Coda Automotive (formerly Miles Automotive Group)

[doug]

I'd be interested in hearing Siry's point of view on this car.

Me too. But Siry has has gone on record as being a marketing consultant for this car. So maybe he's not in a position to be completely objective. Still would like to hear what he has to say.

You can hear the EVcast discussion about it from a few weeks ago here (EVcast #235: Our Longest Episode Yet) starting at 3:10 (through 15:00, about 12 minutes total). Actually listening to some of it again now, Bo and Ryan are bringing up the right issues.


.

 

[TEG]

...Bo and Ryan are bringing up the right issues...

Yeah, it seemed like they were sort of "goofing around" last year, not even taking their own show that seriously, but it has really matured recently.

 

[doug]

Coda Automotive Makes The Volt Look Good | The Truth About Cars

Another electric car maker aims for California market | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times

...one of the Coda’s most unusual features is how strikingly ordinary it looks. It bears more than a passing resemblance to a Toyota Corolla or a Hyundai Sonata. Part of that is due to the fact that the car is based on an existing Chinese car design. But Coda also made a conscious decision to avoid the flashy, “look at me” appearance that seems to characterize most advanced-powertrain designs.

In focus groups, “we found that people who had gas-powered vehicles brought up time and time again that they were interested in alternative options, but that the vehicles always look so weird,” Coda Marketing Director Kara Saltness said.

I don't think I agree with this line of reasoning. Perhaps the marketing folks are just trying to turn a negative into a positive. Because of its price, this car is being compared to the Volt and the Model S, neither of which look particularly weird. The Volt's styling fairly standard for cars of today (as opposed to that of 10 years ago) and the Model S looks classy and expensive, but not strange. (Although the interiors of both cars might be considered "weird".) I think the folks likely to part with this kind of cash would like something that at least looks modern.

Besides the snark, this comment seems to sum things up:

Coda needs to re-focus its focus groups.
A $45,000 car that only goes 90 miles on a charge (and I'll bet it comes up short of that in real world driving) will only be sold to hardcore "early adopters", not your average gasoline car drivin' Americans.
Early adopters don't want bland.
One of the smartest things Toyota did was to make the Prius look "different".

Posted by: anon | June 03, 2009 at 07:41 PM

 

[AnOutsider]

I agree with that comment

 

[Cobos]

My guess is they are being hit by their own price increases. At the $25 000 - $30 000 they talked about with the Miles EV or Javlon they might have a point. At that price point the EV is more for "everyone" and then they might need to have a bland design. As the economic case for the car gets worse the enviromental case has to be more profound. And the enviromental early adopters want a car that stands out. That's half the reason the Prius sold well for the first model. Not to mention that the Prius was a car from Toyota that was Best at something other than rather boring reliability.

Currently I'd say the customers that can easily afford the Coda can also stretch to the Model S. Coda you get cheap Chinese interior, possibly Chinese safety, for very non-Chinese price. Model S gets you delux interior and exterior, Mercedes safety and not really a German price.

It's almost like the Coda is a marketing thing for the Model S.

Cobos

 

[AnOutsider]

It's almost like the Coda is a marketing thing for the Model S.

Oh that crafty elon

 

[DDB]

My guess is they are being hit by their own price increases.

Cobos, I'm not sure what you are trying to say here is it the following? Maybe in short, this car was not projected to cost this much. I think if it did cost $20-25K USD, they may have a winner. Otherwise, I'd agree with all the other comments.

 

[Cobos]

Cobos, I'm not sure what you are trying to say here is it the following? Maybe in short, this car was not projected to cost this much. I think if it did cost $20-25K USD, they may have a winner. Otherwise, I'd agree with all the other comments.

What I was trying to say was that at $20k it is cheap enough that the demographic doesn't need the car to scream EV. Though at the price they end up and with the design/looks they go for they get the worst of both worlds. If someone for oil independence or enviromental reasons are willing to pay this much they want the car to tell that to everyone (see 1st gen Prius), they don't want a car that is non-descript. The people that WANT a non-descript car wont be willing to pay such a premium for the EV, after all they want a cheap appliance. At this price the Coda wont save any money and hence they loose that demographic as well.

Hope that was clearer DDB.

Cobos

 

[doug]

Well one thing they might have going for them is time to market. I think they're saying they'll be the first sedan EV available for purchase which apparently is in the fall of 2010.

Isn't the Volt supposed to be available around that time?

 

[AnOutsider]

Isn't the Volt supposed to be available around that time?

i was under the impression the volt got pushed to '11?

 

[doug]

i was under the impression the volt got pushed to '11?

So maybe they do have a bit of a market window.

Here's the car it's based on which looks a bit better:

Hafei Sai Bao V - China Car Forums

 

[AnOutsider]

The interior on the coda is nicer, but the exterior on the Hafei is MUCH nicer. Am I mistaken or was there a Hafei-branded steering wheel in the Coda shots?

*edit* nope, it is:

Hafei:

Coda:

 

[TEG]

Random observation - Hafei logo looks like a modified Subaru logo...
Subaru:

 

[AnOutsider]

AND a little like the Hyndai logo:

damn chinese knockoffs

 

[doug]

An Electric Car With Chinese Roots - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

Coda addressed Chinese quality questions by giving the Saibao a big makeover. The electric version had a front and rear redesign by Porsche, a partner, as well as considerable re-engineering to accommodate the battery drive and meet United States safety standards. “We think we have the right combination of existing automotive know-how and a mass-manufacturing partner,” said Kevin Czinger, Coda’s chief executive. Other suppliers include Delphi and EnergyCS.

 

[dpeilow]

Porsche design used to be a byword for quality...

 

[doug]

Inside Coda's Electric Sedan - Business Insider

SUMMARY: This first Coda may never attract fashion-forward car buyers, but the greenest of Southern Californians likely look for different qualities in carbon-free cars.

 

[dpeilow]

Former Tesla marketing chief headed to Coda Automotive?

Could it be that the former head of marketing and communications at Tesla Motors is heading over to a similar position at the company formerly known as Miles Automotive's new Coda Automotive brand?

Update: Mr. Siry, emphasizing the temporary nature of his new position, wishes to clarify that his main objective at Coda will be to find a permanent chief marketing officer (CMO).

 

[doug]

I put this article here since it seems to primarily focus on Coda:

Small Firms Take Big Electric Leap - washingtonpost.com

Coda Automotive employs 41 people. It has a headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., but it doesn't have its own factory. It doesn't have its own dealer network. It doesn't have a coterie of designers. Its chief executive, Kevin Czinger, a one-time college football star and former assistant U.S. attorney, has spent most of his career working in finance.

 

[dpeilow]

EV club members get first rides in Coda Automotive electric sedan — Autoblog Green