Tesla Whitestar

EVM score: 6
Range: 250 mi
Speed: Highway capable, 0-60 6 sec
Price: $50,000-$65,000
Battery: Li-ion
Safe: Yes
If the Roadster is any indication of what the White Star will look like, then be prepared for a beauty. People will pay this price for an electric car and there might even be a waiting list, but, it still is not at a price that will meet the masses. That will probably be the third vehicle. Who knows, they may not be the first to get there but by building experience in the smaller luxury market they may be the best. And one more thing, Tesla will eventually have to switch to advanced Li-ion batteries. It will all depend on how seamless they can make that transition or if they are stubborn and stick with their battery.

ZAP-X

EVM score: 6
Range: 350 miles
Speed: 0-60 4.8 sec., top sp 150 mph
Price: ?
Batteries: Advanced Li-ion from ABAT
Safe: Probably
This is a pretty sexy little car with performance to match its looks. Problem is, you know that performance is going to be expensive. Four PML Flightlink in wheel motors aren't cheap. I'd say they will charge $72,000. Just guess. So once again, it's nice, people will buy it but it won't meet the masses. Maybe the next version will.

Chevy Volt

EVM score: 10
Range: 40 miles electric only
Speed: easily freeway capable
Price: well under $30,000
Batteries: Li-Iron Phosphate from A123 Systems
Safe: yes
There are so many things to love about this vehicle. You never run out of power because of the range extender. It will fit your whole family. It looks great and even masculine, a first for an electric car. The performance will likely be lively. And the price is right. You can't go wrong, right? Well, then again, it's heavy, having both an ICE and electric power train. One hit to range. It's beautiful but not very aerodynamic, another hit. Performance is a third trade off to range. So they shoot themselves in the foot by trying to be all things to all people. If they can somehow pull it off and still make a profit at under 30K than my hats off to GM. My advice is take some weight off and then your battery won't have to be so big.

News:
GM receives its first battery to begin testing in mule car. Confidence is +90% to have 60-100k cars in production the first year, 2010.

Subaru G4e

EVM score: 7
Range: 124 mi
Speed: highway speeds likely
Price: ?
Battery: Li-Vanadium (346v)
Safe: yes
This is a hot little hatch. We'll know more about it Oct 24 when new announcements are scheduled. It's predecessor, the R1e, has a top speed of 62 mph which doesn't exactly say highway capable to me. Don't worry, Subaru won't let us down. They'll just slap an outback sport badge on it and give it a 0-60 in 4 seconds. Just u wait enry iggins. So if they can get the price right and deliver on that 124 mi then I think this car will blow our socks off. And they are expecting it in 2009. Cool beans.

Mitsubishi i MiEV

EVM score: 8
Range: 99-106 mi
Speed: freeway capable though slow
Price: $30,000
Batteries: Lithium ion (GS Yasua)
Safe: Yes
Not a bad looking little car. I think people would buy it, especially women. It helps that it's coming from a major OEM (original equipment manufacturer). So you know it's gonna be fully crash tested and durability tested and not squeak and rattle when you make a left turn. Personally I like a lighter car because I commute alone and when I go out with the family I take the Honda Odyssey. Later someone can make an electric minivan with a range extender.

Miles Javalon

EVM score: 8
Range: 150 mi
Speed: Highway capable
Price: $30,000
Battiery: Li-ion with 10y/75,000 mi warranty
Safe: fully crash tested
Everything of paper looks fantastic about this vehicle. I think the masses could really go big for an EV like this....if it ever exists. Like Zap, this company tends to give some pretty exciting announcements and then 6 months later there's little to show for it. But we are still hopeful that this time it will be different.

BYD F6E Sedan

EVM score: 4
Range: ?
Speed: Highway speeds
Price: ?
Battery: Li-Iron
Safe: ?

I just found out about this car from Auto Blog Green. It looks great. The big questions are safety and quality and range and price and, oh yeah, if it will ever come to America.

Th!nk City Car

EVM score: 5
Range: 111 mi
Speed: 62 mph, 0-50 in 16 sec
Price: $32,000 and battery lease $160/mo
Battery: Li-Titanate from Enerdel (Tesla battery dropped)
Safe: Probably
I have some problems with this vehicle. It's kind of plasticy toyish looking. The performance numbers look abysmal. I think I would be terrified to take this vehicle on the freeway. And seriously, who is gonna pay 32K plus $160/mo to RENT the battery. Not gonna happen. On the other hand, they just made a deal 10/15/07 with Enerdel for some sweet Li-Titanate batteries. This is the same company that said the could make Lithium batteries for like $1500 and got a grant from the US Advanced Battery Consortium. Perhaps with Enerdel's battery the price will be lower and maybe I would think it looked really cool in black with some sick rims. Who am I kidding, it's still ugly.

Phoenix SUT/SUV

EVM score: 7
Range: 100 mi
Speed: 95 mph, 0-60 10m sec.
Price: $40,000
Battery: Li-Titanate from Altair Nanotechnologies.
Safe: Likely
This is a pretty cool concept. Get a Korean slider car, add a UQM motor, throw in a battery that will last 250,000 miles, recharge in 10 minutes, and be perfectly safe. Then put it in a package that is useful for companies for fleet use. Performance, good. Range, good. The only problem is that all that costs somewhere around $80,000 per vehicle. Really, the awesome battery from Altair is most of that. So I heard that their business model depends on them selling carbon offsets to be financially viable. Sounds kind of risky to me. I'd rather start like Tesla and sell it for $100,000. In fact, why doesn't Tesla take the Altair battery? It's so much better. I'm gonna go have a talk with them right now.

News:
The UQM motor is dropped in favor of a more efficient one. The Altair battery pack turns out to be lighter and smaller than thought. 500 fleet orders are in and they are set to deliver in the first quarter 2008.

Here are some interesting battery comparisons courtesy of FutureDrive.