Coda Electric Car

A new electric car startup, based in Southern California (where else?), announced plans this week to bring a small, affordable all-electric car to the market in 2010. 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.”

Coda has a long-term agreement with Lishen - 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.”

Though Coda is an American company, Coda will manufacture their cars in China.  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.

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, Bluetooth, XM-Sirius satellite radio, 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 will employ 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. 

Given that the company launched just last week and will deliver its first vehicles in “fall 2010″, uses a Chinese battery supplier, and frankly, looks like a Chinese car, I believe the Coda is not a unique, new product. It is a Chinese car that has an American company fronting its entry into the American market.  The company’s website even says it “…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. This is PR-speak for “We are selling an existing Chinese car under our name…shhhh - don’t tell anybody.”  It will be interesting to see if/when they begin sales how is the quality, comfort, etc.  There is a reason that Chinese vehicles are not sold here (yet) - they’re not good enough (yet).