Everything about Miles Electric Vehicles totally explained
Miles Electric Vehicles is a manufacturer and distributor of full
electric vehicles manufactured in China to meet international
car safety standards.
MILES was recently given the "Electric Car Company of 2007" award by Good Clean Tech. .
Miles Electric Vehicles
is based in
Los Angeles, California, with several facilities throughout the United States, is privately held by "Green" magnate
Miles Rubin. The company gained prominence in 2005 when it began sales of the ZX40, the first street-legal Chinese-made automobile sold in the United States. The company's vehicles, built on steel
unibody chassis, are the world's first
crash tested
NEVs to achieve
DoT,
CARB and
NHTSA compliance.
One of Miles Electric Vehicles most anticipated products is the
MILES XS500, a full electric highway speed
sedan with a projected price of approximately $30,000. The company recently raised an additional $15M dollar investment primarily from the Angeleno Group.
Currently the company offers four electric vehicles designed primarily for low-speed fleet use, the ZX40, ZX40S, ZX40S Advanced Design, and ZX40ST electric truck. These are currently available in the United States and in use at campuses such as NASA, U.S. Navy, Yale and Stanford University, UCLA,
California Polytechnic State University, and the San Francisco Airport Authority.
All Miles Electric Vehicles are
DOT /
NHTSA Federal Standard 500 compliant, offering steel chassis, steel impact-resistant frame, steel doors and DOT-approved glass throughout.
NHTSA/FMVSS Standard 500 law requires all low-speed vehicles (LSV) be electronically limited to 25mph, and are street legal for use on roads with posted speed limits up to 35mph.
AC Motors
For the 2008 MILES introduced AC(alternating current) motors for its low-speed vehicles. The advanced three phase, brushless AC induction motor offers 4 times the available power as typical DC motors, and has a 100,000+ mile estimated lifetime (yet to be warranted by the company). The AC motors are paired to Curtis-Albright AC Motor Controllers and optimized for superior hill climbing performance --historically a problem for many electric vehicles.
MILES has produced an "Advanced Design" version of its flagship LSV, the
ZX40S Advanced Design to use the motor, as well as using the motor in all versions of its
ZX40ST work truck. Along with the AC motor upgrade, these two models come with regenerative braking and vacuum assisted braking pumps. Due to the increase in available power from the AC motor, the two vehicles also offer true air conditioning as an option.
Current Models
ZX40ST Electric Truck
The most powerful "fleet" electric utility truck on the market debuted at FedFleet '07 in Orlando in the summer of 2007. The truck tops out at 25 miles an hour and travels 50-60 miles per charge. Like the
ZX40S Advanced Design, this truck also uses an advanced three phase, brushless, AC induction motor, which comes standard with regenerative braking and optional air conditioning.
MSRP $18,400
ZX40
The Miles Electric Vehicles
ZX40 is a
subcompact electric car built by Tianjin Xiali (Tianjin-Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co), a subsidiary of the
First Automobile Works in Tianjin, China. The car is a licensed version of the Japanese
Daihatsu Move minicompact and is sold in China as the Xinfu ("Happy Messenger").
It is powered by a single 48-volt electric motor, which produces 4.2
kW (5.6 hp) and uses a 150-
amp-hour battery pack. The car uses an on-board
charger that charges through a standard 110-volt 20-amp outlet. An empty battery fully charges in six hours, but only two to three hours are needed to charge it fully if the car is less than 80% empty. The ZX40 can travel up to 64 km (40 mi) at speeds up to 40 km/h (25 mph). It is a 2- or 4-seat car and is
DOT-approved for street use.
The
ZX40 has been discontinued for the 2008 model year, in favor of the more powerful
ZX40S and AC Motor-powered
ZX40S Advanced Design.
ZX40S
The
ZX40S was designed to accelerate faster than the ZX40. It is powered by a 72-volt system instead of a 48-volt system, which extends its range to 50-60 miles (96 to 128 km) . To comply with federal law, the ZX40S is also electronically speed-limited to 25mph like the ZX40.
The
ZX40 and
ZX40S are classified as "low-speed vehicles", meaning they've fewer regulations to comply with. Such vehicles must include standard lighting and seatbelts, but don't require passive restraints, typically airbags in higher-speed vehicles. The vehicles shouldn't exceed 25 mph (40 km/h) on streets with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less.
MSRP $19,499 USD
ZX40S Advanced Design
This vehicle uses the same body as the two above models, but uses an AC induction motor that offers greater power and torque, extended lifetime, and regenerative braking.
OR70
Miles Electric Vehicles also makes the
OR70, a variant of which travels above 35mph (56 km/h), but it isn't legal on public roads. Currently, NASA employs this model as their campuses are exempt from this particular law. The company has reported the suspension of OR70 model production for the 2008 model year.
Future Models
XS500 Highway Speed Sedan
A fully
highway-capable vehicle named the
XS500 is planned for 2009.
The car, about the size of a
Toyota Camry, was designed by renowned Italian design house
Pininfarina, known for their decades of automotive design in partnership with Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Maserati. As a "consumer" vehicle, rather than their current "fleet" offerings, MILES says the XS500 will offer standard features such as
air conditioning, "power everything", a
CD stereo system with
Bluetooth connectivity, and even a
moonroof.
Estimated base price of the Miles XS500 is in the "$35,000 to $39,000 range,”. The car will be capable of speeds up to 85 mph with a range of over 120 miles using advanced
lithium-ion batteries.
The XS500 will charge up through any standard 110- or 220 volt electrical outlet in a few hours for about $1.50, resulting in ~250 miles for the same cost as a gallon of gasoline. The vehicle won't be a "silver bullet" to the country's energy crisis, but MILES spokesmen do note that the car would have "safe, economical and environmentally positive" value for practical everyday
commuter use, particularly in large metropolitan cities.
MILES has stated its plan to
crash test the vehicle to meet and exceed all US
DoT and
NHTSA car safety regulations. The midsize sedan will be sold through a network of 120 existing car dealers and auto groups which the company is currently building. Currently MILES has ~50 authorized dealers.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Miles Electric Vehicles'.
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