Seems like every car company is jumping on the plug-in hybrid/full electric bandwagon these days. At Plugincars.com you can look over 29 different offerings in this class of vehicle ranging from the now discontinued Toyota Rav4EV to a new version of the same car to be produced in conjunction with Tesla. No pricing is available yet, but it is supposed to be out in 2012 and may be produced at Tesla’s facility in California.
Full electrics and hybrids take on many shapes and sizes, from the Smart ED, a tiny 2 person car with a range of about 70 miles and a top speed of 60 mph, to Ford’s Transit Connect Electric, a minivan sized car that will go about 80 miles on a charge and according to it’s producers would meet the needs of a company needing a local delivery vehicle.
Most of the vehicles offered currently look more or less like ordinary cars. In fact, most share the same platform as their gasoline powered counterparts, but there are a few that have tried to make them more sporty looking as well as improving the aerodynamics. Cars like the Tesla Roadster, the Fisker Karma and the BMW Vision are all on the cutting edges of looks and performance, with of course a price to match. The Tesla is a full electric that will do 0-60 in less than 4 seconds, and has a 200 mile range (according to Tesla). If all that is true, it might make even the most diehard of detractors take another look…till he gets to the price. Tipping in at a whopping $109,000US, you’re not likely to see many of these in the hands of ordinary working people. Big price tag for a car that will only carry 2 people.
The Fisker Karma will carry 4 people and is a bit less expensive, though still out of reach for the average factory worker. For $96,000, you can have the world’s first luxury plug in hybrid. Slightly slower than the Tesla, it will take you just over 5 seconds to hit 60 mph, and you’ll hit it’s top speed somewhere north of 120 mph. You can drive this car approximately 50 miles on its battery pack before the 2.2 liter engine kicks in to power the generator. This is all assuming of course that Fisker can get it into production. The company has missed a number of self-imposed deadlines, and is now aiming at sometimes this year to have the first ones off the production line.
The BMW vision is another 2-door, 4 seat hybrid with impressive looks and performance. Using a combination of diesel and electric motors, this 356 hp rocket sled will take you to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The car will travel 30 miles on it’s battery pack, and will get a combined mileage of 63 mpg. No MSRP has been officially set yet. The car is due to make its debut sometime in 2013 but it’s expected to sell in the $100,000+ category.
The car with the most futuristic look is without a doubt the Aptera 2e. Looking something like a cross between a motorcycle and a single person spacecraft from a sci-fi movie this 3 wheeled vehicle first appeared on the web in 2007. Since then it has gathered quite a following with the public, having won a number of awards for design and innovation. In spite of all that, the car is still in the concept stage, with no firm prediction on when it will go into production. The car will carry 2 people for 100 miles before recharging. Originally expected to sell for around $27,000 (according to Plugincars.com) there is some doubt that the car will ever be practical.
Of course, with all this attention to electrics and hybrids, the super-car crowd will not be left out. If your taste and pocketbook runs to the exotic, here is the car for you. Take a look at the Porsche 918 Spyder. Slated to roll off the production line in September of 2013, this supercar offering from Porsche has a 500 hp 4 liter V8, combined with a 218 hp electric drive system that allows the car to run on gasoline, a combination of gasoline and electric power or electricity only. It will do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, top out at 94 mph in pure electric mode and climb to 199 mph on gasoline. If you want one, you better get your order in early as Porsche says they will produce only 918 of the 918 Spyders, and prices will start at $845,000. Oh, yes…how far can you go in full electric mode? Well, if you are easy on the throttle, and drive conservatively, you can probably get 16 miles, maybe a little more before your battery is depleted and the 500 hp V-8 has to take over. Remember the 94 mph top speed in electric mode? Lets think about that for a minute. That’s a mile a half a minute. With a 16 mile range, and keeping in mind that you’ll use quite a bit of your reserve just getting to that speed, you’d have what, four, maybe 5 minutes of run time at that speed? The only purpose I can see for a pure electric mode in this car is so your teenage kid (or errant spouse) can sneak out of the driveway in the middle of the night (or back in) without waking you up. As with most supercars, the only reason for building or buying this car is because you can. Might make a good addition to the next Bond movie.
