Official Coda Electric Car thread

[GRA]

Still, I think the biggest problem with the Coda is the body styling. It just looks too dull and outdated for a car in its price range. Some people may buy it for its range but I can't see it hitting mass market unless they come up with a better body style.

Yeah, I saw one in person at the Silicon Valley auto show recently. I wasn't too impressed w/the styling.

No one's impressed with the styling. My personal take is that I spend the majority of my time inside a car looking out rather than outside looking at it, so exterior styling plays a relatively small part in my buying decisions as I'm more concerned with how well I can see out of it. But I'm a pretty serious 'form follows function' person.

Yes - with zero history, made in China stamp and major questions about viability of the company - Coda would have to aggressively sell to fleets. Difficult to imagine too many consumers buying Coda.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't buy one because of the viability issue. For me, it'd have to be from one of the major established automakers that currently sells in the US.

Which is why they need to lease them. It's a shame, because if Codas had been introduced in say 2010 at their current price, they might have taken a lot of the 'gotta have a BEV now' market and gotten themselves established (assuming they didn't fall apart or break down regularly), and the bar for range@price point would have been set higher for Nissan, Ford etc. There will be a few people willing and able to take the $40k plunge, who really want an EV and need the extra range. It's certainly the only current BEV that would even marginally meet my range/price needs.

 

[Herm]

The slider is from China, but what could possibly be wrong with it?.. rust?.. the other components are from reputable companies such as UQM and so on.. thats the stuff to worry about if the company goes belly up and takes your warranty with it.

Its not a China risk but the risk of a small auto manufacturer.

 

[Herm]

Batteries from Lishen Power Battery, China. Here is the rest in a picture:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/06/coda-20090603.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

" Pack development.. The Coda team worked with Porsche Engineering, Energy CS and Lishen on the development of the vehicle chassis and the battery pack. On the pack side, the team worked from the cell design all the way through module and pack assembly to thermal management and battery management systems. Coda own or co-owns all of the technology developed in the purpose-built system.

The Coda-Lishen battery joint venture has teamed with a US battery company and filed an application with the Department of Energy to receive funding to build a battery manufacturing facility in the US.

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."

 

[electricfuture]

Even better case for Coda: They sell a few cars, enough to prove concept, then are bought by a late-to-the-game large car company who needs Coda's battery and control technology. Coda ceases to exist as a separate company within one year. Actual decent EV at a realistic price point is released for 2014 model year by said large car company. Coda execs and VC money guys retire to Tahiti.

I agree with this. The battery technology is the real deal here - not the Chinese car. I saw the car at the San Diego Auto Show and noticed it was comparable with the Chinese "Cherry" I saw many moons ago in that the body metal is much heavier than everyone else including Mercedes. So it appears that the battery weight is comparable to the Leaf, but with longer range and suitable for colder climates without energy consuming and weight adding temperature regulation.

If CODA tanks and I think it will, Nissan would be smart to buy up CODA's battery technology and put it in the Leaf. The Leaf would probably wind up with more range than the CODA due to the overall lighter vehicle weight.

 

[Herm]

Nissan has their own tech and history of development, unfortunately Coda engineers had better sense. What auto manufacturer is left without native EV tech?.. Mazda perhaps.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Coda has the largest automotive market in the world combined with the greatest emission issues in the world. they are not going anywhere.

 

[GRA]

Coda has the largest automotive market in the world combined with the greatest emission issues in the world. they are not going anywhere.

I suspect that BYD et al, are the ones who aren't going anywhere. Coda is competing here, and currently only here, as a U.S. company.

I agree with this. The battery technology is the real deal here - not the Chinese car. I saw the car at the San Diego Auto Show and noticed it was comparable with the Chinese "Cherry" I saw many moons ago in that the body metal is much heavier than everyone else including Mercedes. So it appears that the battery weight is comparable to the Leaf, but with longer range and suitable for colder climates without energy consuming and weight adding temperature regulation.

If CODA tanks and I think it will, Nissan would be smart to buy up CODA's battery technology and put it in the Leaf. The Leaf would probably wind up with more range than the CODA due to the overall lighter vehicle weight.

The Coda battery pack weighs ~1,000 lb., which is right in the ballpark for what you'd expect for a 50% larger LiMn2O4 pack, but somewhat lighter than you'd expect for a LiFePO4 pack which has lower energy density. OTOH, assuming their claim for only a 7% capacity loss after 100k miles is accurate, they may have more real-world range after a few years than a comparable LiMnOx pack. I still want to see the test conditions for which this 7% loss was recorded, as well as temperature effects on this chemistry.

 

[GRA]

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/coda-sedan-awaits-final-epa-nhtsa-certification-35915.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Rusty]

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/coda-sedan-awaits-final-epa-nhtsa-certification-35915.html

The article says it must have EPA and NHTSA certification before it can be legally sold. Sure, we know the Leaf, Volt, and Karma were held up for EPA stickers. No sticker no sale. But the Leaf and Volt certainly went on sale before NHTSA was done (I don't recall hearing on the Karma). My recall is when they went on sale the NHTSA was saying they weren't even going to be *doing* testing on them!

So is this article just wrong in saying the all cars (and hence the Coda) must pass NHTSA testing before selling, or has the NHTSA singled out the Coda specifically saying it must pass testing before selling, or is the article just plain wrong and NHTSA has nothing to do with it?

 

[ENIAC]

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/coda-sedan-awaits-final-epa-nhtsa-certification-35915.html

The article says it must have EPA and NHTSA certification before it can be legally sold. Sure, we know the Leaf, Volt, and Karma were held up for EPA stickers. No sticker no sale. But the Leaf and Volt certainly went on sale before NHTSA was done (I don't recall hearing on the Karma). My recall is when they went on sale the NHTSA was saying they weren't even going to be *doing* testing on them!

So is this article just wrong in saying the all cars (and hence the Coda) must pass NHTSA testing before selling, or has the NHTSA singled out the Coda specifically saying it must pass testing before selling, or is the article just plain wrong and NHTSA has nothing to do with it?

It's just wrong. The Tesla Roadster never had an EPA sticker. There are exceptions for low volume vehicles.

 

[TomT]

I don't believe that Coda is going for that exemption since they plan to build more than that. The low volume limit is pretty small...

It's just wrong. The Tesla Roadster never had an EPA sticker. There are exceptions for low volume vehicles.

 

[Herm]

Why would a BEV need EPA approval?.. brake fluid leakage?

 

[Rusty]

Why would a BEV need EPA approval?

MPGe would be my guess...

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

enough bantering!! has anyone seen a Coda out running around? has anyone bought one?

 

[TimeHorse]

enough bantering!! has anyone seen a Coda out running around? has anyone bought one?

Saw one at the display at the DC auto show but my heart wasn't in it this year as I already have my LEAF and was busy planning the Capital LEAFs meetup which we did earlier today.

Hopefully, some of my EVA/DC compatriots took pictures or asked more questions. Personally I'm gutted that President Obama was there only hours before my shift to talk up the Electric Vehicles as an exhibitor.

 

[Herm]

Personally I'm gutted that President Obama was there only hours before my shift to talk up the Electric Vehicles as an exhibitor.

Dont take it so hard, he is just a politician ..

 

[MrIanB]

This car looks like a Suzuki overpriced at over 40k. Sorry but if I am going to spend that kind of money, the look has to stand out.

Only time will tell if they succeed or fold but this look has got to be tweaked.

Just my 2 cents, loving my 2011 Leaf SL.

Ian B

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

This car looks like a Suzuki overpriced at over 40k. Sorry but if I am going to spend that kind of money, the look has to stand out.

Only time will tell if they succeed or fold but this look has got to be tweaked.

Just my 2 cents, loving my 2011 Leaf SL.

Ian B

actually i can accept the price due to the extra range which seems to be "needed" by many i talk to (my personal feeling is that they are out of touch with their needs!!)

but unlike Nissan and other known auto manufacturers, its gonna be a tough sell. they should have looked at the Hyundai/Kia model and introduced cars at dirt cheap prices until they got enough customer satisfaction traction first. to put it out at market prices pretty insured they have a long hard road ahead.

 

[Stanton]

enough bantering!! has anyone seen a Coda out running around? has anyone bought one?

Saw one at a Smart Grid show in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago (along with a couple of Volts and some 480v BLiNK charging stations--but no Leafs--never seen a Leaf at a trade show which suggests to me they really ARE scarce). Anyway, looked like a plain vanilla 4-door family sedan, right down to the J1772 port where the gas cap would be. I think their multiple range options are nice, but the car doesn't carry the features (or look) of a Leaf for a bit higher price tag.

 

[KJD]

The Coda web site says that the car will cost about $40,000 with a 34kwh battery pack.
http://app.codaautomotive.com/CarConfigurator" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Compare that with a Tesla Model S at $49,000 with a 40kwh battery pack.
http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Tesla is made in USA and the Coda is made in China.

The Tesla is beautiful and the Coda is well ..........

Easy choice for me.