7 New Electric Cars Available in 2011

Much anticipated electric cars are hitting showrooms this year, from the Nissan Leaf to the Chevy Volt, Coda, Think, Fisker Karma and more.
By Jim Motavalli

Coda Sedan

What is It? The Coda is based on a Chinese car, but the four-door sedan has gone through considerable upgrading to pass U.S. crash testing as an electric vehicle. Coda, based in California, will provide some of its early EVs for use as car-sharing vehicles in Hertz and Enterprise fleets.

Under the Hood: A 33.8 kilowatt-hour li-ion battery pack from Coda's joint venture in China, with a 100-kilowatt (134 horsepower) electric motor. The Coda has a larger pack and thermal battery management -- two reasons it goes for a higher price than the Leaf.

Range: 90 to 120 miles

Performance: Top speed is limited to 80 mph. Acceleration is strong in on-road tests, and a zero to 60 time of under 11 seconds is promised.

Delivery Date: The Coda should have been on the road now, but an upheaval that included the departure of CEO and public face Kevin Czinger also includes a delay to the second half of 2011. The Coda will initially be available only in California, though 50-state delivery is eventually promised.

Bottom Line: $44,000