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How the 2011 Coda Sedan Hopes To Compete With the Nissan Leaf

 
1,664 views Oct 1, 2010
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2011 Coda Sedan electric car, New York City, September 2010

HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Coda Sedan electric car, New York City, September 2010

Coda Automotive, the California startup that will begin delivering its 2011 Coda Sedan electric car at the end of the year, has ambitious plans.

CEO Kevin Czinger expects to sell up to 14,000 all-electric compact sedans in the company's first full year of operations. The car is assembled in the U.S. from a Chinese-made "glider" fitted with a U.S.-built battery pack containing Chinese lithium-ion cells.

Higher price

But how will little Coda compete against the marketing might and undeniably more distinctive styling of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the first of at least four electric vehicles to be released by Nissan? Especially at a price of $44,900, a full $12,000 higher than the Leaf?

The Leaf will be built not only in Japan, but also in Smyrna, Tennessee (as will its lithium cells), and also Sunderland, England. And the Nissan-Renault alliance expects to be selling half a million electric cars a year by 2015, a hugely ambitious goal.

As Coda CEO Kevin Czinger positions it, his car has three distinct advantages over the 2011 Leaf:

(1) Larger battery pack

The 2011 Coda Sedan has a 33.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack, 40 percent larger than the 2011 Leaf's 24 kWh. That means, says Czinger, that the Coda is absolutely confident in its claimed range of 90 to 120 miles.

He notes "other manufacturers" (e.g. Nissan and Chevrolet) have recently modified their range estimates. Nissan recently changed its description of the Leaf's range from the original "up to 100 miles" to a wider range of 60 to 100 miles.

(2) Active thermal management

While the Coda Sedan's battery pack is not liquid cooled, as is that of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, its "active thermal management" includes fans that circulate air through and over the pack at a higher pressure than that provided by airflow in motion.

And, air continues to be blown through the pack even when the car is standing still. The effect, Czinger claims, is better control of internal pack temperature. That should lead to longer pack life and less erosion of the car's range over time due to pack aging.

(3) More powerful onboard charging

The Coda Sedan includes an onboard charger that handles both 120-Volt and 240-Volt power, and operates at 6.6 kilowatts, twice the 3.3-kW rate of the charger in the 2011 Leaf.

That means it can recharge its pack slightly quicker even though it's larger. The pack can be completely recharged in six hours using 240-Volt power, and refilling it to handle a 40-mile commute can take as little as two hours.

Ride and drive program, in CA only

This month, Coda will launch a series of Ride and Drive events in California--the only state in which the car will initially be sold. The cars will also be shown at November's Los Angeles Auto Show.





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Comments (12)

  1. By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/1/2010 8:18am PDT

    during these first few years, the demand may be high enough that all cars made will be sold.
    but when the evs start having to fight for sales, i think the price difference is too high.
    but these first few years will also show what these cars can do.
    will the results be that the coda can go further per charge ? since the size of the battery pack can be demonstrated up front, this is something the consumer can be more sure about.
    this active management system is supposed to make the battery pack last longer ? this is a big selling point, but it may be 5+ years before we will be able to make any conclusions about it - since these warranties are 8 years.
    this is the price difference, today. three years from now, when we do have some results, we will have a much better understanding of just what these products are capable of. and the pricing of all these evs will probably be considerably lower after 3 years.
    i think 12k is gonna be hard to overcome, if it remains that way down the road. coda does not yet have a reputation.
    i do believe that coda will end up being a major player. just about everything i read about this company leads me to believe this is a quality product from a quality company.
    but competition will drive all these prices such that they can be sold.
     
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  2. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/1/2010 9:55am PDT

    "And, air continues to be blown through the pack even when the car is standing still. "
    Does this imply that the LEAF does not do that? I would be very surprised if that is that case.
    The LEAF supports 30 minute quick charge (assuming you can find the charger). But with a charge that quick, I would assume Nissan has to blow a lot of air over the batteries to prevent them from cooking.
    Though it is not your job to be the "brand manager" for the these companies, I think CODA and LEAF should be in upper case.
     
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  3. By Buzz Posted: 10/1/2010 5:15pm PDT

    @ev enthusiast - I tend to disagree. Today I drove a LEAF and sat in a CODA. If the price difference was reversed (-$12k for CODA) I'd still pick the LEAF. Nissan came off as a class act at the Alt Car Expo. They had lots of cars to climb over, they were solidly built and drove fantastic. Bright and clean inside and out with very nicely appointed interiors for a compact chassis.
    The CODA I sat in just seemed sad by comparison. White and grey; steering wheel from around 1975, and dull styling. The kWh stuff and air-cooling etc is for EV geeks not the gen-pub who just see the 8yr-100k warranty that adds to the EV-grin they get when they push the "GO" pedal on a LEAF.
    Sorry CODA, 2 yrs too late. Nissan will eat your lunch.
     
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  4. By ryan Posted: 10/1/2010 9:10pm PDT

    Coda seems to be on the right path but one thing worries me. Coda is very cozy with alot of washinton insiders/investors and Goldmen Sachs.. Hank Paulson (Bush's treasury secretary)is on Codas advisory board. lets remember this is a big player in the electric car market... after what Washington and GM did to the EV1, nothing would surprise me....Just Sayin!
     
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  5. By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/1/2010 9:34pm PDT

    hi buzz,
    from your post, i am gathering that you are somewhat young - being that "looks" seems to be your big criteria.
    as i have already stated, looks is a very minor thing to me. but if we are just talking looks, i like the look of the coda much more than the leaf (from the outside). never seen either up close.
    the other stuff is not just for ev geeks. but right now, they are not apt to be well appreciated by the public, YET.
    the public needs to see these cars in action. they need to be able to talk to an acquaintance. several years into the ev market, the knowledge base will rise considerably, etc. in other words, the buyers will become better consumers, and start understanding what options are worth it, etc.
    it will be interesting.
    people keep talking about nissan versus coda. like it is one or the other. both companies, along with dozens of others, will do well.
    i am 55, and think of a vehicle as simply a tool that gets me from a to b. i like a simplistic look in a car, as opposed to a bunch of curves, etc.
    but the handling of it, the expense, etc. are all much more important to me than the looks.
    i will agree with you that the coda is not apt to appeal to people with a "racing" mentality.
     
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  6. By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/1/2010 9:44pm PDT

    but coda knows that. listen to czinger. he talks about it as a utilitarian vehicle, whose first individual buyers will be upper middle class people, who most likely will already have and be keeping a gas car.
    coda has a simple, down-to-earth approach. the company was started by engineers.
    tesla, on the other hand, was started by an arrogant marketing type of person, who got lucky with paypal. if the model s is ever made, it will be advertised as sexy, racy, etc.
    and the two cars will appeal to radically different mindsets.
    one thing that occurs to most people as they get older, is that they just dont put up with the bs, hype, etc. that is way-prevalent in most areas of society.
    been there, done that.
     
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  7. By Steel Posted: 10/2/2010 11:19pm PDT

    Hi By ev enthusiast and buzz,
    I test drove the LEAF today too at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo. Nissan has a very polished product. Coda has some work to do. I agree that initially all the new electric vehicles made will most likely sell. The only problem is that, after the initial wave of purchases, Coda will need to be more competitive with regards to pricing. Coda will also have to overcome the fact that the general public has no idea who they are. Coda's marketing strategy is as important as any battery technology advantage they may initially hold. For better or worse, Nissan is a perceived known quantity. Also, I inquired with the Nissan personnel at the test drive today about future battery upgrades. They stated that their engineers are already working on it and yes there will be a plan to offer battery upgrades as technology improves over time. Enjoy!
     
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  8. By  ev enthusiast Posted: 10/3/2010 9:07am PDT

    hi john,
    click on my name for an article about cooling battery systems for cars.
    it does seem as though the leaf may have some problems with weather extremes, with their current cooling system.
    but how do we define extreme ?
    as i stated, these first several years are gonna show up many various problems, what we should and shouldnt do, etc.
    for the good of the ev industry, i think it is good that we have several technologies that are being tried. only through actual experience can we ascertain what is what.
    if i recall, the vw bug had an air-cooled engine, instead of a radiator ?
    if nissan needs to change, they will. if it messes up really badly for those in minnesota cold, or arizona heat - i think they will compensate those people in some way.
    but the case may also be that thermal battery management systems may not be needed in many parts of the country.
    it may be that car companies could offer it as an option ?
     
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  9. By am Posted: 10/4/2010 11:04am PDT

    Thanks for the coverage. I always noticed the zero-emission feature of the EVs and, surprisingly, the authors almost never mention the fate of batteries once they start getting end of life. Is this solution a real environment friendly or are we just differing the issue to tackle an upcoming surge of toxic landfills for future generations.
     
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  10. By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/4/2010 12:16pm PDT

    there is lots of info about this. first, lithium ion phosphate batteries do not have the toxicity that lead batteries have.
    but there is a big industry already forming with regards to the recycling and reusing of these batteries.
    it is just one of the many lines of business unfolding, regarding the entire ev industry.
     
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  11. By JKD Posted: 10/6/2010 7:52am PDT

    ev enthusiast - There soon won't be a need to get from point A to B if we continue to buy Chinese wares. You won't even need a CODA - just get yourself a tent. LEAF is so much nicer, cheaper and soon to be built in Tennessee.
     
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  12. By ev enthusiast Posted: 10/6/2010 8:32am PDT

    the coda is gonna be assembled in the usa. they are also trying to get permitted for a battery plant in ohio.
    i get a little tired of all these silly scare tactics about china.
    it is a win-win for both countries.
    if i recall, nissan is not an american company. coda is an american company. headquartered in santa monica, california.
     
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