good post

The car companys will be coming out with more of alternative fuel vehicles. I think I will have to watch the technology before I buy one.

Hey Vicky and Laura thanks for stopping by.

Yes Laura the big alternative fuel hype now is E85 which is great and will help reduce our dependency on foreign oil somewhat, HOWEVER it does very little to improve actual fuel mileage. I agree with you, we should watch and see what develops over the next few years very closely.

Check out the website of http://www.SmithElectricVehicles.com

They have a full range of all-electric highway-capable vans and trucks, ranging in size from the Smith Ampere at 2.3ton (100 miles, 70mph) to the Smith Newton 12tonner (50mph, 150 miles). More than 300 are now in servic with UK retailers and parcel delivery companies. Click the Case Studies button on thir website.

They are headquartered in the UK but work closely with Ford who are providing them with F-650 trucks for conversion to Smith Faraday Mk 2 trucks for the US market, starting within the next 20 weeks(!). The Ampere and Edison models are dual-badged Ford/Smith and so will the Faraday be in the US.

Their trucks may not yet suit what most US drivers are looking for in terms of greater distance between charges - but at least they have their trucks in full production and out there on the streets, while others are showing off mere prototypes and booking future orders. And the charging distances are improving all the time.

Mike, you call that a trucK? Looks a little more like a car with an open trunk to me. It is cool however at least they are starting to think along those lines for an electric vehicle. Maybe by 2012, they will have a real electric truck?

HAHAHA, Hey Kevin, well it sure ain't my F150 that's for sure, but it is a pretty cool looking little truck. Especially as you said for an electric vehicle. It is the closet resemblance I have seen yet. I figured if anything, I could get it for my wife if it doesn't meet my size requirements. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

When you see that "little truck" in person, it's a lot bigger than it looks in those pictures.  (I got to drive one at an unveiling in Dallas about a year ago.)

That 4-door could haul 5 people & a piano 100 MPH down the highway (except that it's intentionally restricted electronically to 96 MPH).  All electric vehicles generally have 100% torque from 0 MPH.

If you charge it at home it costs you about $3 ... unless you use solar energy, in which case it's free.  (That's not $3/gal ... that's $3 for a 130-mile-charge!  Later versions will go 250 miles or more on same charge.)

It's the only vehicle in the US that uses the unique Altair Nanotechnologies' NanoSafe batteries.  They generate no heat when charging and you'd have to charge/discharge them for the equivalent of about one million miles before they'd lose 4% of their charging capacity.  They also use 100% of their charging capacity with no damage.  (You can safely fully charge & fully discharge all you want whereas with most batteries you must keep the charge within a centered 50%-75% window else you ruin them.  You can store them with any level of charge.  Absolutely no "memory" effects.)

That "10 minute" charge is only limited to a reasonable 480v triple-phase power supply. There is no real time-limitation since virtually no heat is generated by the battery cells themselves during charge (but you still have to worry about the circuitry connecting the battery).  You could charge them in a split-second if you had adequate power-supply (as well as ample circuitry connected to the battery to handle it ... which may be virtually impossible).

The 2008 orders filled will be all fleet ... virtually all.  The only 3 individuals slated to receive the Phoenix SUT in 2008 are Jay Leno, Ed Begley, Jr., and Bill Dale (brother).  I've known it's founders since even before Phoenix started (2001 & before).

In the UK, the Lightning GT EV uses the same NanoSafe batteries, and it goes 0-60 in less than 4 seconds.

Right on Jim! Thanks for the info and stopping by. I do think it's a totally cool looking truck, and I am excited to be getting that call when it's finally available!

Mike that's a cool looking truck. How long do the batteries have to charge? With a 220 outlet it may make it hard to charge during an Inspection. I have been thinking of a hybrid.

Hey J Marcus,

It is supposed to fully charge in 6 hours on a standard 220. They do have a charger that you can purchase seperately that will charge it in 10 minutes. But my understanding is that that charger is a little pricey. But might be well worth it if you are out on an inspection with a minimal charge left to get home. I'm sure there will be a lot of enhancements over the next couple of years that will make it better. They are saying that by the time it comes out, there will be two batteries in it, and it will be able to go 300 miles on one charge. That would be plenty for a days worth of Inspections :-)

Hey great post. I think it is good that there are alternative fuel vehicles coming to the market. Automakers seem slow to develop technologies that will improve fuel economy in their vehicles. US automakers more specifically.  And the competition will be good for them.

At 45K this truck probably will not be very competitive with the small truck segment, as the break even point would take several years. But it is a step in the right direction. (see calculator to compare;  http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/why-choose-phoenix/roi-calculator.php)

My husband is looking at their website right now. He likes the SUV, so do I!

Mike, how much did you have to put down to get on the waiting list? I don't have 45,000 now but wow, what an incentive to sell more homes................

Hey Andrea, I didn't have to put anything down. There is a spot on the website to have your name put on the list. It's free to be placed on the list. And I hear ya on the 45,000, I have been Inspecting my butt off saving up for it, hehe :-)

Thanks for stopping by :-)