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Electric Car Buying Guide Page 5

 
2,121 views Aug 4, 2010
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prototype 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, April 2010

prototype 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, April 2010

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Electric Cars Available During 2012

2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID

  • WHEN: January or February 2012
  • WHERE: Launch markets unspecified
  • OTHER MARKETS: A test fleet of 600 Prius Plug-In Hybrids was spread among Japan, Europe, and the U.S., so the car--like the standard Toyota Prius hybrid--is likely to be sold globally.
  • PRODUCTION VOLUMES: Unknown
  • VEHICLE TYPE: Plug-in power-split hybrid five-seat, five-door midsize hatchback.
  • SPECIFICATIONS: Standard third-generation Toyota Prius with 1.8-liter engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive system, but fitted with larger 5.2-kilowatt-hour battery pack that can be plugged in to recharge it.
  • OTHER: Prototype Prius Plug-In Hybrids were not designed to recharge their larger battery packs during travel once the stored grid power had been used; they then operated just as a regular Prius hybrid would. This may change for production, however.
  • DRIVE REPORT: First Drive: 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
  • PRICE: Not yet released, but Toyota has said it expects the plug-in feature will add $5,000 to $7,000 to the cost of a standard Prius.

Think City electric vehicle

Think City electric vehicle

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2012 THINK CITY

  • WHEN: Unspecified.
  • WHERE: U.S. sales may be supplied from a U.S. factory Think plans to set up.
  • OTHER MARKETS: The Think City has been sold for many years, and with various different battery packs, in Europe.
  • PRODUCTION VOLUMES: Unspecified.
  • VEHICLE TYPE: All-electric two-seat, three-door hatchback minicar.
  • SPECIFICATIONS: 100-kilowatt electric motor driving the front wheels, powered by a 25-kilowatt-hour battery pack providing up to 100 miles of range.
  • OTHER: The Think City is likely to be restyled and updated before going on sale in the U.S.
  • DRIVE REPORT: We have not road-tested a U.S.-spec 2012 Think City.
  • PRICE: Not yet released.

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus

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2012 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC

  • WHEN: "During 2012"
  • WHERE: Unspecified.
  • OTHER MARKETS: Unspecified
  • PRODUCTION VOLUMES: Unspecified, although analysts expect early numbers to be low, perhaps 5,000 per year.
  • VEHICLE TYPE: All-electric four-seat, four-door compact sedan.
  • SPECIFICATIONS: Motor and battery pack size have not yet been confirmed, but the Focus Electric should provide up to 100 miles of range.
  • OTHER: Unlike the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric, which will be converted by Azure Dynamics, Ford plans to build the 2012 Focus Electric in its Wayne, Michigan, factory alongside the gasoline Focus.
  • DRIVE REPORT: First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus EV Prototype
  • PRICE: Not yet released.

As well as the dozen cars listed here, a few additional projects have been announced but aren't firm enough yet for us to list.

Those include the Tesla Model S all-electric midsize sports sedan, the rumored Toyota vehicle converted to all-electric power using a Tesla powertrain, and an electric version of Nissan's NV200 commercial delivery vehicle.






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Comments (3)

  1. By gslippy Posted: 8/4/2010 10:59am PDT

    You know, it would be OK for electric car power ratings to be presented as Horsepower instead of KW. Just because it's electric doesn't mean it has to be presented that way. Any electric motor sold in the US is listed in HP, and that's what US buyers are used to seeing.
     
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  2. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 8/4/2010 1:37pm PDT

    @GSlippy: Thanks for the suggestion. I may go back and add horsepower in parentheses when I next revise the guide (this is probably going to be a longstanding & frequently updated piece).
    On the other hand, it's worth noting that the characteristics of automotive and electric-motor power output are different enough that it wouldn't hurt to start fresh with the universal measurement for electric power that everywhere else in the world uses ....
     
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  3. By  Steve D. Posted: 10/30/2010 10:39am PDT

    Regarding HP ... yes, it is commonly used in North America. However, it is worth noting that there are ONLY 3 countries in the WORLD which have not embraced the metric system (kW) .... Liberia, Burma, and the United States !!
    I'm almost surprised you dont buy 100W lightbulbs in the U.S. that are 0.134 hp :-)
    Cheers
    sd
     
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