The sexy electric Roadster by Tesla Motors has been getting a lot of attention ever since the first photos came out a few years ago. Part of that attention comes from its looks, which were different from most electric cars that came before, but what’s under the hood is just as interesting.
BYD is a huge Chinese battery maker who recently started making plug-in hybrids and electric cars. Despite delays some delays in introducing EVs to the US, it is on track to become a big player in the next few years. The electric E6 pictured here is BYD’s battery-powered crossover. There’s also the BYD F3DM and F6DM.
The XS500 by the Miles Automotive Group is expected to be a highway-capable electric car sold for $30,000-35,000 in the United States around 2009-2010.
the i MiEV by Mitsubishi is a small battery electric car that has got a lot of press lately. Mitsubishi has announced that it would start producing it a year in advance (2009 instead of 2010), and 2,000 i MiEVs will be made in the production run.
The R1E is a small urban battery electric car by Subaru. It was recently tested around New York City.
The EV1 is now almost a legend, partly because it was one of the first electric cars that the average person could actually drive, and partly because of GM’s campaign to destroy them (see Who Killed the Electric Car?). Recently an EV1 that avoided being crushed was sold for $465k.
The REVA (known as the G-Wiz i in the UK) is a small city electric car from India. It’s not the most high-tech EV, and at 745 kg (1,640 lb), it’s definitely not the biggest. But it’s been in production since 2001 and the new version features an improved range.
The ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise) is a 2-seater neighborhood battery electric car. It has a range of up to 40 miles (64 km) and does not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h). This green car has been in production since 2006.
The Tango is an ultra-narrow electric sports car built by Commuter Cars. It sells for an eye-popping $108,000 (you could get a Tesla Roadster for that kind of money), and it is better known as “that electric car that George Clooney drives“. It can do 0-60 mph in 4 seconds.
The Aptera 2e (formerly the Typ-1e) is a super-efficient electric vehicle designed be Aptera motors, and it probably has the most avant-garde look of all electric cars featured here. The company also plans a plug-in hybrid version that would get about 300 MPG if plugged in every 120 miles. Google has invested money in the company. The all-electric model will sell for $27,000 and the series plug-in hybrid version will sell for $30,000.
The GM Volt is a “range-extended” electric car is scheduled for 2011. It should be able to drive 40 miles in all-electric mode before a gas engine kicks in to recharge the batteries. More information and photos about the Volt can be found here.
Like the GM Volt, the Fisker Karma is a “range-extended” electric car. Its all-electric range is 50 miles, and over that a gas engine kicks in to generate power and recharge the batteries. Fisker has recently opened an engineering center near Detroit
In the fall of 2008 Chrysler unveiled three electric car concepts, saying that it would produce one. The first is the Dodge EV, an electric sports car.
In the fall of 2008 Chrysler unveiled three electric car concepts, saying that it would produce one. The second is the Chrysler EV, an electric minivan (that’s rare!).
In the fall of 2008 Chrysler unveiled three electric car concepts, saying that it would produce one. The third is the Jeep EV, an electric SUV.
The Toyota RAV4 EV is an electric version of the RAV4 mid-size SUV. It was sold from 1997 to 2003 when the program was ended, despite waiting lists of potential customers.
The THINK City is an electric car made by THINK Global, a Norwegian company. It’s a 2+2 seats, has a top speed of 65 MPH, and can do 126 miles of city driving on a full charge. Unfortunately, because of the credit crunch, THINK is in “urgent financial distress“.
The Lightning GT is an electric sports car designed by the British Lightning Car Company. It has 4 separate 120 kW wheel-motors (!), allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The body is made from carbon fiber and Kevlar composites. If all goes well, it should go on sale in 2009 for £120,000 (or €155,000).
The Kewet Buddy is made by Elbil Norge AS, from Norway. It has a range of “40-80 km depending on season, topography and driving style.”
Many Smart fortwo EVs were made by modifying regular gas or diesel fortwos, but Daimler has announced plans to make electric cars of its own using the fortwo platform. According to the company, it should get 72 miles between charges and get the equivalent of 300 MPG.
The The ZAP Xebra is a 3-wheel electric vehicle launched in 2006. Top speed is 36–40 mph and range is 20-25 miles.
BMW has announced that it would make 500 (at least) electric versions of the MINI and lease them in California. We had the chance to test-drive one in New York City. See the video here.
Mercedes has unveiled a trio of concept cars called BlueZERO. One is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, another is a battery electric car, and the third is a range-extended electric car (like the GM Volt). You can learn more about the Mercedes BlueZERO Concept here.
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