British motorists are promised mass-produced electric cars within a year, but family drivers consulting the newly-launched Electric Car Buyers’ Guide in the hope of finding an environmentally-friendly electric vehicle to drive away today face a choice of only three.
The Electric Car Buyers’ Guide is a not-for-profit website that features a total of ten pure electric vehicles available to buy and drive away today, but six are city driving-oriented quadricycles as opposed to cars and only three have four seats or more.
Choice of electric cars is limited, but for how long?
The impending launch of electric cars with a 100-mile range such as the Nissan Leaf suggests we may be on the cusp of a change to battery-powered vehicles.
The Leaf promises to be the world’s first mass-produced electric car when it goes on sale later this year and other electric cars due for launch include the Mitsubishi i-Miev, the Chevrolet Volt and the Tesla Saloon.
Electric quadricycles such as the G-Wiz have enjoyed success in cities, but drivers who need an extended range and the option to carry more than one passenger are limited to the following electric cars:
| Electric cars with four seats available to buy today | |
|---|---|
| Electric city car: The C1 ev’ie is a five-seater city car with a 60mph top speed, which costs from £20,800 | |
| Electric family car: The eBipper is a small MPV and costs £39,950 | |
| Electric large car: The eExpert Tepee has eight seats, a range of 100miles and a top speed of 70mph. It costs £54,550 |
Director at the Environmental Transport Association, Andrew Davis said: “The electric vehicles on sale today are expensive to buy compared to their petrol and diesel counterparts, but they offer a tantalizing glimpse of the green cars many more of us may be driving in the coming years.”
The Electric Car Buyers Guide includes background information such as the environmental impact of electric vehicles and details on how to claim a £5000 government grant against the cost of a new electric car.
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