A California electric-car maker is quietly building a dealer network in Colorado and other states as it prepares to take drivers beyond hybrid vehicles.
Miles Automotive Group, based in Santa Monica, has signed up two dealers in metro Denver and one in Glenwood Springs, with plans for a network of more than 180 dealers across the country.
“We have been in development for about three years, but we have been purposely low key to this point because of all the hype and hyperbole regarding alternative fuel technologies,” said Jeff Boyd, chief executive of Miles Automotive.
Miles Automotive began selling low-speed electric vehicles made in China for use on campuses and similar settings in January. But company leaders say those vehicles represent an opening act for something much bigger.
An electric high-speed sedan, comparable to the Toyota Camry in features and price, is ready to start safety testing in the U.S.
If it passes without too many modifications, the company expects to roll out the car, now called the XS 500, next fall for around $30,000.
Backers claim the XS 500 will achieve a top speed of 85 miles per hour and run 120 miles between charges, far enough to make it a viable commuter or in-town car for most households.
The car will get the equivalent of 125 miles per gallon, based on current average gasoline and electricity costs. With 90 percent fewer parts than an internal combustion engine, it also could cost less to maintain.
“It will be an everyday, user-friendly and safe vehicle that people can be proud to own,” Boyd said. “We aren’t asking people to give up safety in the name of ecology.”
Miles Rubin, a wealthy corporate executive who formerly ran Polo/Ralph Lauren Jeans, started the company out of a desire to improve the environment and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, Boyd said.
Rubin, who maintains a home in Aspen and has long-standing ties to China, has partnered with Lishen Battery and the Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co., which runs a state-of-the-art car manufacturing plant in China capable of producing 300,000 vehicles a year.
Big leaps in lithium-ion battery technology, funded in part by the Chinese government, allow electric cars to move faster and travel farther than in the past, said Peter Durfee, vice president of dealer relations with Miles Automotive Group.
Higher gasoline prices have made a growing number of auto dealers and consumers alike more open to energy-efficient alternatives, said Durfee, who is based in the metro area.
Nonetheless, XS 500 will need to overcome public concerns over the safety of Chinese-made goods, predicted Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
“The problem in the short term is getting quality to the standards people are going to expect when they put that kind of money down for a new car,” he said. “There will be demand for it once it is proven.”
Steve Lance, owner of ATM Sales in Brighton, was one of the first dealers to sign up with Miles Automotive. He said he became a true believer after seeing the XS 500 at an auto show in Las Vegas.
“It is a good-looking car with leather interior, power doors, GPS,” he said. “You will see a lot more companies come out with electric cars, but Miles is way ahead of them.”
Phoenix Motors, also based in California, has an electric sport utility truck expected to hit the market late next year. Tesla Motors, the San Carlos, Calif., maker of the Roadster, which starts at $98,000, is rumored to be targeting a more affordable model.
And makers of hybrid cars are looking at plug-in capacity. General Motors said it plans to roll out a plug-in hybrid called the Volt by 2010.
“We encourage competition,” Boyd said. “It means a brighter future for all of us.”
In Colorado at least, Miles Automotive has a lead with its low-speed cars available. ATM plans to expand its network from five locations to 10 to meet future demand.
Berthoud Motors in Glenwood Springs is selling the cars on the Western Slope. Smart Wheels, located at 1395 S. Broadway in Denver, signed on Thursday as a dealer to handle the south metro area.
Staff writer Aldo Svaldi can be reached at 303-954-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com.
XS 500
(Expected to be available in 2008)
85
Top speed in miles per hour
120
Miles it will run between charges
$30,000
Estimated price
ZX40S
(Currently available)
25
Top speed in miles per hour
70
Miles between charges
$13,300 to $14,750
Estimated price
