Other electric cars and trucks

A couple weeks ago VW announced some details on the 2015 VW e-Golf, and said it will go on sale in the U.S. in 4th quarter of 2014. They said "selected markets" without explaining that further, and they also did not give a price.

A week or two Andy Palmer - chief public face from Nissan on their electric car plans - was quoted in a news article talking about the Gen2 Nissan Leaf. It's due for the 2017 model year, following a "normal" 4 year product cycle after the 2013 "global launch". The Leaf did launch in 2010/2011 in the US, but it was the 2013 model year where production was localized to each continent - a factory in Tennessee for North American sales, and one in England for European sales.

For the 2017 model year there's two primary things Palmer talked about

This documentary dates from before the Tesla Model S launch, placing it in early 2012.

I think this is a basic electronics question, but I can't easily think of a solution.
How do you limit current in a wire without dropping voltage?

So my application is I want a low current feed to the controller to do a precharge of the capacitor to 90% of pack voltage (its an option on the Curtis1244 controller).
If I jump the main contacter with something that limits current then that would allow it to precharge.
But if I just put a resistor in, it will sap most of the pack voltage and therefore the precharge wont reach 90%

Please help!

I see that this section has been very dormant for a while.
Nothing about new cars of all Electric coming out.

I am interested in the Chevy Spark EV but they will ONLY sell in Cal/Oregon and you can not buy it and ship it elsewhere. Which is DUMB.

Mitsubishi has one too, but not heard much about it as it isn't out just yet that I know of.

VW is making a New Golf Electric but again there isn't anything out yet.

Not even going to go into the $$$$ ones.

THe Ford and Nissan need to come down on the prices for them to really sell better.

As predicted the Coda EV is extinct !

This dubious product from an equally dubious manufacturer, has finally filed for bankruptcy. The demise of Coda will be missed by no one, except it's workers and a handful of Coda owners.

Fortunately, the US taxpayer with not lose, although the State of California (and others) will have to write off the millions given to this enterprise.

A bad car, a bad EV, promoted by a bad company, and backed by bad people. Luckily Coda's demise, should not reflect on EV Technology as an industry, and EV sales with not be affected.

I was able to take a brief test drive of the Ford Fusion Energi, and even briefer drive of the C-MAX Energi, today. According to Ford it was the first opportunity for Journalists to drive the Fusion Energi. For some reason they think I'm enough of a journalist to let me in the room ;-) ...

EpicEV & Flux Power - both companies founded by Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony - have teamed up to design and start production of a new electric sports car. It's three wheeled of course, so it is technically a motorcycle.

Deliveries will commence in April and the price starts at $65,000 in the United States and €50,000 Europe.

According to Epic EV it will do 0-60 miles/hr in under 4 seconds, and the 3 wheeled architecture can achieve over 1G of lateral acceleration. The electric motor provides over 600ft/lbs. of peak torque with a peak horsepower of over 400 hp

It's built using the Nissan Leaf drive train, but in a custom car chassis. The chassis is both shorter and wider stance than the normal LEAF, sits lower to the ground, and has a carbon fiber monocoque.

http://www.electricracenews.com/2013/02/nissans-nismo-rc-leaf-serves-as-rolling.html