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Five electric cars you can buy in 2009

Five electric cars you can buy in 2009

Posted Jan 19th 2009 8:02PM

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Are you looking for an electric car that you can buy this year? For all the excitement surrounding battery-powered automobiles, there are precious few actually available for purchase right now. While we could have made a top 50 list that included concepts or vehicles only available in other countries, we decided on a compilation that met a very strict set of criteria: none have a gas tank (sorry, Fisker Karma); all will be offered for sale (or lease) in 2009 in America (apologies to the Mitsubishi iMiEV); all can travel at highway speed (you're excused, ZAP! Xebra). Oh, and one last rule: none are conversions of another company's vehicle (so long, AC Propulsion eBox, Phoenix SUT and AMP Saturn Sky).

Now that we've set the ground rules, let's get started.

Category: EV/Plug-in, MINI, Tesla Motors, Aptera, USA

Tags: 2009, electric cars, ElectricCars, featured, for sale, ForSale, top 5, Top5

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kimc

Matt is right: this technology is in its infancy. Let it crawl before it walks and walk before it runs. Those of you who want a mature technology, wait a bit. The first adopters will take it and make it develop. That's always how it is with new stuff.
By the way, technological help is on the way: we are developing a way to recharge while driving. This will extend the range considerably.

August 03 2009 at 3:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

USMAN AZAD

ELECTRIC CARS ARE SURE A GREAT WAY TO REDUCE POLLUTION............

June 07 2009 at 6:20 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sandy

I think "Better Place" has the right business model. Existing, affordable battery technology/driving range vehicles plus charging stations and battery swap centers (you lease the battery/pay for energy like cell phone minutes and charge or swap out the battery whenever you want) = practical all-electric cars on the road ASAP. They have funding and government commitments in Denmark, Israel, Australia, Hawaii, and Northern California. http://www.betterplace.com/

By the way, the basic concept for this is 100 years old! London tried this for their bus fleet, but the technology got muscled out by the petrol-pushers of their day. http://media.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9719105

May 01 2009 at 2:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Alan

We're almost there! I've been stating for several years on car forums that fully electric vehicles will be all over the place when lithium-based battery packs can propel them 200+ miles on a 5-10 minute recharge.

For example, Schwinn teamed up with Toshiba to produce an electric bicycle called the Tailwind. Its 6-pound lithium ion battery pack recharges in less than a half hour and is good for over an hour of assisted riding. Better packs are on the way and we'll soon be seeing electric bicycles and electric scooters all over the place.

As far as electric vehicles go, they'll be less expensive than hybrids like the Prius because an engine, gas tank, radiator, exhaust system, etc. will no longer be needed. Eliminating them reduces weight, cost, and adds space for more battery packs and luggage. You can see why fully electric vehicles will make anything with an engine obsolete when they're able to travel half as far on a recharge that doesn't take much longer than a fill-up at a service station that has replaced gas pumps with recharge stations that accept credit cards.

April 24 2009 at 11:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Roger

Not only do electric cars have a distance problem but how do you dispose of the batteries once they can no longer be charged. Batteries have lead and acid in them.

March 26 2009 at 2:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chelsea

must admit, those cars are pretty cute if most very expensive. plus, in america most people drive big cars - wont people assume these little buggers could get easily crushed? Of course, there are a couple more green options that ARE in people's price ranges like the Prius and Lexus GS450. In europe people are starting to buy the Saab BioFuel, as seen here: http://www.eastangliansaabdealers.co.uk/bioPower.asp

January 30 2009 at 10:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ken Brunot

"john said...
We purchased a Miles. It is a plug-in electric. We love it and use it every day. It costs 1/3 of a cent per mile to drive. They are currently available. Check out the electric car company on line in Farmington, MO."

and john is driving about 20 mph on streets posted 35 and under.
That is basically a golf cart that looks like a car.
Miles EV has a high speed sedan "under development" like everyone else. We have been 2 years away from a highway speed EV for 20 years now.

January 26 2009 at 12:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

john

We purchased a Miles. It is a plug-in electric. We love it and use it every day. It costs 1/3 of a cent per mile to drive. They are currently available. Check out the electric car company on line in Farmington, MO.

January 25 2009 at 6:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mr.vail

1.Make is affordable to the masses $20K - $25k range. with a good warranty. It's an affordable price range because their not paying for petro.

2. Make it practical, it will have to carry 4 people. 60 mph for 60 miles. this is not extreme.

3. Give it a modern, yet contemporary look that the people will buy. Like the civic, the corolla even a hundai.
(A normal looking car)

January 22 2009 at 3:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rick

The Aptera is more a vehicle and less a car IMO.

January 20 2009 at 3:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply