Electric Cars: From the Paris Motor Show to a Driveway Near You.

Electric cars are the hot topic at this year's Paris auto show, with General Motors, Renault, Nissan, Smart and many lesser-known car manufacturers showing off a huge variety of EVs.

They range from wildly exotic supercars to tiny commuter cars that look ready to park in your driveway. Some are strictly concepts. Others could go on sale - even here in the U.S. -- much sooner than you think.

Green Car Advisor's man in Paris, contributor Nick Kurczewski, was at the show last week and offers some thoughts on the biggest electric-car newsmakers there.

Chevrolet Volt - Yes, we've written a ton about it and you've read even more, but we still can't ignore it. There it was, sitting on the GM stand in Paris, bowtie gleaming in the spotlights.

Chevy's Volt is often called a plug-in hybrid, and it is a hybrid by definition. But it also is an electric car, using only an electric motor for propulsion.

Its small 1.4-liter gasoline engine cranks over only to recharge the batteries and never sends its power directly to the Volt's wheels.

Whether you consider it an EV or a hybrid, chances are the bigger factor in consumer acceptance of the four-door sedan will be its escalating price tag.

A new bill just signed by the White House makes the Volt eligible for a $7,500 federal income tax credit, but before applying that, the sticker price - which determines the size of down payments and monthly lease or purchase costs - is likely to be at or above $40,000 when it goes on sale in late 2010 in the U.S.

That's awfully steep sticker-price, especially considering that new Honda Insight hybrid will cost less than $20,000 when it arrives next year.       

Renault Z.E. Concept - Renault and its sister company, Nissan, are busy co-developing electric vehicles that will go on sale as early as 2010. The Z.E. Concept is the first indication as to where Renault is taking its version.

The design of the Z.E. - for Zero Emissions -- looks like a shortened version of the humble Renault Kangoo, a tall and boxy utility van currently sold throughout Europe. The green glass in the concept model adds a bizarre touch of show-car drama.

Other details include the use of rear-view cameras instead of side mirrors - to smooth out the aerodynamics and improve range - along with solar panels built into the roof, to aid battery recharging.

The Z.E. concept car uses double-walled insulating bodywork, which keeps the cabin cozy whether it is hot or cold outside and requires less energy from the ventilation system.

Its lithium-ion batteries provide a driving range between 60 to 90 miles.

Renault does not currently sell cars in America, which makes it unlikely the French manufacturer will ever bring its EV stateside.

But it's Japanese partner has other plans.

Nissan Nuvu - Don't worry if you love the idea of an electric-powered Nissan but hate the blobby looks of the Nuvu concept car.

The 2+1 seat Nuvu is important chiefly because it offers a glimpse of the lithium-ion powered drivetrain of the electric vehicle Nissan says it will start selling in the U.S. in 2010.

The Japanese company reassures us that the quirky Nuvu is not a totally faithful indication of what this production car will eventually look like.

Under its skin, the Nuvu's battery pack provides a range of 75 miles and a top-speed of 78 miles per hour. Range will likely be improved, and the wacky looks toned down a bit when Nissan unveils a more accurate glimpse of its upcoming EV during next year's Tokyo motor show.

Smart Fortwo ED - The Fortwo ED - stands for Electric Drive -- drew flack in Paris for its silly name, and Smart drew criticism for its reluctance to bring the car to market.

Battery-electric Smarts already have undergone extensive testing in London, and 100 more are scheduled to be introduced for real-world testing in Berlin.

Considering how production-ready the ED appears on the outside, it's puzzling why the German company wouldn't jump at the chance to bring an electric-powered car to market before everyone else.

Smart says the ED's range is around 72 miles, and a full recharge (using a normal plug and outlet) requires up to eight hours. Those aren't fantastic numbers, though they're hardly deal-breakers for city-dwelling EV fans.

Smart has said it could start selling an electric Fortwo in the U.S. by 2012.

Pininfarina B0 - The Paris display stand of the Italian design firm Pininfarina and its French partner, the Bolloré Group, was swamped with journalists during the auto ashow's two-day media preview last week. Most loved the B0, but almost none of them realized that the car's name is short for Bolloré zero emissions.

It's B0 , not BO as in body-odor.

Despite the awkward name, this sleek four-passenger, four-door hatchback has plenty of promise.

Lithium-metal-polymer batteries are housed between the front and rear axles, and driving range is claimed to exceed 150 miles.

Pininfarina placed solar panels on the roof and in-between the headlights to help recharge the batteries, a feature shown on several other electric cars at the show.

Super-capacitors, specially developed by Bolloré, help transfer energy from the regenerative braking system back to the batteries.

The Bolloré rep we spoke to wouldn't comment on pricing, but our educated guess puts it somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000. European sales begin next year, but a U.S. sales effort is iffy.

Venturi Eclectic - As the only car manufacturer based in Monaco, you can always count on Venturi to do things differently.The electric-powered Venturi Volage supercar is one of the stars of the show. But it's still very much a prototype and, if it goes into production, the price will likely exceed $400,000.

For the moment, the company's cartoonish Eclectic city-car stands the best chance of  coming to the U.S. - and at a price that isn't Monegasque in its extravagance.

The three-seat Eclectic places the driver in the middle, with a passenger seat to either side. Solar panels are mounted in the roof, and there is an optional wind turbine to aid recharging. If all that fails, there is a normal plug and cord.

Gildo Pastor, Venturi's CEO, confirmed that the Eclectic will go on sale in Europe late next year, where it will be marketed as a speed-limited city-car suitable for congested urban centers. The price will be around €15,000 ($20,000).

While there is no plan to bring the Eclectic to the U.S., Pastor told us he'd love to do so.   

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John O'Dell October 9, 2008, 3:00 AM

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