Nissan Sets 2010 For U.S. Electric Car Launch

[Fibb222]

Originally Posted by efusco

If that's accurate this thing is dead before it starts. Other than a few EV fanatics that'll never go with the public at large....unless it comes in at under $20k...even then I'm not so sure.

It might not obtain complete public acceptance, but I doubt its appeal will be small considering where gas prices might be by then. A great second family car perhaps?

[MountainStone]

Originally Posted by mr_zorg

...that would be perfect for a commuter vehicle for me. 99 miles is more than enough to get me around town for a day.

Originally Posted by Fibb222

A great second family car perhaps?

Hitting the nail right on the head here. My family doesn't need more than one vehicle capable of cross-country trips. An electric car with 99-mile range would fit my daily commuting needs perfectly. I suspect it would fit the daily commuting needs of millions of families.

I can't wait to buy the first production electric car with warranty to enter the market. 2010 seems wildly optimistic, but at least we have some dialogue.

[jhinton]

Originally Posted by MountainStone

Hitting the nail right on the head here. My family doesn't need more than one vehicle capable of cross-country trips. An electric car with 99-mile range would fit my daily commuting needs perfectly. I suspect it would fit the daily commuting needs of millions of families.

I can't wait to buy the first production electric car with warranty to enter the market. 2010 seems wildly optimistic, but at least we have some dialogue.

I agree. My wife and I could get buy with a car that has a true range of 50 miles for 95% of our driving. (Not counting my 130 mile per day commute) We would keep the Prius for my commute and for interstate driving and use the EV for her 12 mile commute and city driving.

I'm not sure that 2010 is wildly optimistic. To reach that goal they would need to have first generation prototypes testing this summer.

[Darwood]

That is exactly what I'm waiting for. I've said I don't care who makes it. I'll buy the first car that comes out that can get me around town without the use of gas (assuming a reasonable price). My wife and I both average 10 miles a day. I don't need a 2oo mile range. I need insulation from gas supply problems and a removal of the pain I get from pumping my money over to countries that hate us.

[daniel]

I'd feel a lot more inclined to take this seriously if the picture looked like a real car, rather than something out of a sci-fi movie. You know good and well nobody is actually going to market something that looks like that. Therefore there isn't even a prototype. Just an "artist's rendition." That picture came out of the publicity department, not the engineering department. That means it hasn't even gotten to the engineering guys yet.

I guess they figured if GM can announce a make-believe car, they can do the same. Dream on, guys, this is a pretty obvious spoof.

[bruceha_2000]

Originally Posted by efusco

I really really hope it's true, affordable, has good ... styling ...

Looks like they missed there

Same issue as any other EV. 81 mile range (I presume that is under optimal conditions meaning probably 25 MPH not 65 MPH) will meet some people's needs but I think the market will be small. If I could get a 40 mile (mostly non interstate) plug-in Prius, it would be cheaper than an 81 Mile EV (even at 65 MPH) that would have to be supplemented with extended range rental cars and I would still be an EV driver most of the time.

Obviously we all have our own 'minimum EV range' requirements. Still, I can't see any EV as the best solution for most people unless they are REALLY cheap. Especially not if decent range Plug-in hybrids are available since they CAN be EV vehicles but don't have to be when you need to go farther afield.

[MountainStone]

Seems Nissan is a little farther along than I thought: Nissan Electric Car

If somebody can 'splain to me how to make that link smaller I'll be glad to do it; the upshot is that according to the article:

"The company is already testing its lithium ion batteries in the Cube, a car which is being sold in Japan and is reportedly planning to sell the next-generation Cube in the US."

So if they are currently testing Li-ion batteries, does that put them on schedule to launch a production vehicle in 2 years?

Originally Posted by bruceha_2000

Looks like they missed there

Same issue as any other EV. 81 mile range (I presume that is under optimal conditions meaning probably 25 MPH not 65 MPH) will meet some people's needs but I think the market will be small. If I could get a 40 mile (mostly non interstate) plug-in Prius, it would be cheaper than an 81 Mile EV (even at 65 MPH) that would have to be supplemented with extended range rental cars and I would still be an EV driver most of the time.

Obviously we all have our own 'minimum EV range' requirements. Still, I can't see any EV as the best solution for most people unless they are REALLY cheap. Especially not if decent range Plug-in hybrids are available since they CAN be EV vehicles but don't have to be when you need to go farther afield.

I agree that we all have our own 'minimum EV range' requirements. In a one-car family a pure electric vehicle will not be the best choice if long-range trips are regular occurances. However, I believe MOST families in this country are two-car families (like mine) where one vehicle could be replaced with an EV, keeping the second PHEV vehicle for commuting and also long-range trips. I would gladly pay a little more for a pure EV option, considering that fuel costs and maintenance costs will be dramatically lower than a gasoline-powered vehicle, and lower than even a PHEV (which still needs all the normal maintenance of a pure ICE vehicle).

[daniel]

Originally Posted by MountainStone

If somebody can 'splain to me how to make that link smaller I'll be glad to do it...

1. Write a descriptive term, or even something as simple as the word "here."

2. Highlight that word or term.

3. Click on the "Insert Link" icon just above the test entry window.

A drop-down or pop-up box will open.

4. Paste the URL into the window in that box.

5. Hit the Return key.

Your original word or descriptive term will be a link.

Note that if you merely put the URL into the text of your message, the board will default to replacing it with the description used on the web page you are linking to, which in my opinion is annoying as hell. You can prevent that from happening by scrolling down and unchecking the option "Automatically retrieve titles from external links" which in my opinion should be unchecked by default.

To generate short URLs on boards that don't offer the ability described above, or for sending in emails, check out:

www.tinyurl.com

That web page allows you to feed it a long URL, and it generates a tiny URL which points to the same page.

[MountainStone]

To quote Homer Simpson: "Computers can do that?"

Thanx for the lesson, Daniel. It worked just as you said it would. I arrive at my next permanent duty station there in Tacoma at McChord AFB in November; I owe you a beer. Two if you let me drive your ZAP.

[SyCo]

Originally Posted by daniel

I'd feel a lot more inclined to take this seriously if the picture looked like a real car, rather than something out of a sci-fi movie.

Well it does -->


Don't know why the news use a sci-fi picture.