Journal 11, June 21

http://www.technologyreview.com/business/22898/page1/

An automotive company based in Santa Monica, CA is trying to be the first to bring an electric sedan to market. The company, Coda Automotive, is a start-up company and will have the car made by a Chinese Manufacturer. The manufacturer, Hafei, plans to make 200,000 cars in the first year. Coda plans to offer the car for $45,000 but it may be lower than this after government subsidies.

There are many car makers racing to put an electric car on the road as well including GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ford and Chrysler. Analysts are skeptical of Coda will be able to beat some of the big automakers to the punch. Coda however says that it has differentiated its model by pairing up with a lithium-ion battery maker. Coda, who owns part of the factory says that this partnership enables them to have a steady supply of batteries for its cars. Other Japanese car producers such as Nissan and Toyota also have partnerships with battery makers but Coda feels its scale and speed will surpass these makers and allow their product offering to reach consumers first.

Coda hopes to sell enough of its first generation model in order to create market share and demand for its second generation offering. They plan for their second generation car to go up to 150 miles without re-charging and would cost less than their first release. However, current sedans on the market are $15,000 cheaper than Coda’s offering price for its electric car and analysts are skeptic as to the willingness of consumers to pay the premium price for a greener vehicle.

Inevitably, it is healthy competition for all the companies and extremely beneficial for consumers. With competition, the automakers are having to provide the best quality and mileage for an electric vehicle. This healthy rivalry in the industry assures that the best green technologies for cars with be presented to the market. Additionally, consumers will have a range of choices which will be truly remarkable. As battery technologies evolve, and re-charge station chains start to pop up to replace gasoline stations, the evolution of transportation technology will take sustainable turn.

Sources:
http://www.codaautomotive.com/#/who

http://en.lishen.com.cn/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/ProgramShow.html?ProgramShow_ProgramID=c373e9199832bda28f7eaf1f67cddb91