Will 2009 see the return of the electric car?
Every generation thinks it has discovered sex, and every generation thinks it has discovered electric cars – until they realise their limitations. So says a car industry sceptic, quoted in The Sunday Times.
But can the Mini E prove the sceptics wrong this time around? It's certainly attracting a lot of attention, not least from politicians who appreciate the PR potential of a car that "combines the best of British design with environmentally friendly engineering and a cool image", says Nick Rufford and Joe Dunn in the same paper. And it's no milk float in terms of performance either: the battery gives the equivalent of about 200bhp, a top speed of 95mph, a performance on a par with the standard Mini Cooper, and a probable range of 150 miles. Having driven it, says Adam Towler, also in The Sunday Times, "I can't help thinking our motoring future isn't so depressing after all".
Its success all depends on sales. But there won't be any of those for a while yet: 500 are going on trial in the US, but only on a lease for $850 a month. In the meantime, can you still go (relatively) green for 2009? The Mini sits in the middle of the only two fully electric options available.
The first is the 40mph city runabout, the G-Wiz, yours for about seven grand. On the plus side, you get zero-emission motoring, free parking in most of London, and you pay no road tax and congestion charge. On the downside is everything else, says Channel4.com, from the cramped interior to the snail's pace performace. Go for a bike or an Oystercard instead.
The second option is the Tesla Roadster, for about 50 grand. It's extraordinary, says Ben Oliver in Car: "comically fast" and almost as good as a Lotus Elise to drive. "Electric cars have a long way to go", but the Tesla shows they're "travelling fast in the right direction".