The vendor of in the present day’s Good Value or No Cube Coda claims the corporate that constructed it went bankrupt as a result of the automobile was “too good.” Let’s see if this bizarre little electrical automobile’s present value (see what I did there?) received’t break the financial institution.
Excessive mileage or not—and 207K is fairly excessive—asking simply $2,999 for a totally functioning automobile like yesterday’s 2004 Volvo XC70 will win you some kudos. In our Volvo’s case, that meant a stellar 88 % Good Value win and an obvious sale in the true world earlier than we may even end our voting.
At present’s 2012 Coda EV would possibly show a more durable promote than yesterday’s Volvo. It’s, in any case, a grand costlier and comes from an organization that now not exists and that virtually nobody has ever heard of. To make issues worse, the 31kWh Lifepo4 battery that provides the automobile its go has misplaced a few of its cells, limiting the vary to round 25 to 30 miles.
When new, and with all its Energizer Bunnies drumming away, the Coda may do a claimed 100 miles on a cost. That’s not unhealthy for a commuter and a bit higher than the 85 or so miles that might be wrung out of the electrics from established producers on the time.
The problem was, nonetheless, that the Coda arrived similtaneously Tesla’s Mannequin S, and that automobile rewrote the guide on what an EV might be. The Coda’s different main downside was that it price almost $40K to purchase and supplied supplies and construct high quality that make Russian bathroom paper appear luxurious by comparability. I do know; I test-drove one proper on the introduction, and it was fairly horrible.
Who, then, would possibly this oddball damaged EV be for? Properly, most likely some YouTuber like Kyle Conner or the nationwide treasure in any other case often called Robert Dunn.
Kyle purchased a moldering Coda final 12 months for the princely sum of 1 greenback, and Dunn of Getting old Wheels and Beneath Dunn fame has freaking 4 of them. What’s another added to the heap? Additionally, Robert has finished battery work on a number of of his Codas—changing cells, load balancing, and so forth.—so this automobile’s issues would most likely be a trifle for him.
For whoever grants this automobile a reprieve from the scrapper, the battery appears to be the one half that has gone significantly improper. Every little thing else appears full, and the automobile does seem to cost with out problem. Possibly much more amazingly, in response to the advert, it’s finished a considerable 62,000 miles.
That’s rather a lot to do in any shitbox and is much more exceptional when you think about the Coda’s mediocre efficiency and horrible recharge time. These have a 6.6 kW onboard charger, which requires six hours of downtime to fill even its meager 31 kW battery. Because it runs off of family 220, that may be dealt with whereas the proprietor sleeps or is possibly out partying. I’m not one to guage how somebody spends their late nights.
There’s additionally the now-laughable notoriety of the plaque in entrance of the shifter knob to contemplate. That proudly denotes this automobile as quantity 3 of 500. Sadly, Coda by no means bought to even that modest quantity as the corporate filed chapter in 2013, shutting down manufacturing after solely 117 vehicles had been constructed and offered. At present, it’s little greater than a blip on the EV timeline and fodder for quirky YouTube content material. May that be well worth the $4,000 the vendor is asking for this clean-title automobile? The vendor concocts a grand scheme to help that value by claiming that an electrical utility rebate of the identical quantity would make this automobile’s price fall to only that of the registration. We’ll take that with a grain of lithium.
What’s your tackle the Coda saga and that $4K asking? Does that appear truthful, contemplating the automobile’s situation? Or, at that value, is a no-sale a becoming coda for this EV?
You resolve!
San Francisco Bay Space, California, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
Assist me out with NPOND. Hit me up at [email protected] and ship me a fixed-price tip. Keep in mind to incorporate your Kinja deal with.
