Coda's compact electric sedan might prove a hard sale

Coda Automotive took the wraps off its new $45,000 electric car, called "Coda" in the California this Wednesday, an article run on Motor Trend said.

The diminutive Coda sedan reportedly boasts a range of 90 to 120 miles, hits 60 mph from a stop in "under 11 seconds" and can be recharged in under an hour with the optional fast-charging system and a 220v plug. Coda hopes to move 2700 sedans next year and will have the capacity to sell 20,000 in 2011.

But reaching those goals, though, may prove difficult. A writer, who might be present at the media event, said the Coda will offer only one model with only one trim level and, quite possibly, only one color -- silver. While features are decent, most items listed can be had on a cheaper car. Moreover, the build quality of the car leaves much to be desired.

When came to price, Coda is also being undercut by even Chinese automaker BYD, who is aiming to launch a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a sticker price of just $16,000, just over a third of the cost of the Coda sedan. So Coda has a long route to go to become a commercially viable car.