For a product that has yet to gain a firm hold in the broad consumer market, the electric car business has a lot of players.
A crowd of companies, from unknown upstarts to big-name traditional manufacturers, have at some point announced plans to put all-electric or hybrid electric/gas cars on the road in the next couple of years. They hope to catch a wave of environmental awareness, international political concern and public interest in what might be the Next Big Thing.
One company that's actually gotten a product to market -- no small feat -- is Atlanta-based Wheego Electric Cars. Wheego, which rolled out the limited distance, low-speed Whip model last year, said it plans to start delivering to dealers its longer-range, highway-speed LiFe model by the end of March.
The LiFe, which is made of 80 percent North American parts (the balance is from China) is engineered and assembled in California. It can go 100 miles on a charge, powered by lithium battery technology, and will retail for $32,995. It is eligible for $7,500 in federal tax credits as well as state tax credits. In Georgia, the tax credit is 20 percent of the cost of the car, with a $5,000 cap.
Jim Ellis Automotive on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Atlanta will sell the cars.
Wheego said it expects to sell about 2,500 LiFe units at retail this year. The company also hopes for fleet sales to governments and schools.
It sold 300 Whips last year.
Wheego president Jeff Boyd said electric car sales in general should benefit from the recent surge in gasoline prices, political unrest in oil export nations in the Middle East, and the growth of the green movement.
"From a macro-economic standpoint, we have a perfect storm case," he said.
Wheego is billing the two-passenger LiFe as a second car, one that's perfect for short- to medium-distance urban commutes to work and other functions, if not for long trips. It can be powered up overnight on a 110 volt charger.
The electric car maker field also includes the Nissan Leaf, the Ford Focus Electric and the Chevy Volt. The latter can run on gas if it runs out of electricity.
Boyd said that electric vehicles have been attracting attention, and interested consumers have been placing reservations on cars before they're available. Most still are not available at dealers.
"There's been a lot of talk and a lot of demand (based on the reservations)," he said. "But the product hasn't been there."
Electric vehicles: Some manufacturers
NISSAN: The Nissan Leaf is a fully electric hatchback with a long reservation list.
GENERAL MOTORS: The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid that runs on electricity or gas.
FORD: The Ford Focus Electric sedan is expected to compete with the Leaf.
WHEEGO: Atlanta firm produced the Whip in 2010, plans longer-range, faster LiFe this year.
TESLA: Its $100,000-plus Roadster is on the market.
