Vaporware and failed EV companies

[flathill]

Now they only sell drivetrains

[flathill]

fail

[flathill]

Blade XT
stock scam

[fechter]

Ecycle motors- Solid Slot


Vaporware for many years now.

Another one is Eestor:
http://eestorbatteries.com/

Technological Breakthrough

If EEstor is the real thing, revelutionary energy storage is here. EEstor is a very secretive company located in Cedar Park, Tx. They claim to have invented a new ultracapacitor power system that would replace current battery technologies and hopefully turn the automobile industry on its head. Based on current claims, a three to five minute charge should give the capacitor sufficient energy to drive a small car 300 miles (480 km). Zenn Motor Company owns the rights to these batteries for the automobile industry. EEstor's batteries are supposed to be available for Zenn's electric cars in the fall of 2009.

Hmm... what year is it now? Total investor scam.

[fechter]

Viento1.jpg (96.32 KiB) Viewed 906 times

built by The Electric Cycle Company (TECC). It is no longer manufactured as the company went out of business in 2006. Only 112 known units hand built in Van nuys,CA. Designer Ely Schless

It can reach 28 miles per hour (45 kilometres per hour) and maintains that speed for up to 30 miles (50 kilometres). It is a 36 volt system using three 12 volt batteries.

I actually rode one. Ugly but rode very nicely.

[Goethe]

The Volvo C30 electric is NOT vaporware!
The business case has been clear from the beginning that the car is only able for leasing. The project plan was followed and the car was released in time. All cars are now out on the streets in the hands of people who has leased a car. I'm working with Volvo's EV projects so the source is reliable.....

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]

The Volvo C30 electric is NOT vaporware!
The business case has been clear from the beginning that the car is only able for leasing. The project plan was followed and the car was released in time. All cars are now out on the streets in the hands of people who has leased a car. I'm working with Volvo's EV projects so the source is reliable.....

Are these lessees utility companies as I implied, or are they individual consumers?

[Goethe]

The Volvo C30 electric is NOT vaporware!
The business case has been clear from the beginning that the car is only able for leasing. The project plan was followed and the car was released in time. All cars are now out on the streets in the hands of people who has leased a car. I'm working with Volvo's EV projects so the source is reliable.....

Are these lessees utility companies as I implied, or are they individual consumers?

AFAIK are there no individual who has leased a car. Some cars has gone to utility companies thats been involved in the project. The rest of the cars has gone to different companies that wants the enviromental profile. But whats important is that the product is carrying its costs and its out on the streets. It's no difference to a limited edition sports car! Except the performance....

[dnmun]

i recently saw a Frito Lays deliver truck that was all electric. 2 ton cab type delivery truck. i think Lays is up to about 400 now, and they are also buying CNG powered delivery trucks and LNG long haul tractors for the freeway.

i think the ZENN is the nicest EV production vehicle, with SLA. but they went bankrupt last year too. part of eestore.

i have seen about 4 Leafs here in portland, and i rarely drive so there have to be a bunch.

[gogo]

Ecycle motors- Solid Slot


Vaporware for many years now.

They haven't seemed to catch on commercially, but ZapPat has one.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7940&p=123303#p123303

[EBJ]

fail

I've seen quite a few ppl on A2B bikes,....
so how is it "failed" ?

The ones I have seen are quite awesome.... they are a blend between electric bike and moped.
(loved the wide-tires and beefy rims)

http://www.ultramotor.com/en_us/e-2-wheelers/e_scooters

[amberwolf]

I've seen quite a few ppl on A2B bikes,....
so how is it "failed" ?

Well, they went bankrupt:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewto ... =3&t=33908
That's usually a fail in most people's books.

They were bought by Hero in India, so perhaps production will continue, though who knows what kind of changes to bikes or service will happen.

[Jason27]

It's a beautiful bike. They just need to figure out how to drop the price.

[Toshi]

Toyota RAV4 EV. Current status: Vaporware, although its vapors (and the associated Toyota money) are seemingly all that's keeping Tesla afloat these days.

An update on the RAV4 EV, as detailed in a thread elsewhere on this board: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=30141&p=579285#p577516



- available for outright sale in 4 Cali markets "late summer 2012"
- $49.8k MSRP (see later in the linked thread for my analysis of this price with regard to a gas RAV4)
- production run of 2600 planned over next 3 years
- 115 kW motor, 41.8 kWh (!!) of Tesla lithium, 9.6 kW Level 2 charger (!), est. 4100 lb curb weight

Not bad, Toyota... if you meet your promised "late summer" of this year ship date!

[pdf]

Aptera. Current status: Bankrupt as of December 2011.

Saw something yesterday on a news site. A consortium including a Chinese company as a major partner apparently bought the assets and is talking up re-starting the project.
http://insideevs.com/aptera-usa-lives-m ... way-group/

Still vaporware so far...

[csm]

Vectrix. Current status: Bankrupt in 2009 after booking more expenses per unit sold than revenues, then reborn in 2010 under new ownership? Or is it stillborn? Their press page has nothing since 2011...

Vectrix is actively selling their new lithium model, and a new smaller model I think is on the streets.

I did like thier variable regenerative braking throttle (and reverse drive??). It was one of the most innovative things about thier bike. I would like to see someone create something like this for ebikes, especially now since more and more ebikes have more advanced controllers which can run in revers mode too. and have regenerative braking capabilities.

[csm]

......

[csm]

2001 Xootr eX3
This thing was bad ass back in da day
20 pounds
brushless
made in USA

I like your thread here. I have some to add to the Vaporware. Here is a video I found for the Xootr eX3

[Green Machine]

No one mentioned tidal force yet? Back in 2003 tidal force threw 30 million dollars into trying to build the perfect ebike.

They were run at one point by a retired military general who promised to get them military contracts.

At one point the ebike was tested by the military in afghanistan....FAIL...

So they tried to drum up dealers here in the US, but pissed off their whole dealer network when they started selling at costco (same mistake zap made).

Costco didnt sell many tidal forces and the few that they did sale had a high return rate.

Tidal force hung up its hat and gave up. $30 million wasted. http://www.electricbike.com/tidal-force/

[Toshi]

I could not understand why they seem to ignore consumer requests for a stronger place (rack?) to strapping a bag behind the rider, or for mounting saddle bags. This bike become highly unpractical if it does not have a way to carry cargo. That plastic thing behind the seat that the rear light and turn signals is attached to can literally be bent down by a force of probably 2 pounds of pressure. most every bicycle i have ever had had a rack that could hold more weight. It is attractive though.

I reckon that they see their competitors as the Ducati Monster and Triumph Street Triple, motorcycles that similarly lack storage options, rather than more practical, plebeian workhorses such as my Kawasaki Versys (with its 46L top case).

[csm]

Sinclair C5 (cost 399 british pounds).

[Toshi]

Barefoot Motors Model One Electric Utility Vehicle (aka, "ATV")



Current status: Bankrupt and out of production.

[Lessss]

So the question becomes why were they all vapourware?
Lies from the start?
over priced?
no demand?
etc?

[fizzit]

So the question becomes why were they all vapourware?
Lies from the start?
over priced?
no demand?
etc?

Seems like it's because EV's can sound really great in a press release/marketing, but when it comes to designing and selling them it gets hard because they present engineering issues that are unique from any other type of product, and they almost always end up being more expensive and less powerful/rangeful than potential customers expect them to be. So I believe it's all 3 of the things that you said.

[Lessss]

Are you sure it isn't startups running into legislated roadblocks like requirements for millions in crash testing?