caitlinspark said:Electric automobiles are too expensive for many people. This largely is due to the price of EV batteries, mentioned Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The Obama administration is committed to changing that. You can <a href="http://www.cardealexpert.com/">purchase car</a> that has cleaner energy.
fjpod said:It seems that most EVs that are "better" than the iMiev are not available, or if they are, they are at least 30% more money. So are they really better?
The Honda Fit has a shorter wheelbase than our iMiEV - I've not driven one, but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be 'better' in my bookfjpod said:It seems that most EVs that are "better" than the iMiev are not available, or if they are, they are at least 30% more money. So are they really better?
Neil, I know you're a bit of an aerodynamics nut ... I was thinking the CdA of the Fit would be better than the i to account for the better efficiency, but it isn't (they're both about 8.1 -> http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Vehicle_Coefficient_of_Drag_List). Which means that they only way they made it more efficient, despite the 600 more pounds of weight, was using more efficient components (charger, batteries, DC-DC, and of course motor). I guess they could use more expensive components knowing full well they wouldn't build or sell very many. It's just a shame there isn't a modern EV (or gas vehicle for that matter) now that at least approaches the CdA of the EV1 (for less than $60K).NeilBlanchard said:Let's not be divided and conquered on EV's! The Honda Fit EV is the one EV that is (slightly) more efficient than the i MiEV
Now you can "Honda Fit EV Now Available On East Coast Too"fjpod said:yeah, but you can't get one.
In addition to those mentioned, Honda developed a Servo Braking system that allows a higher percentage of regen over friction braking 'Honda Reinvents Regenerative Braking for Fit EV'danpatgal said:... Which means that they only way they made it more efficient, despite the 600 more pounds of weight, was using more efficient components (charger, batteries, DC-DC, and of course motor)...
At the June 27th introduction, Honda quoted a 14% reduction in Cd from the US spec ICE Fit. I understand that to be from ~0.35 to ~0.30.NeilBlanchard said:We don't know what the Cd of the new Fit (the number in the EcoModder list is for the older Fit, as far as I know) and Honda did quite a few modifications to the Fit EV. GM did similar things to the Spark EV, and they dropped the Cd from 0.36 down to 0.31.
Also, the Fit EV has *no* regen on the accelerator in Eco mode. And the upcoming e-Golf has a so-called 'Sail' mode that also has free-wheel coasting when you lift your right foot.
All current BEVs (except the S) are a parlor trick. They are the knee jerk reaction to the 2007 gas spike that woke up auto manufacturers from their happy stupor. The demand for a gas alternative resulted in a scramble by manufacturers to electrify the lightest thing in their inventory. For Mitsubishi it was their best selling kei car, the i. The kei version of the iMiEV was on the road in 2009, with performance equal to the 2011 LEAF. But when shown to the US audience, many drivers wanted more room and amenities, and the NHTSA and IIHS wanted it 4 inches wider, and a foot longer, with 300 pounds of additional safety equipment. The result was Mitsubishi missed the window of opportunity, and lost some of the iMiEV's essence in the translation.Vike said:At the end of the day, the fact that Honda couldn't build a Fit EV for a price they were willing to sell it for speaks volumes - the car is something of a parlor trick, an impressive but likely very expensive car (I wouldn't be surprised if it's as costly as the Focus) that they're putting out for lease to comply with CA regs and gather real-world data and experience. As such, it's hard to compare with the Leaf or i-MiEV, cars you can actually buy and keep.
At the risk of wandering a bit off-topic for this thread (though not this forum), I'd like to say that by contrast the i-MiEV is a serious product intended for the mass market, but I can't. Truth is I've never been able to figure out what the heck Mitsubishi's doing with the i-MiEV...
Well said, and let's hope the next generation materializes after the current spate of PHEVs, which only delay the introduction of pure BEVs.Kei Jidosha said:...The reason all these cars are important is they show what is possible. And will set the bar for the next generation of EVs being built from the ground up.
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