Rocky road for electric car market

The road has gotten bumpier for electric cars.

Coda Automotive, one of what had been a promising crop of electric car startups, filed for bankruptcy protection this month, and said it would reorganize around the electric storage market.

High-end electric car maker Fisker Automotive, which has had financial woes for months, announced meanwhile it was laying off 75 percent of its workforce, raising the prospect of defaulting on US government loans.

Electric cars are still coming to market from luxury maker Tesla, and from major automakers such as General Motors, Nissan and others, but the outlook has become murkier.

Analysts are divided on the outlook, but few believe President Barack Obama's goal of getting one million electric cars on the market by 2015 will be met.

"It's not like people are clamouring for these vehicles," said Rebecca Lindland, analyst with Rebel Three Media, and member of a committee studying barriers to electric cars for the National Academy of Sciences.

Lindland said her view that Americans "just don't see how an electric car can fit into their lifestyle. We continue to be risk-averse in investing in new technology in our cars."

Mike VanNieuwkuyk of the research firm JD Power & Associates said more people are aware of the electric cars on the market "but there is still a low number of consumers who say they would purchase an electric car."

A report by JD Power and its partner LMC Automotive found battery-powered vehicles' share of US auto sales was just 0.08 percent in 2012, and predicts this will reach only 0.47 percent by 2015.

Only about three percent in the survey said their next vehicle would likely have a battery-electric powertrain.

VanNieuwkuyk said consumers are held back by a lack of plug-in charging stations, concerns about the range of the vehicle before it needs recharging, and especially the high cost.

At the same time, the analyst said, gasoline-powered cars "are improving enough to meet the needs of the consumer," without the price tag of electric cars.

Jason Kavanagh, engineering editor at the research firm Edmunds.com said recent surveys suggest pure electric vehicles are unlikely to get past one percent of the US market, even by 2040.

The lack of range and long recharging times are key factors.

"Sitting around for eight hours waiting for your (Nissan) Leaf to charge up is not exactly a selling point," he said.

More importantly, said Kavanagh, is that the US electric power system cannot support large numbers of electric vehicles which need constant charging.

"The US power grid is not capable of supporting that," he told AFP. "You would need a multitude of small nuclear power stations to support that recharging."

Chevrolet cut production of its Volt last year amid soft demand, and is reported to be working on a less expensive version. Toyota and Honda also scaled back plans for all-electric vehicles for the US market.

Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne said recently the company stands to lose $10,000 on every battery-powered Fiat 500 it sells in California.

There are a few bright spots, however.

Tesla Motors posted its first-ever quarterly profit, of $11 million in the first quarter as revenues rose 83 percent from the prior quarter.

Tesla is banking on its Model S, which sells for upwards of $60,000, by offering special financing and leasing deals with a guaranteed resale price. The car, which has an estimated range of more than 200 miles (320 kilometres), was given a top rating by Consumer Reports.

Nissan has boosted sales of its all-electric Leaf to over 5,000 in the first quarter, overtaking the Chevrolet Volt, which has seen sales sputter.

Brett Smith, analyst at the University of Michigan's Centre for Automotive Research, said he is not surprised by the slow progress in the electric car market.

"There was enormous electric vehicle hype," he said. "In a way that was good because it helped push the technology."

Smith said it is clear that battery-powered cars "are not a near-term mainstream product" but still believes in the value of the technology.

"There is a pretty good chance something positive will come out of this," Smith told AFP.

"Whether or not we get a cost-competitive electric vehicle in the next 10 years, the good news is there is lot of development which crosses over to other vehicles."

Kavanagh of Edmunds.com said beneficiary of the trend will likely be hybrids, which use both gasoline and electric power, and charge during driving.

"We're going to see a big jump in hybrids, which can take advantage of the infrastructure we have," he said.

Kavanagh said he expects hybrids may become more attractive in the coming years "because they will become more capable in range and more cost-effective."

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As always, the disadvantages of electric cars continue to plaque its practicality on real environments and it is putting a strain on car makers, questioning them hard on how are they going to find solutions for them. Right now, there is none.

Launch of the first supercharged model for Nissan - the Note

Nissan's first supercharged model has arrived. The all new Nissan Note was unveiled to a crowd of distinguished guests and friends of the media at an event in Clarke Quay. Following the victory of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle a year ago, the Nissan Note had also been recently awarded The Car of the Year by the Automotive Researchers' & Journalists' Conference of Japan. The Nissan Note will be available in a base variant as well as the DIG-S supercharged version.

Sophisticated and dynamic are words that come to mind when looking at the front facet of the Note

The Note sports a stylish and impressive exterior, featuring a striking characteristic known as the 'Squash Line' and an aerodynamic shape. Combined with its distinctive front grille, headlamps and rear tailights, the car creates a sense of sophistication and dynamism.

The cabin of the Note is spacious, beyond expectations for a car of its class. The glossy piano-black centre console with silver finishing which is only available on the DIG-S variant adds to the luxurious feel - something that is rarely seen in entry level hatchbacks.

Under the hood, the base variant is powered by a 1.2-litre HR12DE engine while the supercharged Note features Nissan's newly developed 1.2-litre DIG-S HR12DDR engine, which is capable of delivering performance equivalent to a 1.5-litre engine. This highly efficient supercharged engine combined with an electric clutch controls the On/Off operation depending on engine speed, resulting in both greater fuel efficiency and acceleration performance on demand.

Mr Joseph Ong, Managing Director, Tan Chong Motor Sales said that the Note is primarily targeted at the young who are looking for a compact hatchback that combines style and performance but is also easy to maintain.

Glossy piano-black centre console enhances the luxurious feel of the Nissan Note's cabin

Combining an aerodynamic exterior with advanced technology, coupled with the 1.2-litre DIG-S supercharged engine, the Note achieves class-leading fuel efficiency of around 20km/L and low CO2 emissions of 121g/km. As a result, it is eligible for a $10,000 CEVS rebate.

The first 30 customers who purchase the new Nissan Note are entitled to a helicopter aerial tour of Singapore or a half-day yacht charter.

The Nissan Note retails for $134,800 and the DIG-S supercharged version retails for $142,800 at press time. (Price is inclusive of COE and CEVS rebate)

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The prices make one dizzy, welcome to Singapore. Price aside, the Note seems to be a great product in the midst of high fuel prices. Boasting a fuel consumption of just 20km/L, alot of cash can be saved without compromising on the power with a supercharger.

Road tax and insurance will be cheap with a 1.2L engine, plus the new CEVS rebate, had the COE been lower, this would have been a great car to own.

Successor to Nissan Sunny arrives in Singapore

By Tony Ng

The successor to the Sunny and Latio has been unveiled in Singapore.

Branded as the Almera in Southeast Asian markets, the Thai-made car has a relatively wide shoulder width with a new chrome-accented front grille (see photos below). In China, it retains the Sunny brand.

Underpinning the car is a new global 'V' platform that is touted to be around 68kg lighter than the previous platform.

Driving the Almera will be an all-aluminium, fuel-efficient 1.5-litre engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Rated fuel consumption stands at 6.9-litres/100km while power and torque comes in at 99bhp at 6,00rpm and 134Nm at 4,000rpm respectively.

The family car is touted to have class-leading cabin space. Rear legroom is expansive at 636mm and effective cabin room stands at 1,828mm.

Safety features include an anti-locking braking system, brake force distribution and brake assist, with two front airbags.

Variants

Three variants will be offered. The entry-level Comfort variant will come with factory-fitted 15-inch wheels.

The Premium variant has several enhancements, including 16-inch locally fitted wheels, keyless entry and push-start, leather-covered steering wheel, audio controls on steering, and a remote key release boot. Both entry-level and premium will have leather upholstery.

Nissan distributor Tan Chong is also bringing in a five-speed manual transmission variant with the same specifications as the Comfort model.

Mr Ron Lim, general manager for Nissan distributor Tan Chong Motor, expressed hope that the incoming Almera will lift sales volume.

Another five to six models, including a hatchback for the compact segment will be coming next year, Mr Lim revealed.

The Almera arrives after a long absence of new Nissan bread-and-butter models. The last one in recent memory was the Nissan Sylphy in 2006, positioned as a premium saloon.

The distributor is making the car available for preview at its Ubi showroom at 19 Ubi Road 4 before production begins in December.

It will be priced, with COE, from $91,300 onwards for the manual, $95,300 for the Comfort, and $98,300 for the Premium.

A $1,000 pre-launch discount is offered to those who book now. Nissan owners get another $1,000 off.

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Finally Nissan introduces a new bread&butter model after the Sunny's "dominance" for about a decade and seriously needing a change. Sad to say though, it's no longer made in Japan. At 99bhp, it seems that power has taken the backseat with emission rate and fuel efficiency taking the priority.

Interior wise, Nissan designers have taken a bold step in making the dashboard look cute, and cheap, to be honest. S$95k for a car that would have sold for only S$55k back in the days of year 2005-2009. It is not hard to imagine how well this will sell.