Comments on: Time For A Niche Electric Car? http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/10/18/time-for-a-niche-electric-car/ Summum nec metuas diem, nec optes - Marcus Valerius Martialis Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:27:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Tony Belding http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/10/18/time-for-a-niche-electric-car/comment-page-1/#comment-70045 Tony Belding Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:56:56 +0000 http://bluecrabboulevard.com/2007/10/18/time-for-a-niche-electric-car/#comment-70045 I have to give credit to Meyers. As far as I know, they've got the only electric car today that's highway-capable (not a NEV) and is in production, available today for immediate delivery in the US. I think it's attractive in a goofy, nerdy, fun sort of way -- like something out of a 1970s sci-fi movie. However. . . It's also the poster boy for everything that's been wrong with electric vehicles: a three-wheeled weirdmobile with limited performance, severely limited range and capacity, and a high price tag. That's a pretty small niche. Even "homebrew" conversions of gas cars to EVs can often match its range and are more useful, for less money. There are a lot of new electric cars in the works: Aptera, VentureOne, Tango, Silence PT2, UEV Spyder, Tesla Roadster, Nissan MiEV, the reborn Th!nk City, and others. If history is any guide, many of these projects will die on the vine. However, even if only a couple of them become real, they could make the NMG look obsolete very quickly. I'm holding out for a Tesla. I have to give credit to Meyers. As far as I know, they’ve got the only electric car today that’s highway-capable (not a NEV) and is in production, available today for immediate delivery in the US. I think it’s attractive in a goofy, nerdy, fun sort of way — like something out of a 1970s sci-fi movie.

However. . . It’s also the poster boy for everything that’s been wrong with electric vehicles: a three-wheeled weirdmobile with limited performance, severely limited range and capacity, and a high price tag. That’s a pretty small niche. Even “homebrew” conversions of gas cars to EVs can often match its range and are more useful, for less money.

There are a lot of new electric cars in the works: Aptera, VentureOne, Tango, Silence PT2, UEV Spyder, Tesla Roadster, Nissan MiEV, the reborn Th!nk City, and others. If history is any guide, many of these projects will die on the vine. However, even if only a couple of them become real, they could make the NMG look obsolete very quickly.

I’m holding out for a Tesla.

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