04-21-2007, 04:04 PM | #1 (permalink) |
pow!
Location: NorCal
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a good 4 seater electric car / cart??
After paying $40 to fill the tank of my little Acura, listening to the body count in the Middle East and reading about record oil company profits, I kinda sorta lost it.
I went to the local electric car dealer and tried out a Zap Xebra. I was ready to buy. Sadly, it was shit. I have shoe boxes that are more sturdily constructed. It was all I could do to keep my kids from literally peeling off pieces of the car. And it was uncomfortable. You pretty much sit on the floor to drive it. 90% of my driving is in town. I could get by with a car that never went more than 35 mph. I LOVE the idea that the Xebra plugs into a common household electrical outlet. So is there a descent electric car/cart that holds 4 people, keeps the weather out and won't fall apart in a good fart? I'm going to look at the GEM next. (Yes, I know batteries are full of evil chemicals, cars are mde of plastic and plastic is made from oil, etc.)
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Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free. |
04-21-2007, 05:21 PM | #3 (permalink) |
Tone.
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I'm not sure the GEM is legal everywhere. . . might want to check on that first.
it's a shame the electric version of the Ariel Atom is $100,000, because it's the best one out there. 0-60 faster than a Ferrari and has a 100 mile range The Tesla Roadster is a little slower (0-60 in a little over 4 seconds), but includes creature comforts missing in the Atom, like a windshield, a second seat, doors, sheet metal, a radio, and GPS. It's only $97,000 My point is that there is no such thing as a well made electric car that is also cheap. It simply doesnt' exist. If you want one even approaching the quality of your Acura, expect to pay higher-than-Acura prices for it. Might I suggest a motor scooter instead? They cost about 3-4 bucks to fill up and get astonishing gas mileage. |
04-21-2007, 07:13 PM | #4 (permalink) | |
pow!
Location: NorCal
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Quote:
Can I fit my wife and two kids on a motorscooter? Rock on! Oh, and I have serious wood for the ZapX. They had me at "Photovoltaic glass."
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Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free. |
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04-22-2007, 03:05 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Poo-tee-weet?
Location: The Woodlands, TX
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I saw a thing on tv that talked about this some
http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html its a prius hybrid car that has been modified with bigger batteries and the ability to plug into the wall. on most city trips it uses nothing but electricity
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-=JStrider=- ~Clatto Verata Nicto |
04-23-2007, 09:14 AM | #6 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Midway, KY
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Yeah, the failing of the PriusPlus system is the cost. Again! You are taking a $25K car and putting another $20K into it just for some bigger batteries and a charging adapter. No thanks. If they could do it for $5K which is a lot closer to the actual cost of doing it then they would have a lot more customers. It is still not a full electric, but it is a step in the right direction.
There are a few plug-in electric vehicles in the pipeline. Ford is working on the Volt (not that I'd buy a Ford) and other manufacturers are stepping up to the plate as well. If you are willing to swallow your disgust at pump prices and morally questionable wars and wait a few years, you might be able to buy a more reasonable plug-in.
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--- You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. - Albert Einstein --- |
Tags |
car, cart, electric, good, seater |
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