Coda EV Launch Delayed
EV startup skeptics that we are, we’ve been keeping a jaundiced eye on Coda ever since we realized the $45k Chinese EV “makes the Volt look good.” Along the way, the news has mostly been of the “lightly dusted with pathos” variety… right up until the firm lost its CEO just months before launching its car. Now the pathos is starting to stack up in deep drifts. Automotive News [sub] reports that the firm has delayed the launch until the second half of next year in order to “build buffer time into the schedule.”
According to the firm’s new interim CEO, the delay is not being caused by problems with its electric sedan, and that former CEO Kevin Czinger “remains an important part of this company.” So, why the delay, and why no specific launch date? This is not a good sign, especially because if Coda wanted a chance at survival it had to get into the market before the major OEMs. A year from now, Nissan and Chevy will be battling for EV customers, and Ford will just be launching its Focus EV. The window of opportunity for a marginal player to sell a $45k electrified Chinese sedan in any numbers will have passed.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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They'll have to stick with the Chinese market. This sounds as bad as the recent Mahindra misfire.
I guess all of the assembly line workers must have fallen asleep looking at that boring sheet metal.
They have a very attractive, professional website...but thus far all they've peddled is vapor.
FWIW, here's their styling spiel: "CODA is an effortless blend of style and function. With a classic profile and sleek lines, its aesthetic rivals the coolest cars on the road. No angle is a bad one, although the front end is the most unique. Since there’s no need to cool an engine, there’s no need for a grille — so the front became a blank canvas for design. And although a lot of thinking went into design, function never takes a back seat to style. With room for five passengers and a full-size trunk, it’s as utilitarian as any compact sedan on the market. We also adorned it with two prominent “All-Electric” badges of honor — one on the trunk and one inside the plug housing – that let everyone know your one-of-a-kind car is also humbly saving the planet. Engineered to make the least possible impact on the planet, it’s designed to have a big impact on anyone who sees it."