(Photo by internets_diary on Flickr)
For the casual motorist, the advent of electric cars may seem distant and unrealistic. This motorist may see the Nissan NuVu, the BMW Mini-E and the Chevy Volt as pipe dreams that will be pushed off by decreasing fuel prices and an unstable global economy. We don’t have to wait anymore for electric vehicles; we just need to wait for charging stations and inexpensive batteries to catch up with EV technology.
The alpha and the omega for electric cars at the moment is the Tesla Roadster. The 2009 Roadster will is priced at $109,000USD with 1,500 cars available for pre-order in the near future. The Roadster has been popular among eco-friendly drivers in California who like the sporty body, convertible top and 244-mile range per charge. Skeptics who want some power with their cars should know that the Roadster is capable of reaching 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in 3.9 seconds. Tesla is working on new models for the future but the fact that initial runs of the Tesla have sold out quickly shows promise for the California-based automaker.
The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is gaining momentum as a viable second-vehicle option for families, local governments and businesses. NEVs like the JMC Skeeter and the Wildfire EV top out near 25 miles per hour but offer enough juice to drive around the neighborhood to run errands. NEVs have been approved for local travel by cities from the Northeast to the Pacific in recognition of advancements in EV technology.
Utility electric vehicles like the ED-10 Dumster and the EC-9 Transport show that these cars are functional and green. The ED-10 Dumster has a liftable payload area that allows landscapers and gardeners to dump small mounds of dirt without getting out of the vehicle. The EC-9 Transport is an eight-person EV that can be used for outdoor tours, short-range transport and equipment storage.
The future for electric cars in the United States looks promising albeit fraught with production and infrastructure issues. While Tesla Roadsters and Aptera Typ-1s may be roaming around American streets in the next few years, these companies may be unable to keep up with demand without expanding in scale. As the electric vehicle niche of the auto industry expands outward, it is likely that increased competition will force infrastructural development and produce enough EVs to meet consumer need.
