Evette EV has 200-mile range and goes 60 mph
No, it's not an electric Corvette, but the Evette does look sleek and runs on 24 12-volt batteries that recharge for about two dollars. EV enthusiasts Tom and Yvette Sines area the team behind the car, which has three wheels and has a fiberglass body. The street-legal vehicle is operated by joystick and has a zero turn radius. Tom Sines told the Okeechobee News that the Evette goes 60 mph and has a 200-mile range. The current version is the result of 20 years of work and about five or six upgrades. The Sines are looking for investors to help them mass-produce the car, which they figure could be sold for about $25,000. We'll see if the Sines have an experience similar to other small EV producers. Good luck to 'em. Their website is here. [Source: NewsZap, Hat Tip to Jeremy Switzer]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
loikll 6:22PM (8/09/2006)
I super don't know how to work out the problem, but I don't believe for one second that it costs only $2 to provide enough charge to move a car 200 miles. Considering my electric bills of late, I'm pretty sure it costs me more than that every time I flip on a light switch.
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[sinz] 7:44AM (8/10/2006)
I sure hope they've obtained the rights to that design from Lamborghini since it's clearly an attempt to replicate the Countach. Otherwise they're going to have a hell of a time getting investors for that thing.
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Buck Diablo 9:54AM (8/10/2006)
It's design catastrophes like this that will set back electric car adoption by the masses for decades. For the average consumer, vehicles like the dork pod above only reinforce the perception that electric cars aren't "real cars."
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Jeremy Switzer 12:23PM (8/10/2006)
I highly doubt the "Mass Market" version of that car will look anything like that. I do, however, like the idea of having two over-sized back wheels used for steering and propulsion. The technology underneath that 80's b-movie reject could be fairly revolutionary, especially if it can perform what claims. On Lead-Acid batteries, no less.
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Tom 5:26PM (8/12/2006)
I`m the guy who made the Evette, and I`m here to answer some of your questions. First of all the body is an after thought. I only did it to get your attention. This car is all about more batteries, more power and much more maneuverability. I`ve been working on this car for decades and it's a patented design. There is not a four wheel car on the road that can even come close to the maneuverability it has. Not only can it turn on a dime, it can turn before the dime, and if I`m feeling frisky I can make it spin like a top. As for power this car has two motors, I was being conservative when I said it would go 60mph, I`m sure it would easily go over a 100mph. As for batteries we have been converting gas cars to electric for years, and there is no way you can get as many batteries in a conversion as I can in this car.
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james 3:32AM (8/13/2006)
24 batteries? At what cost, $50 each? So you're looking at $1200 in batteries alone, plus rest of the car.
I figure you'd have to drive many thousands of miles before this thing would paid for itself. Figure a gas car gets 25mpg @ $3/gal that's $120 per 1,000 miles vs $10 in this thing. You'd have to drive almost 11,000 miles in this thing just to pay for the batteries alone.
And exactly how much storage space does this thing have? I'm thinking a 250cc bike would be a better option. Might not get the same $ per mile but they're cheaper, a little easier to find and don't need $1200 worth of batteries every 3 yrs.
I'd still like to see more pics of it and more details.
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Zobeid 12:02PM (8/15/2006)
I like the three-wheeled design: I'm sure it makes the car more efficient, since you slash rolling resistance by %25 plus remove a lot of weight. However, it also contributes to the "weirdmobile" perception. I have doubts about this thing being mass-produced. I am reminded of the old EXAR-1 electric car. The barriers to entry in the car-making business are huge, and you need backers with commitment and very deep pockets, which the EXAR-1 never found.
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