantial, as it represents the first major carmaker other than GM planning to offer an EREV as a high volume mainstream vehicle.

Source (MotorTrend)