Canada's Maya 300: the first lithium-ion full electric car sold in North America!

Toronto - This summer, a first lithium-ion full electric car will be sold in Canada and the United States. It's the Canadian-born Maya 300, a B-segment model developed by Electrovaya. The introduction was made at 2009 Canadian International Auto Show held in Toronto.

The Maya 300 electric car was developed by Ontario's Electrovaya. It will hit the market this summer.

This microcar is powered by an electric motor connected to SuperPolymer lithium-ion batteries, the latter being also designed and produced by Electrovaya. "It will be the first lithium-ion full electric car sold in North America", says Gitanjali DasGupta, Manager of the company's electric vehicle division.

The Maya 300 will hit the road as a hatchback sedan with seating for four (or five, if need be). The body is 40-centimeter shorter than a Chevrolet Aveo5, yet it's just as wide and even slightly taller.

It will be assembled by Electrovaya in one of its two plants, located in Mississauga, Ontario, or Malta, in the State of New York. The decision has yet to be made, said Mrs DasGupta.

"Pricing will be competitive too," assures Mrs. DasGupta. As for the other side of the border, some sources say the price will hover around $20,000USD.

Extended range
The automaker will offer two types of batteries. The first one is a 12-kWh unit with a range of 80 kilometers, while the second is an 18-kWh battery allowing a maximum of 120 kilometers. Both can be charged by plugging the vehicle into a standard 110-volt power outlet. A full charge takes somewhere between 8 and 10 hours.

The Maya meets every single standard for low-speed vehicles (LSV), which are now authorized in some of Canada's metropolitan areas, including in the province of Quebec. It also complies with similar American regulations in a number of states.

The electric motor is fed by a lithium-ion battery pack and allows a range of 80 to 120 kilometers.

A Canadianized Chinese
The Maya 300 is actually based on a Chinese car, the Chana Benni, whose design can be credited to styling specialists at Italy's Bertone. The Benni is manufactured by Chana International Corporation in Chongqing (province of Sichuan).

Over there, the car is powered by a 1.3-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Electrovaya will purchase Bennis with no powertrains so as to fit its electric motor, SuperPolymer battery pack, onboard charger and all the electronic hardware necessary to make them work.

Ontario's ZENN Motor Company uses a similar approach to produce its electric two-seater in a Saint-Jerome, Quebec, plant. Engineless units are bought from French automaker Microcar before final assembly is completed. The ZENN retails for $16,900.

The Maya 300 is actually a reworked, rebadged Chana Benni from China.

Other electric cars in sight
The Maya 300 won't be the sole vehicle to use SuperPolymer batteries. Last September, Electrovaya got a signed agreement that will see Norway's Miljøbil Grenland AS supply batteries for a new, global-scale electric car. This car will be the Indica EV manufactured by Tata Motors, from India. It will be unveiled next March at the Geneva Motor Show. This will be the result of a partnership agreement Tata agreed to with Electrovaya in October of last year, after its British division (Tata Motors UK) acquired a 50.3-percent share in Miljøbil.

A few months earlier, in May 2008, Electrovaya negotiated another business agreement, this time with Phoenix Motorcars, for the supply of batteries and development of products and manufacturing systems. The California-based firm is trying to sell electric-powered SUVs that are derived from Korea's SsangYong Actyon (much in the same way as the Maya and ZENN).

Unfamiliar company
Electrovaya was established about 20 years ago by Sankar DasGupta, still Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Jim Jacobs. Back then, the company was merely a R&D office.

Electrovaya is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) since 2000 and now employs nearly 100 people.

In addition to research, development and production of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in a wide range of industries, including the automotive, aerospace and public health sectors, Electrovaya sells external laptop batteries and a digital PC tablet called Scribbler for mainstream use.

Photos: Matthieu Lambert