— By Joanne Tucker

LOS ANGELES - More than 100 CODA Automotive all-electric sedans have so far been sold, according to the automaker at a press event in Los Angeles last week. Thomas Hausch, CODA’s senior VP of sales, marketing and aftersales, said that 90% of those sales have been consumer sales, with municipalities counting for most of their fleet purchases.

View a photo slideshow of the CODA sedan here.

The electric vehicle (EV) gets an EPA-rated 88 mile-range at 134 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft of torque, and uses a lithium-iron phosphate battery pack with a 6.6 kWh onboard charger that can charge the vehicle in six hours using a 220/240V (Level 2) charger. The vehicle reaches a top speed of 85 mph. (See a full list of specs on page 2.)

CODA is offering test drives of the vehicle, which can be done at one of its four partner dealerships in California or at its “CODA Experience Center” in Los Angeles. According to Bill Beasley, CODA VP of automotive sales, test drives for fleets are available and can range from a “ride around the block to a 30-day test drive for certain companies.”

Also available to fleets is a $500 incentive off the MSRP of $37,250. The vehicle is also eligible for a federal tax incentive of up to $7,500 and a California rebate of $2,500.

Beasley said the company plans to be aggressive in the fleet market. “We believe that fleets are leaders in the adoption of newer technologies and will help the acceptance of electric vehicle in the general market,” he said.

Beasley added that customers can expect wait times from order to delivery to range from a few days on the West Coast to up to two weeks on the East Coast. “However, if demand was such that we couldn’t fulfill an order from Amports inventory (CODA’s assembly plant in Benicia, Calif.), then it may take up to an additional 6-8 weeks — not abnormal from any OEM,” Beasley said.

Aside from the sedan’s battery management system, the CODA’s lifecycle costs have been a main selling point to fleets, Beasley said. The overall reduction of moving parts, as well as the elimination of gas and oil expenses, he noted, makes the vehicle less expensive over a five-year ownership than traditional gas cars.

The automaker recommends a 7,500-mile maintenance interval, which is the same as the Nissan Leaf.

National and Global Initiatives

Phil Murtaugh, CODA CEO, said that the company has formed a partnership with Great Wall, a Chinese manufacturer, and plans to launch the sedan globally in model-year 2014. The vehicle will be sold in China under the Great Wall brand, while it will be sold as CODA everywhere else, Murtaugh said.

Manufacturing and Supplier Information 

CODA said that while design, manufacturing and engineering work is controlled internally, components and subsystems are sourced worldwide.

According to the automaker, the sedan’s body/chassis “glider” is manufactured in Harbin, China at an existing facility that CODA leases and operates. The rolling gliders are shipped to CODA’s assembly plant in Benicia, Calif., where the electric drive components — including the battery system — are installed, and the vehicle assembly, final inspection and quality assurance processes are performed.[PAGEBREAK]

Specifications for 2012-MY CODA Sedan

General

• All-electric, four-door, five-passenger sedan

• Zero tailpipe emissions

• A fully charged CODA goes up to 125 miles on a single charge

• Electronically limited top speed of 85 mph

• Recharge time in about 6 hours from a 240V (30A) charger

Battery and Charging

• 333V, 31 kWh usable capacity (total rating of 33 kWh) lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery system

• DC: DC converter producing 2.2 kW @ 13V

• 6.6 kW / 240VAC input or 1.3 kW / 110 VAC input on-board charger

• Active thermal management for battery (this uses air cooling and heating to regulate the battery pack temperature that helps keep the battery at an optimal temperature in more extreme climates)

• Batteries located under the seats/floor for optimum weight distribution, improved safety and performance

• Automatic battery disconnect in a crash

• Automatic regenerative braking as soon as accelerator is lifted, which allows recovers up to 15% of the battery’s capacity — depending on driving patterns 

• 7% loss in capacity over 3,500 charging cycles

Powertrain, Suspension and Steering

• Electric motor producing 100 kW/134 horsepower and best-in-class 300 nm/221 lb.-ft. of torque 

• Single-speed gear-reduction transmission 

• Four-wheel independent suspension with front struts and rear multilink 

• Electronically-assisted rack and pinion power steering 

• 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 205/45 R17 all-season tires

Safety

• Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control (TCS) 

• Six standard air bags: 

Advanced dual-stage front driver and passenger airbags
Front seat-mounted side impact air bags
Roof-mounted side-curtain air bags

• Front seat belts with force limiters and pre-tensioners 

• Collapsible steering column 

• LATCH child restraints 

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Interior

• Air conditioning with cabin air filter 

• Front multi-adjustable bucket seats with Eco-Cloth 

• Adjustable front and rear head restraints 

• 60/40 split-folding rear seat with Eco-Cloth 

• Front center console with covered storage 

• Four front cupholders 

• Glove box and mini overhead storage 

• Driver and front passenger door storage 

• Front seatback storage pockets 

• Rear seat center armrest with two cupholders 

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel 

• Manual-tilt steering 

• Power windows with driver one-touch down operation 

• Power door locks with keyless remote operation 

• Rear defroster

• Day/night rearview mirror

• Remote trunk release

• 12V DC accessory power outlet 

• Carpeted trunk with illumination 

• Gray Eco-Cloth (standard) and Black Leather (optional)

Entertainment

• Alpine® all-in-one audio, video and navigation system 

• iPhone®/iPod®/ MP3 player connectivity and DVD playback 

• Bluetooth® hands-free mobile phone capability with touch screen 

• GreenScreen™ system that monitors driving efficiency and energy consumption

Dimensions

• Overall Length: 176.4 inches 

• Overall Width: 67.2 inches 

• Overall Height: 58.0 inches 

• Wheelbase: 102.4 inches 

• Headroom (front/rear): 35.5/31.7 inches 

• Shoulder Room (front/rear): 53.0/52.4 inches 

• Legroom (front/rear): 41.3/30.3 inches 

• Trunk Space: 14.1 cubic ft. 

• Curb Weight: 3,670 lbs.

Exterior Colors

• Cloud Nine White 

• Night Owl Black 

• Reflection Silver 

• Perfect Storm Gray 

• Fathom Blue (optional extra) 

• Pulse Red (optional extra)

Factory Options

• Premium audio system

• Leather-trimmed seats

• Black-painted aluminum alloy wheels

Warranty

• Battery Limited Warranty: 10-year / 100,000-mile 

• Powertrain Limited Warranty: 5-year / 60,000-mile 

• New Vehicle Limited Warranty: 3-year / 36,000-mile