Comments on: Detroit doesn’t have the answers

By: Jeremy Gow

Jeremy Gow — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:09:45 +0000

A little badging that shows that I’m in an all-electric vehicle is not such a bad thing, but ultimately, this, for me at least, is not nearly as much about making a big public statement by driving something that screams ‘electric vehicle’, as simply having one, getting away from oil pumps, and enjoying the low costs associated and eco-disaster associated with driving a gas car. Mind you, I have heard people say that one of the reasons they bought a Prius is because its distinctive styling

Another motivating factor is the cardivascular impact of breathing automotive exhaust, which in an urban setting is equivalent to a pack a day, is cumulative, and is permanent. Catalytic converters dice the exhaust so finely that the particles wind up lodging in the lungs exactly where oxygen transfer takes place. Kinda like second-hand cigarette smoke only permanently damaging and there’s no getting away from it if you live in an urban setting.

But I digress: back to styling…. I don’t want to drive a futurist’s brainchild. I want to drive a safe, conservatively styled car that handles well. It’s going to require a mental shift to get into something other than a Mercedes – I am fine with the Coda’s styling cues and love it’s standard equipment bundle.

By: oobflyer

oobflyer — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:27:20 +0000

Edsel,
While I agree that the CODA isn’t a very distinctive design (compared to the Aptera, for example), but many people that are considering an electric car DON’T WANT TO DRIVE A STRANGE-LOOKING CAR. I would love to drive the Aptera around and talk to people about the new technology, but my wife wouldn’t be caught dead in it because of the unwanted attention!
I think CODA is brilliant in starting with this design because it will appeal to everyone, while other, more unique designs will only appeal to us “early adopters” and “EV nuts”.

By: CODA Auto

CODA Auto — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:19:06 +0000

Running out of “juice” is very similar to running out of gas, meaning the CODA car will give you multiple warning signals before the state of charge hits zero. As you approach zero state of charge, there are three power reduction modes each lasting about 5 miles. The first allows you to continue at the top speed but limits acceleration, the second limits you to ~60 mph and limits acceleration and the third limits you to ~35 mph and limits acceleration. So, in short, you have about 15 miles to get to the side of the road.

By: CODA Auto

CODA Auto — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:16:12 +0000

Our cars will not offer standard transmissions because with the brushless DC motor there is no need to have multiple gear ratios. At this point the CODA cannot be towed on 4 wheels because it has a parking pin.

By: CODA Auto

CODA Auto — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:23:42 +0000

Edsel, we’ve actually gotten a fairly good response from consumers who have seen the car in person. We do plan to offer more distinctive badging options as well. Our goal has always been to help the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. So, we worked with a pre-existing chassis for our first model, but our design team is already working on more distinctively styled future models.