Coda Automotive Inc, a start-up company based in California, will sell its first model - a China-made all-electric sedan - in the US in the second half this year, according to its chief executive Philip Murtaugh.

Coda's battery management technologies will be used in a Hafei model made by a subsidiary of Chang'an Automobile Group. It is scheduled to go on sale later this year.

Based on a four-door, five-seat Hafei car made by a subsidiary of Chang'an Automobile Group, the Coda is assembled in China and adapted to meet the US safety standards, Murtaugh said in a recent news conference in Beijing.

The battery for the car was developed by Coda's joint venture in China founded in 2009 with local partner Tianjin Lishen Battery Co Ltd, a lithium-ion battery maker and supplier for Samsung, Motorola and Apple.

Coda is contributing its advanced technologies that regulate battery performance and ensure a consistent performance despite changing temperatures, Murtaugh said.

The car can be fully charged in six hours using 220-volt electricity for a range of up to 200 kilometers.

Compared to many pure-electric cars, Coda has a bigger battery pack and a longer range, Murtaugh said, noting that Coda's competitive edge is its world-class battery and thermal management systems that guarantee a "dependable range".

Coda will be priced at $44,900 in the US before federal incentives.

The company will first target customers such as governments and companies in the US. It has inked deals with car rental operators Hertz and Enterprise to include Codas in their fleets.

Coda also plans to help Chang'an Hafei produce and sell pure-electric cars in China, Murtaugh said without offering details.

He noted that Coda's joint venture with Lishen will also supply battery systems to other automakers and is currently in talks with several companies both in China and abroad.

Though he joined Coda just two months ago, Murtaugh said he was convinced of the promising future of electric cars.

The industry veteran has worked in China since 1996, when he arrived with the mission to start China operations for General Motors.

He was the chief executive of GM China between 2000 and 2005, and later worked for Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, Chrysler LLC and most recently Lear Corp.

Murtaugh's experience and reputation in the Chinese auto industry will likely help Coda develop its China operations and increase brand awareness in the country, analysts said.

China will be the world's largest market for electric vehicles, just as it is the world's largest overall auto market, Murtaugh said.

"I have been in China for over 15 years, watching the industry grow from 600,000 vehicles to over 18 million vehicles," he said. "I believe the electric vehicle and battery industry will soon be on a similar growth trajectory."

With battery systems made at its China joint venture and plans for a future plant in the US, Coda also wants to tap the power storage market, which will be "as large or larger than the global electric vehicle industry", according to Murtaugh.

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