Electric Cars Coming Soon…
Electric cars are the only true solution to stopping carbon dioxide emissions from our personal transportation vehicles. But, with a very few exceptions, there are not many places you can go to test drive one of these cars today. That fact will soon be changing, however, as more automakers develop electric car technology. With this in mind, below is a listing of up-and-coming electric cars we’ve seen at recent auto shows.
Dodge Zeo
The Dodge Zeo, still very much a concept car, is a fantastic looking vehicle. At this point, Dodge isn’t offering much in regards to specifications – other than stating that its lithium ion battery pack would give the car an incredible 250 mile range per charge. (A number that is unrealistic by today’s technology standards.)
Nissan Denki Cube Concept
Nissan will soon be unveiling a new twist on their existing Cube city car – a fully electric version. As Japan has many small, city-type cars already, Japanese automakers are a perfect fit for the development of electric cars. According to Nissan, their Denki Cube concept car tops out at a whopping 100 miles per charge – from its lithium ion battery pack. And, it has a respectable top speed of75 mph. Maybe this will show up in your Kansas Nissan dealership before you know it.
Tesla Roadster
Tesla is pushing hard to get their much-hyped electric Roadster sports car into actual production. Although no official date has been set for its release, the Tesla Roadster is reported to use a lithium ion battery pack powering its 185-kilowatt motor. Tesla also claims the car has a fully-charged range of 220 miles, with a top speed of 125mph.
IWK E-motion
German-designed, the E-motion is a boxy four-seater powered by an 8-kilowatt electric motor through a lithium ion batter pack. This car has a top speed of 50mph and a range of 60 miles per charge.
Mitsubishi iMiEV
Built on Mitsubishi’s existing “i car” platform, the iMiEV is only a test vehicle at this point – but promises around 100 miles to a full charge with its lithium ion battery pack.
Subaru R1e
The R1e achieves top speeds of 65mph via a 40-kilowatt motor, powered by its lithium ion batter pack. The car has a 50 mile range on a full battery and it has a special quick charger which can reach 80% capacity in approximately 15 minutes.
This is just a small sampling of what’s on the horizon in the world of electric car technology. For more information and photos of these cars, as well as several other “coming soon” electric vehicles, please visit SmartPlanet.com.
