Vaporware and failed EV companies

[Toshi]

Toyota Prius PHEV. Current status: Originally promised to ship in 2010, it's shipping finally in 2012. Better late than never, I suppose. Same goes for Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf release dates, both of which were comically false.

[Brentis]

Not Vaporware as they did sell a few examples.
Maybe a few years ahead of their time.(early 00's)
The electric scoot that first caught my attention.
Voloci

Voloci.jpeg (9.21 KiB) Viewed 490 times

Voloci 1.jpg (15.52 KiB) Viewed 490 times

voloci-Rear Linkage Suspension..JPG (100.2 KiB) Viewed 490 times

Still has the ideal mechanical layout to my eye.

[Toshi]

Volvo C30 EV, Smart ED, Toyota/Scion iQ EV, birds of a feather. Current status: Vaporware from the consumer standpoint, with limited test runs available only for internal testing or testing in utility company fleets.

[Toshi]

VW "1 liter car", aka XL1. Current status: Vaporware, although at least [url=http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/19/groundbreaking-pre-production-volkswagen-xl1-caught-testing-on-t/]VW seems to be continuing to test prototypes/a prototype[url]:

[Quajochem]

More more! Love this hehehe

[Toshi]

Saturn Vue PHEV. Current status: Dead as a doornail (as is Saturn itself) despite having been promised as a 2009 model.

[Toshi]

Toyota Winglet and Honda U3-X. Current status: Vaporware of the most ethereal kind.

[Brentis]

Failed EV company GM
With the EV1 they could have been ruling the road @ this point.

EV1's.jpeg (41.55 KiB) Viewed 489 times

Instead they collected & crushed there own future, for a couple more decades of pick em' up trucks.

[Toshi]

Tesla City Car. Current status: Promised for 2010, still vaporware. The Model S is in prototype form, at least, but the city car is years out even now, under the not-so-safe assumption that Tesla itself won't go belly-up.

[Toshi]

Mazda REEV. Current status: Rumored to be in development in 2008, vaporware to this date. Instead we get a crappily-outfitted CUV with "Skyactiv G" and a powertrain refresh for the Mazda3.

[Toshi]

Chrysler ENVI program. Current status: Killed off once Chrysler got their bailout money despite claims that all the EVs above could make it to market in 2010. This program's conception and course is really shameful, even in my jaded opinion.

[Toshi]

Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and BMW electric motorcycles (and scooters). Current status: Vaporware for the whole lot.

[Toshi]

Piaggio MP3 PHEV. Current status: Vaporware from the perspective of US consumers. I'm not sure if it ever made it into production in congestion-charge-laden Europe.

[Toshi]

Miles EV. Current status: Vaporware, the company likely bankrupt (although I haven't seen confirmation of the same). Coda (and BYD) is in the same boat, although the former may have shipped one or two cars in California by now.

[Toshi]

Mindset REEV. Current status: Vaporware, with nothing relevant since its demonstration.

[Toshi]

Mission One. Current status: Dead. Mission Motors itself still lives in a limited role, trying to source EV components to OEMs instead of building complete machines.

[Toshi]

Ford Transit Connect EV. Current status: Dead, although an unknown number of vehicles were built prior to the battery maker, Azure Dynamics, going bankrupt in 2012. InsideEVs.com provides additional confirmation.

[Toshi]

VW Up! EV. Current status: Vaporware.

[Toshi]

Raytheon BluWave Hy-DRA. Offroad, hub-motored, A123-batteried BEV. Current status: NOT vaporware, but only available for your use if you're in the US military special forces.

On a very similar note:



CERV Quantum Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle, an AWD diesel-electric hybrid. Current status: Similarly only available for killing brown people under the flag of the US military.

[Toshi]

Saab Aero X, which was to run on 100% ethanol. Current status: Dead, as is Saab itself after prolonged death throes.

[Toshi]

VentureOne, later renamed Persu Hybrid. Current status: Dead, as is the company that made the rolling/tilting chassis, Carver.

[Toshi]

Arcimoto Pulse EV. Current status: Vaporware, as are all of their listed (Chinese catalog-sourced?) products from the standpoint of US consumers.

[Toshi]

Audi A1 E-Tron. Current status: Vaporware, although an R8 E-Tron, plaything for the rich, is still reportedly undergoing testing and development.

[Toshi]

Edison2 Very Light Car. Current status: Vaporware despite its victory at the Automotive X-Prize.

[Toshi]

Brammo Empulse. Current status: Still vaporware, although Brammo at least has shipped a few Enertias to show that they're for real.