Last week at their annual shareholders meeting battery developer Altairnano Technologies showed off the SUV version of the Phoenix Motor Cars truck. The fully enclosed version of the vehicle was available for meeting attendees to drive and most came away fairly impressed. In the Reno Gazette-Journal article, Phoenix's Bryon Bliss acknowledges that the vehicle itself is made by an Korean company he won't name.

For the record the Phoenix SUV is a Ssangyong Actyon. Ssangyong has been best known in markets where they sell for what can charitably be described as quirky styling. Fortunately the Actyon is among the most normal looking of their lineup. As for the battery powered variants from Phoenix there is really nothing new to report.

As for Altairnano, one of the main stumbling blocks that is probably preventing big carmakers from adopting their batteries is the issue of producing the batteries in large quantities at an affordable price. General Motors in particular is trying to create a vehicle based on the Volt by 2010 at 100,000+ unit volumes for a price of around $30,000 or less. At this point, that may not be possible with the Altairnano battery.

There's a video of Bryon Bliss from Phoenix Motor Cars talking about the Phoenix vehicles after the jump.

[Source: Reno Gazette-Journal via EcoGeek]

AutoblogGreen readers in Ontario, CA will be able to check out the Phoenix SUT this weekend at the Inland Empire Auto Show, which starts Thursday. The show, coming to the Ontario Convention Center, features a "Green Street" showcasing environmentally-friendlier auto technology, and the all-electric SUT is the star of the street (seriously, the show website doesn't list the names of any other green cars that will be on display). The SUT will also be part of a Ride and Drive on Saturday and Sunday between11 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Tickets to the show cost between $7 and $10, depending.

The video of AutoblogGreen's quick test drive of the SUT, if you missed it the first time around, is available after the jump.

Related:

• So sad (and yet good): Phoenix SUT passes first round of crash tests

[Source: Phoenix]

The good news from Phoenix Motorcars is that the company's all-electric SUT has passed the first round of crash tests. On Tuesday, at the Adelanto-based KARCO Engineering lab, the SUT completed front, oblique and offset impact crash tests.

KARCO is independent lab that is recognized by the NHTSA to perform these passenger safety evaluation tests for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and Phoenix CEO Daniel Elliot said in a statement that passing this test is another step towards getting Federal Motor Vehicle Certification for the SUT.

So, it looks like the vehicle seems to be well-designed and in good shape (well, except for the ones that were crashed) but that's not all that needs testing in EVs. I remember writing about the battery tests that Tesla was putting the Roadster's batteries through. It looks like the Altairnano batteries in the SUT have also passed.
Related:

• AVFI Show: ABG Drives the Phoenix SUT (video)

[Source: Sys-con]

One of the vehicles available at the Ride & Drive here in Anaheim was the Phoenix SUT, and there's no way we were going to pass up a chance to test this thing out, even if it was only around the hotel. I actually went out twice, once behind the wheel and once sitting in the back (there are two rows of sears).

During my ride in the Phoenix SUT on Sunday, I rode while a Phoenix/Altairnano true believer took the wheel. This guy is a stockholder in Altairnano (he got in years ago when stocks were 30 cents a share), and raved about the potential of the Phoenix vehicles the whole time. He wasn't trying to convince me, (he spoke mostly to the Phoenix rep in the passenger seat) and just happened to be ahead of me in line and I decided to ride in back instead of wait for a driving chance to present itself.

On Tuesday, then, I got a chance to get behind the wheel for my quick drive. As should be expected in an all-electric vehicle, the SUT has good pick up (but there was no chance in the standard course to really floor it). Like other electric cars, the drives smooth and is wonderfully quiet to ride in. When the time comes, we'll take one of these out for a serious analysis but for now I give you our video of the SUT in action.

We've been face to face with Ed Begley, Jr. and the Phoenix SUT/SUV at both the SEMA show and the Alt Car Expo last year. Lucky for us, we get another chance soon when the duo makes an appearance at the Alternative Fuels and Vehicles National Conference and Expo, which starts this weekend.

The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVI) show will feature over 100 exhibitors and a ride & drive in a variety of green cars. The Phoenix SUT will be open for drives on Sunday and next Tuesday. Begley and Phoenix Motorcars CEO Dan Elliott will present the talk "The Promise of Electric Transportation" during the Technology Showcase on Tuesday.

AutoblogGreen will be reporting from the show and getting in-depth updates from as many people as we can talk to during our stay. Since we're keen on keeping our readers happy, why not take a minute to check out the conference schedule and leave a note in the comments or through our contact us page about the companies and vehicles that you feel we need to cover. If you have any questions you think we need to ask of conference attendees, let us know that, too.

[Source: Phoenix Motorcars]

As my fellow blogger Sam pointed out recently, Darryl Siry, Vice President of Marketing for Tesla Motors, recently wrote on their site's blog that "The Media Need to Toughen Up on the Subject of EVs". This is true on many levels, and it could be argued that the media needs to toughen up when it comes to reporting in general. But, this is not the subject of this particular editorial. But, in the spirit of doing exactly what he asked the media to do, let's consider some of the hard questions facing hopeful electric vehicle manufacturers in the coming years.

Darryl mentioned, as did Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard in Sam's interview, that Tesla perceives themselves as different than other new electric vehicle manufacturers. Indeed, they see themselves as more like GM, Ford, Toyota and Nissan. Are they? I am not sure, as they have yet to produce a single vehicle for public consumption, as compared to the almost too numerous to mention vehicles those other companies have sold. This begs the question, is Tesla getting ahead of themselves? Are they really competing directly with GM and Toyota?

Continue reading my thoughts after the break.

A123 batteries, who recently won a contract, along with Johnson Controls via the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, delivered an unidentified plug-in hybrid to the White House for President Bush to inspect. Along with them, Phoenix Motorcars chief financial officer Dennis Hogan brought their all electric Sport Utility Truck. Hogan said, "We have no idea how they got on their radar, people will see us and take a bit more notice. It gives us a little more credence when we are trying to visit fleet customers." Hogan mentioned that they were contacted by the White House two weeks ago to arrange the visit. Bush met with a group of experts and executives, including Phoenix Motorcars CEO Dan Elliott, A123 Systems CEO Dave Vieau and Alex Molinari, president of Johnson Controls' power solutions business before Bush publicly evaluated the vehicles on display.

Referring to cellulosic ethanol, Michigan State University professor Bruce Dale, an expert on ethanol who was invited to the event said, "This is real. It is not pie in the sky," Dale said. "It's going to grow exponentially."

I find it rather interesting that none of the large U.S. manufacturers were invited for the demonstration. One might think that at least General Motors would be on hand to show off their Chevrolet Volt concept. But, with the battery vendors and researchers there, I am sure that the topic will come up as to who will be using these technologies in the near-term future, which would include, I would imagine, Chevrolet - if they do introduce the Volt to the market.

Click here to open a video from ABC News highlighting the meeting.

[Sources: Whitehouse, ABC News, Detroit Free Press and Phoenix Motorcars]

Phoenix Motorcars has their first firm orders for their upcoming electric pickup truck. They have received seventy-five firm orders from municipalities and one utility. Phoenix is the first automotive company to commit to using the Altairnano NanoSafe lithium ion battery. According to the Phoenix press release, they also have a three-year US exclusivity agreement and they got gave a 16.6 percent equity stake in to Altairnano.

The agreement has certain restrictions which could make it difficult for GM to consider these batteries for the Volt. Phoenix has to meet sales levels to keep the exclusivity. The release also says it's exclusive for all-electric vehicles, but since the Volt has an engine, it may depend on the exact wording of the agreement. Phoenix has 16 trucks in progress right now, and wants to have federal safety testing done with these vehicles done in time to sell 500 trucks before the end of the year. Click on the Read link for the Phoenix press release.

Related:

• Altair NanoTechnologies ships first 10 batteries to Phoenix Motorcars

[Source: Phoenix Motorcars via AutoBlog]

While the Barker Hanger was still mostly empty on Friday, the day before the Alt Car Expo starts in Santa Monica, I caught up with the Phoenix Motors and Altairnano crew standing next to the electric Phoenix SUV prototype. Bryon Bliss and Daniel Elliot of Phoenix Motors said the SUV is currently going through safety testing, just like any other vehicle destined for commercial sales. In fact, that was their main message, that the electric SUV will drive and feel like an ICE SUV. The 480 ft lbs. of torque and the rest of the powertrain have been electronically adjusted to make the vehicle feel "normal." One slight difference: while the prototype model doesn't beep when backing up, the production model likely will, otherwise you might not know it's coming. Expect the Phoenix SUV in the second quarter of 2007.

I also spoke with Roy Graham, Senior Vice President for Commercial Development at Altairnano, about the nano-titanate lithium-ion batteries I first wrote about at the EDTA Conference. You can listen to Graham explaining how the batteries will work in the Phoenix SUV here (~5 min. interview, 1.3 MB file). Also, check out a picture of the batteries under the hood after the jump.