Five electric cars you can buy in 2009
by Domenick Yoney on Jan 19th 2009 at 8:02PM 
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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Rick 8:16PM (1/19/2009)
I don't think electric cars should ever be highway cars. They should be city cars. Getting out on the freeway just takes too much energy. IMO electric cars should do what they do best and quit trying to be what they aren't.
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Matt 8:53PM (1/19/2009)
When gasoline cars first came out they could barely hit 30MPH. And you had to crank them by hand. I'm hoping that was a sarcastic comment because the Wrightspeed X1 does 0-60 in 2.9s (fast as a Bugatti Veyron), and the Tesla is as fast as Porsche 911 GT3 around a track (Top Gear).
And by the way, what is wrong with a converted car? The eBox performs better than the Scion xB from which it came in all regards (acceleration, braking, and handling). For the price, it is the best performing electric car there is to date.
Jack 8:48AM (1/20/2009)
We can not have the attitude "we can't do" or we'll never get ahead. Those who have the "can do" attitude will win every time.
Mirko 6:15AM (1/22/2009)
@Matt
"...because the Wrightspeed X1 does 0-60 in 2.9s (fast as a Bugatti Veyron)"
...and nearly as fast as a gasser Ariel Atom, on which it's based (0-100 kph in 2.9)
Rick 10:30AM (1/22/2009)
0-60 doesn't matter - distance matters - recharge time matters - my old 66 Valiant that I had a long time ago did 0-60 in ...about a week and a half?... but I used it everyday, took it out of town on the weekends, through the mountain passes etc, etc
Thats what a highway car does.
If you get a highway electric car, that means it stores a ton of energy and that means long recharge times and extra weight. It also probably means cheating on tire safety and a few other things to maximize range.
Electric cars are great for running 10 - 20 miles a day in the city. Thats what people need. They don't need electric cars running up through the mountain passes every weekend. It won't work.
If you are running out of town on the weekend up through the mountains and out on the freeways - you need a second car that burns gasoline.
Gary B. 6:54PM (4/22/2009)
(....Rick 8:16PM (1/19/2009)
...I don't think electric cars should ever be highway cars. They should be city cars. Getting out on the freeway just takes too much energy. IMO electric cars should do what they do best and quit trying to be what they aren't.....)
That's RIDICULOUS!! I can see that many of them out there are just that, but there are those currently in development which will NOT be city cars only... I am on the development team for a car which has not been announced to the public yet and etc.. but it will be able to go 0-60 in 2-3 seconds, and yet has the ability to drive from Alaska to Florida and back again without being charged during the entire trip! It's weight ratio is much lower than ANY other electric car on the market, and it only takes a small battery system which will only weigh in at about 25-lbs... so NEVER say NEVER!!
This car I'm on the team to develop will be announced to the general public if all goes well sometime around 3-5 years from now.. be looking for it!! You will see it coming out of the state of Washington, in the Spokane Area.
I know sounds impossible... however so did the idea of a vehicle being able to go over 50-MPH back in the 1800's! Or the idea of flight before the wright bros.. 200 years ago people thought any speed over 50-MPH would kill a human begin... so open mindedness needs to be the rule of the day here.. :)
GoodCheer 8:21PM (1/19/2009)
Damn, that was cruel of you to put the iMiEV as the header picture... I nearly peed myself when I read "EVs you can buy in 09 and saw the Mitsu, I thought I might have missed some new announcement. You should be more careful.
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Domenick Yoney 11:44PM (1/19/2009)
Sorry about that. I used the photo of Mitsubishi because I didn't want to give the others away. On a positive note, it is available for lease in England this summer and, I believe, for sale in Japan. It is supposed to undergo some changes before it reaches the American market.
Kelly 8:23PM (1/19/2009)
Look, I have to say it... other then the Tesla Roadster and the Mini Ev, all of these cars will be an utter failure. THEY ARE HIDEOUS! Americans will NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER buy a one seater car if it is attractive, which none of the remaining 3 cars are. One looks like it belongs in who-ville. The Aptera has potential and maybe that is the way cars will look in 100 years, but the way things are right now, everyone will just look at it, laugh and make fun of the person who is driving.
I am an environmentalist and believe that this technology must develop, but stop making us look like weirdos who have no taste. Tesla, Miles and Phoenix got it right. Electric cars that are normal in appearance will control the market, not cars that look like they were designed by a pre-schooler after reading "The Grinch."
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Torbjorn 8:30PM (1/19/2009)
I agree to your assestment. Another thing is, the TESLA is not a car most people can afford. It also not practical for most people. The Mini E is just a lease, although it is a step in the right direction. The other cars are not worth mentioning as they don't even have a chance unless you have extra money to buy a toy.
ABG just needs to get over their battery hype and bias. It is quite ridiculous.
Chris M 2:38AM (1/20/2009)
Reminds me of those folks who thought that funny little German car wouldn't sell - but the VW Beetle was hugely successful in spite of the odd looks, cramped interior and so-so performance. It was a success because it was affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, and gosh durn it, it was so homely it was cute!
The NMG would be the ideal single person commuter car if it had more range. The Tango and the NMG are certainly more comfortable and safer than a motorcycle. The Aptera has a sleek form that is as beautiful as it is functional.
All three - NMG, Tango, and Aptera - would appeal to the same type of non-conformist folks that once made the VW Beetle a success.
noz 2:45AM (1/20/2009)
The irony of you talking about non-conformists is a bit too much.
Chris M 5:11PM (1/20/2009)
Oh, the irony of you irony comment, noz! After all, you are the one that insists we all join the hydrogen hype as The One-And-Only Solution, and you won't consider alternatives like batteries and PHEVs and biofuels at all.
noz 2:29AM (1/21/2009)
I'm glad you see your own irony because I never claimed hydrogen will be the ONLY source out there. You did.
Indeed...the irony.
Gary 11:03AM (1/25/2009)
Never say never Kelly. There have been many cars in the past that I thought no one would ever buy because of their look. One most recent one is the Smart car, but now I'm seeing more of those. You know what they say, 'one persons trash is another persons treasure'. Someone will buy them.
80N541 8:32PM (1/19/2009)
"Oh, and one last rule: none are conversions of another company's vehicle"
the tesla come from a lotus elise and the mini is a conversion from ac propulsion, so the list above is reduce to three (two an a half if you consider the tango as a half car ^^)
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Domenick Yoney 11:50PM (1/19/2009)
The Tesla Roadster only shares about 7% of its parts with the Elise and, therefore, isn't a conversion.
The MINI E isn't being sold by a second company. It is sold by BMW. You are correct that it is AC Propulsions drivtrain inside though.
Tim 12:00PM (1/20/2009)
Dominick, why didn't you mention Hybrid Technologies? They have been building and seling conversions for 3 years? They built the first Mini and Smart electrics before anyone else?
Luke 8:37PM (1/19/2009)
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/01/subaru-to-begin.html#more
Limited production car?
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Domenick Yoney 11:53PM (1/19/2009)
As per your link, it is only for the Japanese market so far.