EVs are Alive
By Ron Cogan, General Manager, GreenCar.com
By Ron Cogan
 Although we’ve been told the electric car is dead, the truth is that EVs are very much alive these days, although not in the form of the electric vehicles that typified the breed in the 1990s. What we have today are smaller and lighter models that generally offer less than the full-function EVs of a decade ago. They aren’t made by the major auto manufacturers because, frankly, full-function EVs today are prohibitively expensive due to their substantial energy needs.
What we have are limited function models like neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), small EVs with specified safety equipment that are electronically limited to drive at a top speed of 25 mph, and allowed to operate on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less. Higher-speed, three-wheel EV models based on motorcycles are also available.
The common thread shared by these EVs is the need for exemption from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards, since engineering limited-production, specialty EV models to meet conventional auto crashworthiness standards is cost-prohibitive for most small manufacturers. NEVs are exempt from meeting these standards because of their operation at lower, and presumably safer, speeds. Three-wheel motorcycle-based EVs are also exempt since they’re registered as motorcycles.
These EV models are also small and light so their need for on-board battery power is much less than that of full-feature EVs, which keeps costs more in line. Many use more affordable and less sophisticated lead-acid batteries. Even so, buyers tend to pay a lot for the limited function or carrying capacity of these zero emission vehicles, typically from about $6,000 to over $20,000.
There is other significant movement on the EV front. The torch bearer here is the Tesla electric sports car, which has sold out in its initial production series of 100 cars scheduled for delivery this summer. The Tesla offers the look of a European supercar, the technology of Silicon Valley, and the engineering sophistication of Lotus (which, as it happens, actually designed and assembles the car under contract to Tesla Motors in the States). The car uses advanced lithium-ion batteries to give it high performance and great driving range for an electric. What it doesn’t provide is a cost that would allow most car buyers to own one since it sells for $92,000. Its aim is the performance car market since this is where buyers can support the price of entry for the high-dollar components required for full-function electric cars.
Another example of a full-function electric comes from Phoenix Motorcars (see article on this site). Aimed at fleets, the Phoenix SUT electric sport utility truck sells for $45,000, a price heavily subsidized by California Air Resources Board incentives.
It’s evident that the electric car is not truly “dead.” Rather, it has shape-shifted to fit specific needs, tastes, and budgets. It is also evolving as new electric vehicles debut – some based on relatively inexpensive Chinese models – in response to high gas costs and a growing desire to drive “green.” As batteries continue to improve and a small but growing consumer base expresses interest in these high-efficiency vehicles, there’s every reason to expect that EV offerings will expand in the years ahead.
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