What is the best all electric car out there?

Question

All electric, and affordable to someone who's just starting to drive. Also, one that's safe, and can be used on neighborhood roads and highways... Serious responses only please! Thanks.

Answer 1

Right now there aren't any that meet your criteria.

The best affordable EV at the moment is the ZAP Xebra, but its top speed is 40 mph, so you can't take it on the freeway.

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/xebra-sedan

There are several others, but they mostly have top speeds of 25 mph. The only highway speed EV is the Tesla Roadster, but it costs $98,000.

http://www.teslamotors.com/

There will be a few high-speed long-range EVs available around late 2008-early 2009 for about $30,000.

http://aptera.com/
http://milesev.com/
http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/zap-alias

And the Phoenix SUT (currently only sold to fleets) will be available to individuals around that timeframe for $45,000.

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/

Unless you're willing to wait a year, the Prius is your best bet.

Answer 2

Respondents to this question don't seem to realize what all-electric means. That means no gas engine. The technology is developing rapidly, but there are none that are cheap yet. Go to Phoenix motorcars for an all-electric pickup truck. Go to Hybrid Technologies for an all-electric PT Cruiser or Mini-Cooper that will soon be available. Go to A123 Systems for a battery pack which will enable a Prius to get 174 MPG. Again, none of these options are cheap yet.

Answer 3

The "best" depends on what you want.
few are globally available at the moment, so realisticly the best is a 2nd hand conversion - look for a local club, like http://batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/wordpress/ (that is how I got my 205, and ideal starter car)

for a small city run-about
try Reva http://www.revaindia.com/

high performance sports car - Tesla http://www.teslamotors.com

SUV/SUT Phoenix http://www.phoenixmotors.com

Also go to your local GM dealer and ask for an EV1 http://ev1-club.power.net/
or to Toyota and ask for RAV4 ev; they keep telling us there is no demand for a quiet, smooth, smell free, decent performance, low maintenance car you can refuel at home or work without being dependent on finite fuel supplies from politically/environmentally sensitive areas and a complex refining and delivery infrastrucutre

Answer 4

I have not seen one in years. They had some popularity many years ago in our city but died out. Very small, short range, expensive, and electricity used still costs and pollutes.

Maybe with better batteries they will come back. I see there are a few being marketed again.

Answer 5

Are you mechanically inclined? The best way to get what you want is to build it yourself (i.e. convert an older gas car to electric.)
http://www.evdl.org/

Answer 6

it is your call, you should look at fords or Toyota ( I personal like the prius)