Coda Electric Sedan News

Coda Withdraws DOE Loan Request, Will Build Overseas

Eric Loveday — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:20:56 +0000

As the DOE continues to delay its loan process, more automakers have either backed out of producing advanced technology vehicles in the US or decided to turn their attention to assembling automobiles in foreign countries.

Late last week, Coda Automotive announced that it withdrew its $334 million loan request to the US Department of Energy. Coda says that its loan application was stuck in a "holding pattern" for two years, and that it couldn't wait any longer, after a two-year delay in a response to its request.

New EPA Numbers Promote Confusion About EV Efficiency

Brad Berman — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:32:38 +0000

According to the EPA, the Coda Sedan has an 88-mile driving range, but an MPGe rating of only 73.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released efficiency numbers for the Coda Sedan, assigning a rating of 73 MPGe. Okay, that's disappointing compared to the LEAF's 99 MPGe, the Ford Focus Electric's 105 MPGe and the Mitsubishi i at 112 MPGe. On the other hand, because the Coda has the biggest battery of the bunch, it beats all other EVs with an EPA "miles on a charge" rating of 88 miles.

These numbers seem designed to instill confusion.

Coda Offers Slightly Cheaper Version of its Electric Sedan

Eric Loveday — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:25:01 +0000

Coda will offer a $37,250 version of its electric Sedan.

Coda Automotive announced yesterday that it will offer two distinct versions of its electric 2012 Sedan. In addition to its originally planned sedan with a range of up to 150 miles, featuring a 36-kWh battery pack and carries a price tag of $39,900, Coda will launch a lower-priced version equipped with a 31-kWh battery and a range of up to 125 miles. This slightly cheaper version of Coda's Sedan will have an MSRP of $37,250.

Coda states that after federal tax credits, the base price of the 31-kWh Sedan will dip to $29,750, or slightly below the $30,000 threshold.

Coda Electric Sedan to Make Showroom Debut in February, Sales to Follow

Eric Loveday — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:13:52 +0000

Coda aims to sells its electric Sedan through a dealership in San Diego starting in February.

First Drive: 2012 Coda Electric Sedan

Brad Berman — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:52:44 +0000

As I reported for the New York Times Wheels blog this morning, it looks like Coda has turned the corner on the journey to offering its all-electric sedan. Evidence: The company lowered the price by $5,000 to $39,900; it locked in a deal with GE to provide the Level 2 charger; it extended its battery warranty to 10 years; and it improved the fit and finish of the model compared to previous versions.

Evidence Mounts for Late 2011 Release of Coda Electric Car

Brad Berman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:17:38 +0000

Coda's first store, located in the Westfield Century City Shopping Center in Los Angeles County.

Something is going on at Coda Automotive, the California-based upstart electric car company with the plain-looking sedan. After a period of relative quiet in the spring and summer, the company has issued a string of announcements in recent weeks showing tangible steps toward its promise of delivering its first units before the end of 2011. The company has slipped on previous dates for delivery, but now there’s evidence the pieces are coming together.

Coda Web Video Celebrates 'End Dependence Day'

Zach McDonald — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 05:49:06 +0000

Just in time for Fourth of July weekend, Coda Automotive has released a web video encouraging Americans to celebrate “End Dependence Day.” The spot examines different perspectives on what it means to be free and what we are dependent on: namely oil. The Coda electric sedan is scheduled for release late this year.

Coda Found China Harder to Work With Than Anticipated but Confirms Q4 Launch Date

Alysha Webb — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:15:19 +0000

Coda's Sean Blankenship.

Issues with its Chinese partners have apparently been holding up the start of production of Coda Automotive’s pure electric sedans. I met with Sean Blankenship, Coda’s vice president of automotive marketing, a few days ago at Coda’s headquarters in Santa Monica, in the building that previously housed Google.

I asked if Coda was confident it would meet its latest deadline—the fourth quarter of this year—to launch its electric vehicle. (Coda has missed several other launch dates.)

Yes, Coda was confident, he said, adding, “You know that when you have a joint venture in China, it is a learning experience. We have learned a lot and I think we work better with our partners."

GE EV Experience Tour Visits New York

Tom Moloughney — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:46:08 +0000

I spent the afternoon today the Citi Field in Flushing, NY, home of the New York Mets. While I am a Mets fan (unfortunately), I wasn’t there today to watch a game, I was there for GE’s New York EV Experience Tour.

The day started off with a panel discussion called “Building an EV Ecosystem” which was followed by a Q&A session. The panel consisted of Dan Frodi, chief strategy and product development leader for GE; Scott Saffian, EV platform Leader for GE; John Shipman, department manager of electric vehicles for Con Edison; and Ari Kahn, electric vehicle policy analyst, New York City sustainability office.

The panel mainly focused on infrastructure issues and solutions, and I was happy to hear that companies like GE are working closely with the utilities (Con Edison) as well as city representatives to try to identify and solve the potential problems before we have widespread EV deployment.

First Coda Electric Car Deliveries Now “Late Fourth Quarter” 2011

Brad Berman — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:17:21 +0000

Phil Murtaugh, CEO of Coda Automotive, said his company’s electric car is on schedule to go on sale in the United States in the fourth quarter of this year. "We're making good progress," he said, speaking at the Automotive News China Conference. "We're getting our production tooling all in order now. It takes about six weeks to ship them over to the United States, so sometime in the fourth quarter, probably the late fourth quarter, we'll see cars going on sale in California."

Underscore “Late Fourth Quarter.” Based on pre-delivery announcements and actual deliveries of previous electric cars, that means the first few Coda models could arrive just before the end of the year, with a slow ramp-up in 2012. Coda previously delayed its first sales from a target of December 2010, to the second half of 2011. In announcements, the date has slowly shifted from the second half of 2011, to late 2011, and now late fourth quarter.