Written by Michael Morin
Posted in Environment

A lithium ion battery gives the Leaf a range of about 100 miles and requires a dedicated charging station to bring the battery back up to full charge. Ninety percent of daily trips in the US total 30-50 miles a day, so the Leaf’s 10 mile range should not be an issue unless you have to go out of town. In the event a longer trip is required, Nissan has been talking about subsidizing a car rental for Leaf owners, although no figures have been announced. With federal and state tax incentives, the Leaf should sell for around $25,000, making it competitive with many conventional cars. (www.nissanusa.com/leaf)

Chevrolet’s promised all electric car for the masses, the four-door Volt, has undergone a major change since it was first proposed two years ago. Originally planned as an all electric, Chevy buckled to the pleadings of its marketing department and installed a “range extender”, which turns out to be a 1.4L gasoline engine/generator. The Volt will travel 40 miles on battery alone, then the engine kicks in and keeps the battery charged, giving it a range of up to 300 miles. Unlike a conventional hybrid, the engine is primarily a generator, and provides no motive power to the car itself. Chevrolet estimates the cost of recharging the Volt at $1.50 a day when driven 40 miles. This makes it very competitive with both hybrids and conventional powered cars in terms of fuel cost. However, at $33,500 after a $7,500 tax credit, the buy-in is substantially greater that the Nissan Leaf. The Volt should be arriving at dealerships in December or January. It can be charged from a conventional 110 volt outlet or from a 220volt outlet similar to one designed to service a water heater or dryer. (www.chevrolet.com/volt)

Another all-electric car that will be available within the next few months is the CODA sedan. The Miles CODA Company has been building small electric commercial vehicles for several years. Based on a variety of Chinese built chassis, the tiny electric trucks are commonly used where short trips of 1-2 miles or less are the norm. The CODA sedan uses proven technology combined with a unique Lithium Iron Phosphate battery to extend its range up to 120 miles. The body is built by Mitsubishi in China, designed by Italian Pininfarina, and will be sold by a company based in Santa Monica, California. With the Federal tax incentive, the CODA should sell for around $30,000, and is planned to be available in December or January. (www.codaautomotive.com)

Other manufacturers that have batteries in the mix are Renault, Smart Car, Subaru, Toyota and Ford. Of the lot of them, Ford is nearest production with an all-electric version of its popular small car Focus. Ford also plans to build an electric version of its Transit, called the Transit Connect. The Transit has been a popular “mini? truck/van in Europe for a number of years, primarily as a diesel. Here in the US it is powered by a 2.0L gas engine, but will soon see service as a full electric.

The big question right now is how to charge these battery powered cars away from home? As yet there is no standard interface; each manufacturer is winging it. Many of the cars will require a dedicated home charging station that must be installed by a professional in our homes; a City or County permit may be required. Some forward looking cities, San Luis Obispo among them, have already installed charging stations at a few locations. There are two dedicated stations on the bottom floor of the Marsh St. Parking Structure, but again, since there is no standard, your new mobile toaster may not interface with it.

Michael Morin is the owner of Morin Bros., a full service automotive shop in San Luis Obispo. For answers to car questions email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it