Phoenix Motorcars to Offer Multiple Battery Options
07 May 2008
Phoenix Motorcars plans to offer multiple battery options for its lithium-ion battery-powered sport utility trucks and vehicles (SUTs and SUVs). While the Altairnano pack will continue to be featured in the first delivered product beginning in June, the company will begin to offer integrated battery systems from Electrovaya as a option. (Earlier post.)
The Altairnano Lithium Titanate battery provides tremendous advantages to being able to safely recharge your vehicle in less than 10 minutes. The Electrovaya innovative Lithium-Ion SuperPolymer battery platform will provide an integrated battery system option for Phoenix vehicles. Performance characteristics and energy density have made the battery stand out from its peers, drawing the attention of Phoenix Motorcars.
—Bryon Bliss, V.P. Sales & Marketing, Phoenix Motorcars
Both Altairnano and Electrovaya battery systems will be incorporated into future Phoenix products, according to Bliss.
Think Global is also offering customers a choice of battery packs in its electric TH!NK City. (Earlier post.)
Talk is cheap.
Can we see some of these things for sale? On the road? Maybe?
Posted by: Cervus | 07 May 2008 at 04:47 PM
cervus, they are already taking orders from individuals. the car has also passed ZEV certification and crash tests. so at least that many vehicles have been built.
looks like (according to this post) they'll be shipping the cars to fleets this june.
Posted by: lensovet | 07 May 2008 at 04:56 PM
Do you want to go faster? I do.
Posted by: Cervus | 07 May 2008 at 05:49 PM
It is interesting that some people seem to think that these EVs will just pop up out of some garage some where and be for general sale. Or that the major auto makers will drop everything and rush to get one out.
Phoenix is putting what little they have all out there on the line. It is extremely difficult to raise money for such an effort. After all the pushing and scraping they bring one out and the buying public yawns and says "so"?
Lots of EV fans seem to subscribe to the build in and they will come theory. Maybe it is because EVs seem so simple, not unlike the electric toy car they played with as a child. If that is the case, those are some mighty big expensive toys.
EVs will come along in their own good time. It would be a huge waste of resources and probably bad for the future if someone came out in a big way and flopped in a big way. We might never get them then.
Posted by: SJC | 07 May 2008 at 07:50 PM
I think that people fear is somewhat the opposite, i.e., companies creating vaporware, taking orders or garnering investor's money, then skipping out.
From what I read, it looks as if EVs are on their way and we will all be privileged to witness the change over from ICEs to EVs and perhaps the coming of a more stable economy and society driven by a stable energy source from the Sun.
Posted by: Lad | 07 May 2008 at 09:58 PM
Nicely said Lad.
Posted by: | 07 May 2008 at 10:05 PM
It is buyer beware in the investor community and always has been and should be. Those are all suppose to be wise investors that know the ropes, not mom and pop nickel and dime folks. If they do not do their due diligence that is their problem.
The states attorneys general and the Justice Department can keep track of any schemers and do. The SEC does as well. The EV1, RAV4EV and others were done in response to the ZEV laws. Once they saw the they could sue, they just dropped them.
The scam artists hurt all legitimate efforts and that is a shame. But the lack of capital to make good things happen is more of a shame. Phoenix and others have to scrap for every dime they can get and use it wisely. Efficiency is one thing, but if you never have enough to even get off the ground, that is another.
Posted by: SJC | 07 May 2008 at 11:02 PM
Once we get the Model T of EVs, ever automaker will jump onboard.
Posted by: Cervus | 07 May 2008 at 11:07 PM
I think they're jumping already.
http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1438
They just haven't landed yet.
Posted by: Neil | 07 May 2008 at 11:54 PM
Why would Phoenix have more problems than Tesla raising VC interest?
Here is a recent statement on VC funding in March:
"“Phoenix is now well capitalized to enter the fleet vehicle market with a full-performance battery electric vehicle,” said Dan Elliott, President and CEO of Phoenix MC, Inc. “We have taken orders for fleet-ready vehicles and will deliver their first round of sport utility trucks (SUT) and sport utility vehicles (SUV) in 2008.” Phoenix MC, Inc. will ramp up production in 2009."
AES was one of the major VC investors, along with a company out of Dubai.
http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/news-and-events/releases/2008/pr-080319.php
Good to see multiple companies competing for battery supply. More competition brings prices down.
I thought they were opening a major production facility in AZ. But I found plans for a joint venture in Mexico with funding of 90 million from Phoenix. Not sure how accurate that is today.
Maybe they are balancing business plans differently than Tesla who went with special niche groups first. And had better access to VC in silicon valley? Whereas Phoenix is entering a larger market immediately thru fleet that offers some control and maybe better feedback from customers before they roll in 2009.
Posted by: Michael | 08 May 2008 at 03:12 AM
And though it should only be temporary, a ZEV fleet tax credit might be in order here. Whoever buys these first Phoenix SUVs either has very deep pockets or wants to be greener than most business can afford. Providing some incentive to get these vehicles on the road demonstrating the viability of BEVs in the workplace - is a win for everybody.
There is little precedent for this in startup technology (e.g. no credits for enterprise computer purchases) but electrification is an issue affecting national interests. Maybe DOE should pony up for a couple dozen Phoenix trucks and lease them at low cost to potential buyers. Maybe some Fed loan guarantees to business banks would be in order. Or SBA loans for the same. Innovation in finance is just as important as in the lab for these goals.
Point is going green cannot stop at product development - the whole effort has got to support market entry for viable cars, trucks, fuels, infrastructure and behavioral changes (bike lanes, mass transit, telecommute, municipal solar, etc). It would be a shame and damaging to the effort to have startups in this category get beaten up for being first to market. Even with imperfect products.
Posted by: gr | 08 May 2008 at 08:22 AM
If you have not already checked out the Fisker Karma PHEV 4 door sports car, do so at:
http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/
This is a car someone will love and I think they have sold out their first year production.
Posted by: Ron | 08 May 2008 at 09:53 AM
OK. We all love new PHEVs, especially hot looking ones like this Fisker creation. But come on guys, where all the naysayers? Fisker is a company under a cloud since he and Tesla are fighting lawsuits. There is no Fisker car - only a drawing and a website. "Sold Out" what? A bunch of $1k deposits on a car with no appreciable resources beyond an outstanding designer. I hope it raises enough money to build a first prototype. that it'll pass crash tests and meet its concept specs. But a real car in any volume by 2010??
Then again, in this space, what's "real."
Posted by: sulleny | 08 May 2008 at 01:06 PM
The Karma could happen and the law suit is frivolous. They might even counter sue for libel when it is all done. It is a tough time to raise capital these days and I wish them all the best.
Posted by: SJC | 08 May 2008 at 11:01 PM