February 2009 Archives

Anyone interested in Electric Vehicles has seen pictures of, or heard about the General Motors Volt hybrid electric car. Many of us also witnessed the toning down of the design when GM released images of the production vehicle makeover last year. With so much focus on GM and other large automobile manufacturers in the US struggling right now to stay afloat, what will happen to these "future cars" if or when things go south? Will they be hucked completely as was done recently with the entire Saturn, Saab and Hummer lines of cars along with the PT Cruiser, Dodge Aspen, and Dodge Durango models, or will another company such as Toyota or Honda swoop in and capitalize on the technology, research, and patents? Considering each of these companies have their own research and technology, will the Volt be lost forever or just rebranded?

Today US News reported that insiders are talking about the largest bankruptcy loan in the history of the United States and possibly the world for GM and the big three. The article says that saving the large auto makers could cost over $130B but could cost even more in terms of jobs and tax revenue if nothing is done. At a time when the entire United States economy is unstable, in part due to bad decisions by the auto makers and their unions, will tough love break the country? Going the bankruptcy could mean the restructuring and de-unionification of the industry, something that could make US manufactures competitive and sustainable once again. With environmental sustainability being such a large focus these days, it is funny to think that the economic environment of GM is so polluted by unions that it can barely support itself anymore, even with subsidies and tariffs leveraged against foreign auto makers. It's a real shame and embarrassment to capitalism.

As jokes are made about GM execs flying private jets to attend a hearing to plead for public funds, ads such as the one posted above (originally found in the March 2009 National Geographic magazine) certainly aren't saving the company money. The ad I am referencing preaches about how "Green" GM is along with announcing the GM Volt... which won't be available to the public for some time to come. The ad says:

Our challenge: Nothing short of reinventing the automobile. This is how we're doing it: We are going to build the Chevy Volt, the extended-range electric vehicle designed to move over 75% of America's daily commuters without a single drop of gas.* We will offer the widest variety of hybrids, one for every need. We have clean diesels on the road today and more cars capable of running on E85 ethanol than any other automaker. We are testing the world's largest fleet of hydrogen-powered cars right now.** And we are investing in two biofuel companies that will be capable of turning waste into fuel. In short, we're reinventing the automobile. Sure it's a big challenge. But we're on our way.

I think the biggest challenge GM is facing right now is simply staying alive. While I applaud the efforts of their newest recruits, straight out of colleges across the world, I am saddened to think that they will have to live with the mistakes and reputation of previous generations of executives and union officials. What do you think will become of the Volt?

Earlier this week Yahoo Autos did an exclusive story on the soon to be available Aptera which is planned for an October 2009 release. The Aptera is probably the funkiest vehicle you have ever seen that can't fly. With it's sweeping teardrop shape and extended front wheels the car looks more like an airplane than a highway vehicle. The most surprising part of the Aptera however, isn't it's design or lack of flight capability, it's the price!

While Tesla Roadsters (one of the only other full EV's of comparable size and functionality currently available for purchase) has a sticker price of $109K and is sold out for the next twelve months, according to their website, the Aptera will be somewhere between $30 and $40K. That's less than what it would cost you to simply lock in a production slot and delivery timeframe if you wanted a Tesla, which costs $60K.

Aptera is going to change the EV game by finally offering a consumer priced electric vehicle, something that Tesla has been exploring but faltered on in recent months as funding fell short and factory building plans were reconsidered. While the Aptera's front wheel covers look like they would be completely scratched by poor paralell parking jobs or inclines of any sort in San Francisco (where there are sure to be many sold) the materials and build have been fully tested for safety and functionality. With an electronically limited  top speed of 90 miles per hour (35 lower than Tesla's Roadster) and a range of 100 miles per charge it's no wonder that over 4,000 pre-orders have been placed. In many crowded places in California where carpool lanes are only available for multiple passengers or those who purchased a hybrid before carpool stickers ran out Aptera's also represent one more way to buy a carpool slot and reduce commute time. They also have an optional solar assisted climate control system, something that future Toyota Prius models have been rumored to have.

Back to the Tesla Roadster, one of its touted highlight points the a bility to fit a full set of golf clubs in the back... though just one, barely. The Aptara is a bit more limited in trunk space. One other obstacle that both vehicles will have to overcome is the battery pack dilemma. That is, Lithium Ion battery packs are currently so expensive that a near 40% of said vehicle cost is in the battery alone. The only existing plan for addressing spent batteries from these cars in eight to ten years is to hope that batteries will get a LOT cheaper. The base price of the Aptera suggests that the battery is smaller and less costly than a Tesla Roadster and with references to a special lithium-phosphate-ion-"pixie dust" cell formula that the company has produced, that just may be the case. To reserve your Aptera go here and plunk down $5K then come back here to EV Authority and let us know what you think!

Photos by Jennifer Degtjarewsky and Jay McNally with more available at Road & Track