VW has unveiled its Golf GTD at the Geneva Motor Show, a sporty and fuel-sipping model offering a welcome 56 combined city/highway mpg. It does this with a new 184 hp four-cylinder TDI engine, a turbocharged and direct-injected powerplant that meets the challenging EU-6 emissions standard. The 56 mpg figure is achieved with Golf GTDs equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Combined fuel economy is 50 mpg with VW’s optional six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The first Golf GTD variant debuted some 30 years ago as a sporty compact that aimed to offer GTI-style features with notable fuel efficiency. This latest iteration, based on the seventh-generation Golf, is the most powerful GTD ever.
This is no slouch. Along with the 184 hp comes 280 lb-ft torque at a low 1750 rpm, supplying sufficient power to press you back in the seat. The Golf GTD is meant to be an efficient long-distance tourer and performer, which it backs up with a fun-to-drive nature and a top speed of 143 mph.
VW’s Golf GTD sits on lowered sport suspension and features side skirts, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler. It has distinctive features like smoked LED taillights with LED license-plate lights, 17-inch GTD wheels wrapped with 225/45 tires, and dual chrome tailpipes. The cabin offers GTD features including tartan-patterned sport seats, sport steering wheel, and stainless-steel pedals and foot rest.
Lexus has unveiled its all-new, next-generation Lexus IS compact sport sedan. The new IS features IS 250, IS 350, and IS 300h choices, with the latter offering powerful and efficient Lexus Hybrid Drive. The F SPORT version shown is available across the board.
Stylishly aggressive, the new IS sedan features a longer wheelbase and increased width to present a powerful stance. Design elements include the new Lexus spindle grille front end, wide flared wheel arches, and a sweeping and sporty profile. Articulated headlamp clusters and L-shaped daytime running lamps add to the distinctive appearance up front.
Inside, the cabin is elegant and packed with sporty and innovative touches including an LFA-inspired steering wheel and a center console with electrostatic switches, enabling control of air conditioning temperature with the touch of a finger.
A thinner front seat design combined with the longer wheelbase provides greater comfort for rear seat passengers, plus new 60:40 split/folding rear seats expand luggage capacity and versatility.
The Dept. of Energy is supporting twenty new projects that aim to develop the infrastructure, training, and regional planning needed to support demand for cars and trucks that run on natural gas, electricity, and propane. Cumulatively, the Energy Department is investing about $11 million in these projects.
Through DOE’s Clean Cities initiative, the projects deal with such important elements as providing safety and technical training for fleet operators, mechanics, first responders, and code officials. Support is also aimed at streamlining permitting and procurement processes and helping public and private fleets integrate petroleum reduction strategies into their operations.
For example, the City of Austin, Texas, has been selected for an award of $500,000 to streamline infrastructure procurement, conduct electric and natural gas vehicle safety training, host workshops to help fleet users in the San Antonio and Austin region, and organize training seminars on multi-family housing and workplace electric vehicle charging.
Kansas City, Missouri also benefits with its Metropolitan Energy Center leveraging a federal $815,000 investment to support vocational training programs for code officials and fleet managers, including managers at local colleges and technical schools. A Green Fleet Technical Assistance and Certification program will also be launched for the region. Click here for a full list of funded programs.
Ford’s super-efficient 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will make its first appearance on our shores next year in the new 2014 Ford Fiesta. It’s expected to be the smallest engine in its class and also achieve the best fuel economy of any non-hybrid car sold in America.
The award-winning engine is already making waves in Europe, where it accounts for 30 percent of all Focus sales. It will also be offered in the all-new Mondeo and is launching in the B-MAX and C-MAX in European markets.
The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is the first three-cylinder powerplant ever for Ford. It also features innovations never seen in a Ford engine including a super-small turbocharger, timing belt immersed in engine oil, an offset crankshaft, variable oil pump, split cooling, and external balancing. The smooth-running engine develops about the same horsepower as a 1.6-liter engine with 25 percent fewer moving parts.
Ford aims to provide it all with this engine – a sporty sound at high revs, smooth and quiet idle, and great fuel economy. It’s projected to offer 123 horsepower with 148 lb-ft torque and provide satisfying acceleration.
Honda has developed a new lightweight and compact one-motor hybrid system that’s optimized for small vehicles. The Sport Hybrid Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive system is the latest addition to Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology suite of next-generation powertrain technologies that aims at both high fuel efficiency and driving performance.
This new system joins the two-motor Sport Hybrid Intelligent Multi Mode Drive hybrid system for mid-sized vehicles and the three-motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling - All Wheel Drive) system for large vehicles. The two-motor system will be introduced in the 2014 Accord Plug-In.
The drive unit of the Sport hybrid intelligent Dual Clutch Drive system combines a four-cylinder, 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Its high-output motor and lithium-ion battery improve efficiency by more than 30 percent compared to conventional one-motor hybrid systems. Using the clutches to disengage the engine during deceleration increases energy regeneration and also contributes to greater fuel efficiency.
Honda says that the combination of the one-motor hybrid system and the engine provides sporty driving during acceleration and high-speed cruising. Efficient battery electric operation is enabled during startup and low- to medium-speed driving.
It’s a given that it will take more than just better powerplants to reach the 54.5 mpg federal fuel economy standard set for coming years. To this end, automakers are exploring every part of an automobile for ways to eke out greater efficiencies.
An interesting new exploration is taking place at General Motors, which is testing an industry-first thermal-forming process and proprietary corrosion resistance treatment for lightweight magnesium sheet metal. GM’s aim is to enable its suppliers to use the process and provide magnesium sheet in lieu of steel and aluminum that trims pounds from vehicle mass.
This is no small thing. Magnesium weighs 33 percent less than aluminum, 60 percent less than titanium, and 75 percent less than steel. Despite its advantages, there have been challenges and automakers have found it difficult to make strong and non-corroding magnesium sheet metal panels through traditional methods. GM’s has now overcome this with a new, patented process that heats the magnesium to 842 degrees F to allow molding it into precise, rigid shapes. GM has used this process to develop a production-ready magnesium rear deck lid inner panel that’s undergone rigorous testing without any issues.
The U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership estimates that 350 pounds of magnesium will replace 500 pounds of steel and 130 pounds of aluminum per vehicle by 2020, achieving a vehicle weight reduction of 15 percent. This weight savings would lead to a fuel savings of 9 to 12 percent.
It’s interesting to chart the growing sales of hybrids and other clean vehicles today. What’s really enlightening, though, is to understand how these vehicles are being used and what their implications are for our driving future.
That’s where cutting-edge demonstration projects like Austin’s Pecan Street bring great value to urban and transportation planners, by providing a real-life example of how far we can take sustainable, low-, or no-carbon transportation and daily living with currently available technology.
Austin’s Pecan Street, Inc, the country's first non-profit research and development consortia focused on energy, wireless, and consumer electronics technology, recently joined with GM subsidiary OnStar to collect and analyze real-world energy consumption through driving and charging data patterns. Thanks to the GM/OnStar partnership, the Pecan Street project now includes the Chevy Volt for gaining critical real-life usage data for the use and charging of extended-range electric vehicles. Chevrolet made 100 Volts available for priority purchase to residents participating in the project last September.
Among the grid-relieving solutions developed by OnStar are charging with renewable energy, energy demand response, time-of-use-rates, and home energy management. The partnership with Pecan Street is enabling OnStar to test these smart grid services in realistic, everyday scenarios. Additional partner companies like Sony, Whirlpool, Oncor, and Intel are also providing residents with smart grid and clean energy products and services, such as photovoltaic panels for generating power, batteries to store energy, and smart grid tools to help make everything work in unison.
The final goal of the project is to help consumers make the best possible use of energy for daily life, and specifically for charging their plug-in hybrids and other electric vehicles. The hope is that research resulting from the project will help speed up the innovation cycle around smart grid and consumer electronics technology. This is important since electric vehicles add significantly to a home’s energy profile. Understanding how, and when, consumers use their electric vehicles and keep them charged is critical information.
Momentum has been growing for biodiesel as a way to diversify transportation’s energy use and reduce emissions. The renewable fuel, which is made from agricultural byproducts and co-products such as soybean oil, is also a boon for American farmers and many Midwestern states. As an example, the nation’s leading biodiesel state – Iowa – has 13 biodiesel plants and produced some 175 million gallons of biodiesel last year alone.
While automakers have historically been hesitant to warranty their engines for anything other than low blends like B5 – a mix of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent conventional diesel – that’s been changing. More than 65 percent of diesel engine and vehicle manufacturers selling equipment in the U.S. now publicly support the use of higher B20 biodiesel blends.
Still, the transition does not come without effort. The latest move: In a formal letter to every major diesel engine and vehicle manufacturer, the Midwestern Governors Association is seeking support for the use of biodiesel blends of at least 20 percent in all diesel-powered equipment.
One of the challenges has been that not all advanced clean diesel engines are fully compatible with higher blends of biodiesel. Biodiesel interests like the MGA say that as biodiesel use grows in the marketplace, there are significant advantages to ensuring all diesel vehicles are compatible with higher blends.
There’s a lot at stake. The federal Renewable Fuels Standard-2 requires the use of higher levels of advanced biofuels over the next decade, and this could potentially grow the market for biodiesel as high as 5 billion gallons annually. Numbers like that are important in reducing reliance and imported oil…so let’s hope the manufacturers are listening.
Eaton Corporation, a company involved in electric vehicle charging, is now on a mission to develop a next-generation home refueling station for natural gas vehicles. The company is aiming to solve one of the vexing challenges for commercializing natural gas passenger vehicles for general consumers: affordable at-home natural gas refueling.
Home refueling allows natural gas vehicle owners to fuel up at home with a wall-mounted vehicle refueling appliance, similar to charging an electric vehicle. The appliance uses the natural gas source available at most homes and many businesses, compressing the gas to the 3600 psi required by a natural gas vehicle.
In operation, the fueling appliance’s fill line is connected to the vehicle’s CNG fueling inlet with a compression fitting, and then the tank is slow-filled overnight. In the morning you’re ready to go with a full tank of fuel that’s considerably cheaper, and cleaner, than gasoline.
The most high-profile example for home refueling has been the CNG appliance manufactured by FuelMaker, once marketed by Honda as ‘Phill,’ an option to accompany its natural gas Civic model. This vehicle refueling appliance is now manufactured by BRC FuelMaker and marketed in the U.S. through IMPCO Technologies. While convenient and easy to use, the challenge for consumers has been one of cost – simply, refueling appliances are not inexpensive. The natural gas industry recognizes this and is focused on developing competitive refueling appliances that will overcome the cost issue.
Enter Eaton with a development project partly funded with $3.4 million from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E). The goal: No less than developing a production prototype home vehicle refueling station that will retail for about one tenth of the cost of currently available systems, which currently come in at about $5,000 to $10,000. Eaton is targeting a production price of $500 with a prototype available by the end of 2015.
Patrick Racing aims to show how clean-burning natural gas can effectively compete amid conventionally and alternatively powered counterparts in American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing. The team is working with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), sanctioning body for ALMS racing, to identify development and testing opportunities for natural gas fuel systems to power the Series' Prototype Challenge class during the 2013 season.
Jim McGee, Patrick Racing team manager and chief mechanic, notes what many fans of natural gas already know: This 130 octane fuel is a great choice for racing with plenty of performance potential in a world at speed. That will be evident in Prototype Challenge racing.
The Prototype Challenge class features the ORECA FLM09, a race car with a minimum weight of 1,985 pounds that’s powered by a 430 horsepower LS3 V-8 engine. The race car features a full carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes, and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle shifting.
IMSA points out that ALMs is the only racing series recognized to comply with the Green Racing protocols developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and SAE International. The use of natural gas is viewed as a logical next step in the series' positioning as a leader in green racing.
The goal of all this? The transition of natural gas fuel and technology from the race track to the highway. Green racing is viewed as a pathway for technology developments that will make their way to tomorrow's production vehicles, a role that racing has played in the development of advanced technologies for more than a century. Using ALMS racing as a platform to share how safely and reliably natural gas can be used in a racing environment will show millions of people how this fuel also makes sense for daily transportation.
Leave it to Audi to continue making electric drive news at the track. The automaker’s R8 e-tron – an electrified version of the way-cool R8 supercar – has set a world record for electric production vehicles at Nürburgring’s Nordschleife loop, regarded by many as one of the most demanding test tracks in the world.
Piloted by race driver Markus Winkelhock, the electric sports car powered its way around the 12.92-mile track in 8:09.099 minutes to achieve its electric drive milestone. To place this in perspective, the current record lap driven in a Gumpert Apollo Sport powered by a 700 horsepower Audi V-8 stands at 7:11.57 minutes.
The record-setting Audi R8 e-tron was powered by the same electric drivetrain that will be offered in the production R8 e-tron coming to market late this year. Specs for the production car include acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in a blistering 4.6 seconds. While the track effort allowed a 155 mph top end for the run, the production variant will be limited to a ‘mere’ 124 mph.
A pair of electric motors generating 375 hp and massive torque power the R8 e-tron. It’s energized by a 9 KWh lithium-ion battery pack that allows an approximate 134 mile range, although obviously not at speed. The pack is positioned in a ‘T’ configuration along the center tunnel and behind the passenger compartment.
Light weight is typically a hallmark of a high performance electric cars and the Audi R8 is no exception. The R8’s bodyshell is largely constructed of aluminum with carbon fiber reinforced polymer components. The result is a supercar weighing in at 3,924 pounds, batteries included.
The Toyota Avalon has always been aimed squarely at those who enjoy a large and comfortable car. It is Lexus quiet, Toyota reliable, large enough for Americans, and reasonably priced. While a good car, though, the Avalon’s environmental credentials have never been strong. That’s about to change with the all-new 2013 Avalon Hybrid coming to Toyota showrooms later this year.
Toyota has clearly paid attention to the success of high efficiency mid-size vehicles. VW has its Passat TDI that offers 43 highway mpg, and Ford, with the new 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, is expected to hit EPA ratings of 47 city/44 highway mpg. Buyers of larger sedans are more environmentally conscious than ever and Toyota needs those customers to come back, or stay with them. They are banking on the new 2013 Avalon, and the Avalon Hybrid, to help make up the fuel-efficient, midsize sedan ground they have lost.
The 2013 Avalon has been redesigned for today’s green, luxury, and value conscious buyers. It has also been designed to be more youthful, yet still appealing to the Avalon’s traditionally conservative buyers. The new Avalon Hybrid achieves 40 city/39 highway mpg and 40 mpg combined. That’s quite respectable given the size of this vehicle and the big improvement over the gasoline model’s best highway fuel economy rating of 31 mpg.
Power is supplied by a variant of the Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid system used in the Toyota Camry. It features a 2.5-liter, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with a 244.8-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack and two electric motor/generators, providing a total 200 system horsepower. A driver can select EV, ECO, and SPORT modes, with the EV mode allowing travel up to a mile on electric power alone at a maximum 25 mph.
Toyota’s all-new 2013 Avalon is significantly improved inside and out, appearing well-prepared to compete in the growing field of highly fuel efficient larger sedans. The North American-designed and engineered Avalon Hybrid will be built at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky assembly plant. Its MSRP has yet to be announced.
The Lotus Evora 414E series hybrid that first saw the light of day at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show has now begun testing. This is a move important to proving the viability of its advanced powertrain and other high profile technologies in the Lotus portfolio.
Based on the slippery-looking production Lotus Evora model, the Evora 414E Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid with maximum performance built in. Two EVO electric motors drive the Evora 414E Hybrid’s rear wheels through an Xtrac transmission, providing an enormous 408 horsepower and 738 lb-ft torque. This considerable power-at-the-ready propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in about four seconds and to a top speed of 130 mph.
Primary power is supplied by batteries charged by electricity from the grid. Like the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma, it uses a range extender engine-generator that produces on-board electricity to power the electric motors for driving beyond its 30 miles of battery electric range. The range extender can also charge the car’s battery pack and, under times of high power demand, supplement battery power for optimum acceleration. Further flexibility is realized by the range extender engine’s ability to run on gasoline, methanol, or ethanol.
The Evora 414E Hybrid brings an array of technologies to the table beyond hybrid power. Among these is a simulated paddle shift gear change function offering the familiar feel of quick gear changes reminiscent of a dual clutch transmission. Drive torque is modulated to simulate the physical feeling of gearshift changes and synthesized engine sound changes frequency with these virtual gear transitions. In addition, a driver can control deceleration through simulated downshifting, which induces varying levels of motor drag as the motors feed electrical energy back to the batteries through regenerative braking.
UK government funding through the Technology Strategy Board has enabled Lotus to also produce a cutaway Evora 414E to illustrate the car’s innovative technology. It was recently on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Clean diesel keeps marching forward, even as American consumers continue to warm slowly to the idea of moving beyond familiar gasoline-powered vehicles. The slow pace is unfortunate considering advanced diesel variants are inherently more fuel efficient than their gasoline counterparts and, might we add, often more fun to drive because of diesel’s copious low-end torque.
How do you convince people to step up to diesel? One time-honored way to create believers in new technologies – and in some cases fuels – is proving them out on the race track. We’re seeing that today at various race venues where electric, hybrid, ethanol, and other alternative fuels or technologies are in competition.
In recent years, clean diesel has been pushed with vigor in racing, most notably with great success by German auto manufacturers. Diesel is not the exclusive domain of the Europeans, though. The latest evidence of this is Mazda’s recently-announced program to champion diesel in GRAND-AM racing’s new GX Class for advanced/clean technologies. Mazda is the only Asian automaker presently committed to bringing advanced diesel technology to the U.S.
Mazda’s 2.2-liter, stock-block SKYACTIV-D four-cylinder diesel engines feature a 14:1 compression ratio, new two-stage turbocharger, and a 5,200 rpm redline. The production engine’s improvements over Mazda's current 2.2-liter MZR-CD diesel engine are considerable, including a 10% weight reduction, 20% reduction in internal engine friction, and up 20% better fuel economy. The racing variant is being jointly developed by Mazda Motor Corporation, Mazda North American Operations, and SpeedSource Engineering.
The actual Mazda model to be powered by the SKYACTIV-D racing engine will be identified after the conclusion of the 2012 GRAND-AM racing season. Dyno testing is ongoing with track testing scheduled for later this year.
There’s increasing use for all the advanced electronics we’re finding in today’s connected vehicles, it turns out. A case in point is a collaboration between Ford and State Farm insurance that could find Ford SYNC-equipped drivers potentially saving up to 40 percent on their car insurance.
The State Farm Drive Safe & Save insurance discount program offers this savings based on annual mileage, a growing trend in the auto insurance industry that offers lower rates to those who drive fewer miles, and thus offer less risk to insurers. In this case, the discount is based on vehicle odometer readings reported as a driver uses SYNC’s Vehicle Health Report, which became a standard feature with SYNC in 2009 and newer Ford vehicles
Drivers who enroll in the program will save about five percent on their premiums at first, with future savings determined every six months at a policy’s renewal date. About 10 percent savings is realized if a vehicle is driven the national average of 1,000 miles a month, with savings greater if considerably fewer miles are driven.
Ford SYNC, the industry’s leading in-car connectivity system, enhances safety by providing drivers the ability to voice command and control mobile devices like cell phones and MP3 players, allowing eyes to be kept on the road. SYNC also provides services like emergency calling through 911 Assist and the aforementioned Vehicle Health Report, a no-subscription feature that allows requesting diagnostic reports on vehicle performance and maintenance needs.
SYNC’s Vehicle Health Report is a good fit for the State Farm Drive Safe & Save program since it pulls odometer readings directly from a car’s engine computer, thus mileage reports are considered verified and enable qualifying for premium savings.
Production of the new smart fortwo electric has begun at the automaker’s newly expanded Hambach plant in France. This is the first time that electric smarts have been produced as an integral part of a conventional smart assembly line alongside internal combustion engine variants. The ability to accept diverse powerplants is a key attribute of the smart brand.
The smart fortwo electric is available as either a coupe or cabriolet. It’s powered by a 74 horsepower (55kW) electric motor that provides acceleration from 0 – 37 mph (60 km/h) in 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 78 mph. A 17.6 kWh battery pack affords the two-seater a 90 mile driving range in the city. The electrified smart fortwo uses components from Bosch (EM-motive) and Evonik (Deutsche ACCUmotive).
Buyers have an interesting choice to make when they step up to the electric smart. It can be purchased in the usual way, in this case at a price from $29,581 to $33,441 for the electric coupe or cabrio, respectively. The company’s new ‘sale&care’ model allows customers an opportunity to buy, finance, or lease the vehicle but rent the battery separately for an $81 monthly fee. The sale&care price for the coupe without battery is $23,622 and $27,482 for the cabrio.
These prices are translated from the Euro and will likely fluctuate a bit by the time the vehicle makes it here to the States. But clearly, the specs are much better than those of the previous iteration we test drove last year and the price tag is more realistic as well, a plus on both counts.
Can Michigan become the Silicon Valley of mobility? Ford Motor Company executive chairman Bill Ford seems to think so. He’s calling for policy reform to make this happen, pointing at the integration of communications and vehicle technologies as key to solving urban mobility challenges while creating more high-tech Michigan jobs in the process.
These aren’t just any ‘green’ jobs. The need to build on Michigan’s manufacturing history while diversifying the state’s economy is also important, says Ford. He points out that no other sector of the economy creates as many spinoff jobs as the auto sector, with every auto job created resulting in nine more jobs to support it.
That leads to the new Motor City Innovation Exchange – a collaboration between Ford, TechShop Detroit, AutoHarvest, and Wayne State University's TechTown – that seeks to encourage Michigan innovators and help entrepreneurs commercialize their creations. It will provide affordable ‘work/hacker’ space (their words, not ours) and a showroom for innovators to show off their creations to peers and potential customers.
Bill Ford points to the pressures of a growing global population and the new challenge of global gridlock – the potential that the world will face a never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy, and resources. He shares that we will once again need new technologies as well as new ways of looking at the world to overcome this, such as viewing the automobile as one element of a transportation ecosystem. Of course, integrating the automobile with this new transportation ecosystem will require a great variety of high-tech and policy jobs, which he feels should be based in Michigan, of course.
CODA Automotive has been selected as one of 40 businesses to be profiled in The GOOD Company Project, a collaboration between the integrated media platform GOOD and IBM. The GOOD Company Project highlights 40 businesses for their positive contributions toward economic and social improvement. Over the past few months, CODA has delivered its first fleet vehicle to AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), as well as electric cars to three California customers.
It’s been a long time coming for CODA. Three years ago today, the Southern California electric car company announced its spin-off from Miles Electric Vehicles, marketer of low-speed electric models sourced from China. At that time, CODA said it planned to offer its first all-electric vehicle to California buyers in fall 2010 at a cost of $45,000. Like electric car manufacturer Tesla, it missed its initial launch date, but by a much wider margin. Who said it’s easy to be an emerging auto manufacturer?
On a bright note, the manufacturer’s suggested retail cost for the CODA sedan has not edged upward, as has been the case with electric vehicles from some emerging automakers that have found it necessary to increase an announced MSRP – sometimes substantially –by the time they make it to actual sales. Three years back, CODA identified a target price of $45,000 with a bottom line cost to California buyers in the mid-$30,000s after federal and state incentives. Today, its actual MSRP is $7,750 less than that original target.
The CODA sedan is assembly line built by automaker Haife in China and based on an existing gasoline model. The four-door, five passenger sedan has been modified to fit American tastes and re-engineered to electric drive. Power is supplied by a lithium-iron phosphate battery pack featuring an active thermal management system that keeps the batteries at an optimum temperature in hot and cold weather. The batteries come with a 10-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty. A full charge is achieved in about six hours at 220 volts with the car’s 6.6kW onboard charging capability. While the EPA assigns an official estimated driving range of 88 miles, CODA Automotive says drivers could get up to 125 miles on a charge depending on driving habits.