I don't see anybody here talking about Coda. This isn't related to Brammo, but I would be curious to know what you think about that car?
- More range than a Leaf.
- Less expensive than a Model S.
- Californian car company or Chinese Trojan Horse?
- Concern about the lack of a big company backer (Nissa, Toyota, Polaris)?
In general, until the EPA gives a vehicle an official EPA rating, I take all claims of range with a grain of salt. Based upon battery size, it SHOULD get more range than a Leaf, but until the official EPA numbers come out, we won't know if it is double the range of a Leaf as Coda claims, or just a few more miles of range. (I have the same issue with the Tesla Model S, by the way.)
I've seen the Model S in person (even sat in the Beta). Saying the Coda is less expensive is like saying a Trabant is less expensive than a BMW. It is an obvious fact, but you also get much more for your money.
I would definitely be more comfortable purchasing from a major brand name that won't go bankrupt when buying ANYTHING with a long warranty. Warranties last for as long as they say on the warranty, or until the company backing the warranty goes out of business, which ever comes first. If I were leasing, I wouldn't care as much that Coda might not exist if they fail. I'd just complete the lease and walk away.
When it comes to the whole Built-in-China thing. China has a bad reputation for quality in the US because US manufacturers go to China with a set of crappy specifications that ensure the final result will be poor quality. The Chinese then build and deliver exactly the crappy cheap product the US company specified. The US company does their quality assurance, and decides to sell the cheap crap to us consumers. If you go to China and buy Chinese goods built for the domestic Chinese market, the quality is actually quite good on average. The Chinese are very capable of creating some amazing work. The question will be what category will the Coda fall into? Still to early to know, so I'd lease instead of buying.
So here is my advise to anyone thinking of getting a Coda:
1) Base your decision on either official EPA range numbers or on actual reported owner range numbers.
2) Lease it, don't buy it.
3) If you want something made in America by American workers, wait for the 2014 Leaf or something similar.
