WarpedOne

http://www.hybridtechnologies.com

This company is selling a range of electric vehicles. All of them seem to be standard production cars with converted powertrain. They even keep original transmission.

I am wondering what drawbacks are in such an approach in comparison with "ground up" electric cars?
Benefit is clearly lower price - Smart Electric goes for 35.000$.

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VoltHead

dsacks6

Thats really cool but I wonder what their long term plan is considering ground up will be cheaper when produced at a high enough value. Smart electric is pretty cool idea.

DDB

I guess Hybrid Tech. is now taking orders for their Smart Car. It seems reasonably priced (especially compared to the plug-in conversions) and it looks available.


http://www.hybridtechnologies.com/smartcar_order.php


One more choice for the consumer, although it doesn't help those families who need sedans.

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Dave

'05 Passat powered by Biodiesel
'54 Corvette

Iz

It's a step in the right direction. ;D

Adding 120 mile range, 4 hour charge and A/C bumps up the price to 55k. WhiteStar and ZAP-X will be in the 50k-60k range, 4-door, larger and with more range.

It will be interesting to see what the demand is for Smart Car given these future models.

DDB

Do you remember where the Zap estimate came from and the time frame?

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Dave

'05 Passat powered by Biodiesel
'54 Corvette

Iz

Hi DDB,

Yes. The price range and time frame are based on an interview with ZAP CEO Steven Schneider in the March 2007 Popular Science Magazine. Steven is asked what is available to those who want more than a short-range vehicle.

Here is a link to the site: http://www.popsci.com/popsci/ The article is titled "Who Killed the Gas Guzzler?"

A direct link to the article:
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/automot...cbccdrcrd.html

"touchscreen controls, and all-biometric entry and ignition." - I'm salivating just thinking about it!

DDB

Thanks Iz, I didn't realize the ZAP-X may be a direct competitor to Whitestar. Good stuff, although I'm skeptical when cars are only "concepts."

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Dave

'05 Passat powered by Biodiesel
'54 Corvette

Iz

I am somewhat skeptical too. ZAP has sold 90,000 vehicles worldwide. The caveat is that this figure includes a variety of vehicle types such as bikes, scooters, ATV's and cars. Their Xebra may be classified as a motorcycle. Since the EV1, there have been no mass produced EV's that operate at highway speeds. Top speed for some of the ZAP cars is 40 mph. ZAP however does have publicly traded stock and publishes consolidated financial statements on their web site. Tesla and ZAP may be on the forefront of the EV whirlwind.

TEG

Hybrid Technologies offers a Hybrid or Pure EV Roadster competitor known as the 'Mullen'.



They also have a couple of pure electric vehicles like their Mini Cooper and Smart Car conversions.

Mini test drive

Are they producing any of these vehicles in volume?

tonybelding

As far as I've been able to determine, Hybrid Tech has no plans to put any kind of vehicle into production, at least not mass production.* Their whole business is about taking existing vehicles and converting them to battery power.* The Mullen is actually based on a kit car called the Mullen GT, which would normally be powered from a V8.* They just buy the kits from Mullen and build them up with an electric motor and batteries instead.

The Mullen electric was actually announced last year before the Tesla Roadster, but hardly anyone seemed to notice.