Nissan's new LEAF electric car goes on sale soon. So does the long-awaited Chevrolet Volt. Mitsubishi is preparing to unleash its i-MiEV electric, and a couple of secondary manufacturers have electric cars ready.

But is that marketplace really ready for them?

In its Alternative-Fuel Consumer Attitude Survey, conducted in summer 2010, the folks at Automotive Lease Guide (ALG) sought to find out. About 4,000 respondents were asked their opinions about pure electrics, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids, as well as diesel and natural-gas vehicles. More...

Nissan is fast-charging its company as a haven for green machines, with the Leaf EV grabbing headlines and 20,000 pre-orders ahead of its late-2010 on-sale date. Now comes the next electrified car to join the corporate portfolio, a 2012 Infiniti M35h hybrid. Rather than fuel-sipper, the M35h promises a balance of “eco” and “performance” that should appeal to well-heeled driving enthusiasts. The electron-strewn road map continues with an all-electric, five-seat luxury sedan launching in the United States and globally in 2013, as teased in the illustration in the photo gallery.

“This future EV will play a major part of Infiniti’s ‘eco performance’ strategy that will see a greater focus on hybrid and EV technology,” said Infiniti Vice President Ben Poore. “We are committed to applying the world’s best technologies to reduce emissions without sacrificing driving excitement or engagement – a pledge that will become more evident soon with the upcoming introduction of our new Infiniti M Hybrid.”

As the name suggests, the 2012 Infiniti M35h is derived from the grin-inducing M sedan, redesigned for 2011. The claim is V-8 performance with four-cylinder fuel economy from the Direct Response Hybrid technology. The powertrain combines a 3.5-liter, 302-horsepower V-6 with a 50 kW (67 horsepower est.) electric motor. The M35h can run up to 50 mph on electric power alone, though electric-only range and fuel economy estimates remain Infiniti secrets for now. The juice is stored in a compact lithium-ion battery pack that limits passenger and cargo space compromises. The M35h will make its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this fall. More...

Determined to crash the electric car party, CODA Automotive is now accepting deposits for its four-door, five-passenger electric sedan. Fully refundable, a $499 deposit will put you in the front of the line for this challenger to the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. The total price depends on where it is purchased and what incentives are available.

The lowest price is $37,400, factoring $7,500 in federal tax savings. State incentives vary, though they can be sizable. California is offering $4,500 and Hawaii, where the CODA car first goes on sale in the third quarter 2011, there is $5,000 off. Lease programs are currently being developed. CODA expects 40 percent of sales will be to fleets.

The company is looking to tweak the traditional dealership business model by providing education / test-drive centers and direct-to-customer car delivery. Roadside assistance is included, with a call center available to provide support and remote diagnostic evaluations.

The car is motivated by a CODA-designed 33.8 kWh lithium-ion battery system, which the company claims delivers 40 percent more usable energy that any electric vehicle in its class. The motor produces 134 horsepower and 221 lbs.-ft. of torque. The power is offset by a 3,660-pound curb weight befitting a larger car. (The CODA measures 175 inches, with a 102.3-wheelbase and 57.6-inch height.) It has a claimed range of 90 to 120 miles.More...

Each automotive decade is defined by trends, often a tug-of-war between enthusiasm and fuel economy. (Think 1960s vs 1970s.) The 2010s are no different, with increasingly stringent EPA mileage targets, concerns for petroleum independence, and a tight economy driving an electrified car movement. No automaker can risk not developing their own take on electron-powered transport, and recently resurrected Saab is no exception. However, the Swedish automaker is looking to combine those decade descriptors into a single high-tech prototype.

Under Spyker leadership, Saab will be introducing a 9-3 SportCombi at the upcoming Paris Motor Show with an all-electric powertrain. It uses a 184-horsepower electric motor to drive the front wheels. The company claims a relatively swift 8.5-second 0-60 mph time. (Read our Spyker C8 Aileron review.) More...

"Who will buy this wonderful morning?" sang the rose seller in the musical Oliver. A similar question about purchase intentions might be asked about the Chevrolet Volt, which is finally being readied for sale. With a $41,000 price tag–well above the originally rumored figures–the answer might be, "not many." A $7,500 federal tax credit offsets that outlay, but the Volt is still far removed from easily-affordable status.

Because Chevrolet intends to make the Volt available for leasing at a more amenable $350 a month, however, the number of potential customers might turn out to be more favorable. Other electric cars, like the MINI E and the forthcoming smart fortwo electric drive, have lease offers; but MINI and smart have much higher monthly payments.

In theory, at least, the car's cost is eased dramatically by its potential fuel economy–but that depends on how it's driven. The Volt runs on electricity alone for the first 40 miles. Then, its gasoline engine starts up to charge the battery. So, if it's seldom driven more than 40 miles before recharging, operating costs (except for the price of electricity) may approach zero.

Financial considerations aside, will it be the "game-changer" that Bob Lutz, then the vice-chairman heading GM's product lineup, promised at Detroit's 2007 North American International Auto Show when the initial version of the Volt was unveiled? That sports-derived term is tossed around by a lot of auto companies these days, but few new products really deserve such an accolade.

In the case of the Volt, Lutz used its Detroit debut to send barbs toward Al Gore, whose award-winning documentary film about global warming had recently opened. GM has "an inconvenient truth" of its own, Lutz chided. Considering that it's taken almost four years for the Volt to get off the ground, the ultimate truth turned out to be a little less factual than stated.

On paper, a 340-mile extended range sounds tempting. Still, the big questions are simple: Will it perform as promised, and will enough environmentally-tuned shoppers be tempted to sign on–especially after the initial seven-state launch. (Fellow contributor Todd Kaho drove a pre-production model in Driving a Chevy Volt Test Mule.)

Late in July, as President Obama toured the Volt plant, GM announced that production will rise from 30,000 to 45,000 units per year, in 2012. Perhaps this time, GM's forward-thinking, fuel-efficient reality will match the dragged-out promise.

Not content to allow its chief rival Chevrolet Volt steal all the green-tinged spotlight, Nissan today provided an update on Leaf sales and declared that it too would provide an eight year, 100,000-mile warranty on its lithium-ion battery pack.

Nissan reports that it has received 17,000 reservations, with a little more than half that number being from consumers in the launch markets: Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. These customers will begin taking delivering this December, with cars being provided to Hawaii and Texas the following month.

The roll out will continue in April 2011 with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Mining the data from its reservations, Nissan has learned about these leading-edge electric car drivers: More...