Aptera

Aptera is a California based company that is working on the development of a streamlined three wheel vehicle that will be offered in a choice of hybrid or full electric configurations.  The EV version will be offered first and is expected to go 0 - 60 in under 10 seconds, with a top speed of around 90mph, and a range of over 100 miles although this is not a hard number since battery chemistry has not yet been determined.  The car is built using Carbon Composites giving the vehicle a total weight of only 850 pounds.  So far there is no indication of top speed or number of passengers, They have shown their first pre production Electric Car and indicate that they expect this electric vehicle to go on sale some time in 2010.  Price for the all electric vehicle is projected at between $25,000 and $40,000 depending on options.  You can place a reservation, with a $500 refundable deposit,  through their reservation page.  In a recent letter to those who had registered they estimate delivery of the all electric version, starting in the San Diego and Carlsbad area of Southern California, starting the third quarter of 2009.

Check out the test drive done by Popular Mechanics

There is good video including freeway driving at Jay Leno's Garage

ZAP Xebra

ZAP is now selling a three wheel vehicle through its dealer network.  The Xebra is 9.5ft long and 4.66ft wide and can seat four.  It is powered by a brushed series DC motor driven by six PbA batteries (72V), using an Altrax controller, that provides a top speed of 40mph.  Zap claim a range on this vehicle of 40 miles but reports from existing drivers put it at more like 15-20 miles in real world driving.  It comes with a 110V charger as standard with a 220V charger as an option.  Auxiliary systems are powered from the main traction pack via a DC-DC converter and their is also a separate 12V battery used as a reservoir system.  Braking is provided by disks on all three wheels but there is no power assist.  Carrying capacity is 500 pounds and input seems to indicate that exceeding this capacity has a huge impact on both range and hill climbing ability.  ZAP is offering a six month warranty on the car and a two year warranty on the Controller.  The Xebra registers as a motorcycle in most states.  

Also available is the Xebra PK which is a pick-up truck version of the Xebra.  The PK has the same electrical specifications as the Sedan but seats two people in a drivers compartment that is slightly narrower than the sedan.  The vehicle comes with a truck bed that can be tilted up from the front to reveal the battery pack which now sits below the truck bed.  ZAP also offers an optional higher capacity battery pack for the PK that can offer a genuine 35 miles per charge.

In Oregon They can be found at:

Electric Wheels Inc1555 12th Street SE, Salem, OR Phone (503) 485-0588

Grants Pass Electric Vehicles, 145 Redwood Highway, Grants Pass, OR

97527 Phone (541) 218-8850, Email Grants Pass Electric Vehicles

In Colorado The California Auto Collection also has them in stock  

10510 S. Progress Way, Parker, CO 80134, Phone (866) 899-8810

and Small Planet E Cars in Denver, CO 724 Main St Longmont, CO 80501 telephone 303 532 2879, and Electric cars of Aspen in Aspen, CO

In California they can be found at

The Electric Car Company in Long Beach, CA 2698 Junipero Ave. Signal Hill, CA 90755

Phone (866) 969-4545

In Los Angeles check out Environmental Motors

EcoSparc Motors in Morgan Hill, CA

Chico Electric Cars, in Chico, CA

Greenway Motors in San Leandro, CA

ZAP of Crescent City can be found at 2220 Elk Vally Cross Road, Crescent City, CA 95531, Phone (707) 218-7451

Voltage Vehicles in Fulton is a Northern California dealer.

3362 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA 95439, Phone (707) 568-3333

Big Kid's Toys in Napa

O'Connell Electric Vehicles in Alameda 

Davis Electric Cars in Davis

Electric Car Living in Rocklin

Green Electric Showroom in San Carlos

In South Carolina they can be found at EV Carolina

In Florida call or visit FantaSeaScooters

In Georgia you can find them at Green Planet

2740 Green Briar Pkwy #A3131, Atlanta, GA 30331
Tel: (404) 684-1132

In Hawaii at Maui Energy

In Idaho Electric Vehicles of Idaho sells ZAP Trucks

In Wisconsin K-Man Auto and Scooter

In Texas The Xebra can be found at Huston Electric Cars in Houston, TX

In Washington State they can be found at The Green Car Co, Seattle

In Pennsylvania check out Ferrante Motor Cars 601 Jackson Ave. Vandergrift, PA. Phone (724) 567-5675

In New Mexico try NM Electric Cars in Albuquerque, NM

Or, for order information contact ZAP Phone: (707) 525-8658

Read my Xebra Test Drive 

Also see the Ray and Francie Video at Youtube Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

See David L. Roper's review of his Xebra PK

Check out known issues and solutions at Xebraworld

Note: We now have some performance data coming in from users and it does appear that the Xebra doesn't handle large hills very well so you may want to take this into account when making a purchase division.  Also, keep in mind that his car is built in China and while ZAP has done a lot to try and keep quality at acceptable levels there have been several vehicles that have had problems.  ZAP is working hard to expand its dealer network and contract with independent service facilities but until this network is expanded I don't recommend the purchase of a Xebra unless you live close enough to a dealer to have them do any required repairs, or you are both willing and able to do the repairs yourself.

Green Vehicles

Green Vehicles is a company based in Los Gatos CA that is importing a range of electric vehicles from China.  The Company will offer offers two different NEVs, the two seat MicroWatt and the four set Moose.  They also offering two three wheel electric vehicles, the Buckshot which is an electric pick-up and the Triac which is a two seat freeway capable three wheeler.

The Triac offers a 20KW water cooled AC motor driven by a 144V lithium battery pack giving the car a top speed of 70mph and a range of up to 120 miles.  The car also offers a 220V/110V charger to allow faster charging when there is a 220V connection available.  

When I talked to Green Vehicles at the Santa Monica Alternative Fuel Vehicle Expo they told me that their first round of vehicles was sold out and they will complete delivery of these to Customers by the end of the year.  They are planning to import a second round of vehicles starting in early 2010 and they are currently taking orders for this batch of vehicles.

See video of the Triac courtesy of Youtube

The Buckshot is also powered by a 2KW water cooled AC motor and 144V lithium battery pack.  The truck offers a 45mph maximum speed, up to100 miles range, and a very respectable 2200 lbs carrying capacity. The truck also offers a 220V/110V charger to allow faster charging when there is a 220V connection available  

See video of the Buckshot courtesy of youtube

The MicroWatt and the Moose are both limited to a top speed of 25mph to qualify it as a NEV they car looks very similar to other Smart clones such as the Flybo that are coming out of China but the Moose is extended with rear seats..  They are powered by a 6.5KW AC motor and a 96V lead acid battery pack which they claim will give it a range of up to 60 miles.  I would expect quite a lot less range in real world driving.  

Check out Randy Bopp's Blog about his experience owning a Triac

See video of the MicroWatt courtesy of youtube 

Vectrix

Vectrix has developed an electric scooter that has a top speed of over 60mph and a claimed range of up to 70 miles (I expect much lower mileage in real world riding). It has a 125V NiMH battery pack drives a 3 phase AC motor.  One interesting feature of this scooter is regenerative throttle where twisting the throttle backwards applies regenerative braking.  Full specs can be found on their specs page. 

This scooter was shown at EVS 20 and impressed a lot of people.  They wouldn't let me test ride it however so I can only say that it did seem to have very lively acceleration.  

Retail price for these bikes is around $9,000 (or €8000 in Europe).  

You can contact the following dealers to schedule a test ride.

Electric Toy Store in Sedona, AZ

Vespa Soho 13 Crosby St. New York, NY 10013 

Vespa Miami 2010 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33137 

Foreign Affairs Motors in West Palm Beach, FL

Vespa Ft. Lauderdale 2601 N. Federal Hwy. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306 

Grany's Motorsports in Sarasota, FL

Vespa Palm Beach 1609 S. Dixie Hwy. W. Palm Beach, FL 33401 

Barney’s Motorcycle and Marine sells Vectrix in St. Petersburg, FL

British Motor Car Distributors, LTD 901 Van Ness Avenue. San Francisco, CA 94109, Phone 415) 776-7700

Rockridge Two Wheels 5291 College Ave. Oakland, CA 94618 

Vespa Walnut Creek 1813 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA 94596

NoHo Scotters in North Hollywood, CA

Del Amo MotorSports in Redondo Beach, CA

Colorado Powersports in Boulder, CO

Suzuki Yamaha of Cool Springs in Franklin, TN

Eco Moto in Salt Lake City, UT

Engelhart Center in Madison, WI

Bullet Motorcycles

Nice Car Company

Scooterden

IEnvy Motors in London.

Ecolook in Antibes, France

See Dave Cutter's test drive in EV World

Also check out Lawrence Rhodes test drive

See Video of the Vectrix scooter courtesy of Groovy Green and youtube

PEUGOT SCOOTELEC

The Peugot Scootelc is  the most popular full sized electric scooter in Europe.  Unfortunately it is not available in the USA.

Also in UK from Moto_Cal Phone 0131 552 8666

Fylde SuperBikes

Amy Johnson Way, blackpool, UK FY4 2RP

phone 01253 298 833

email info@fyldesuperbikes.co.uk

You can also contact your local Peugot Scooter dealers  in the UK.  They probably won't have a Scootelec in stock but will be able to get one for you.

          Top Speed 28 mph

3 NiCad batteries give a range of about 28 miles but expect about 15 - 10 in real world driving

Cost on the road about £2995

 

Read Matt Trevaskis' experience with his Scootelec

Voloci

Breaking News - NYCEWheels appears to have given up on the Voloci so it is once again only available on the used market.  

The Voloci is classified as an electric moped.  It has a top speed of 30 mph and has a rated range of 20 miles although I would expect to get about 15 miles in real world conditions.  It comes with three battery options, Lead acid, NiMH and a two NiMH pack configuration.  The NiMH pack is easily swapped so you can have a spare pack and swap for additional range.  Unfortunately the NiMH option adds abut $500 to the cost.

Scott MacGregor from EVDeals.com  has done extensive testing on the Voloci and like what he sees.  See his write-up on the SLA version.

 They are currently being offered at NYCEWheels 

NYCEwheels inc.
1603 York ave (between 84th and 85th)
New York, NY 10028
Phone (800)NYCEWHEELS or (212) 737-3078

Ken Trough of V is for Voltage magazine got to ride the prototype Voloci; read his impressions or his complete writeup in V is for Voltage magazine

Derek Keller test rode the Voloci and liked what he saw read about it at  EV World 

MoRad Scooters

It appears that  Rad2Go is currently selling a "Vespa" style electric Scooter, given the names MoRad 1500.    There are rumors however that, due to slow sales, this line is soon to be discontinued.

The MoRad 1500 looks a lot like the EVT 168.  It is built in Taiwan, but not by the same manufacturer, though given their similarity they probably use some common components. 

The Morad 1500 has: 1500W motor powered by a 48V, 40Ah battery pack which is claimed to give a range of 50 miles per charge, although I would expect real world range to be considerably less.  Top speed of 40 mph which means it should be registered as a motorcycle.  It has a 110V/60Hz charger which gives a full charge from empty in  6-8 Hours.  Carrying Capacity: is 300 Pounds and the scooter is able to climb a 35% grade.

Electric Cyclery in Laguna Beach, CA sells the MoRad.

ElectricRider.com  Also has them in stock at the moment 

Call them at 785-749-0949 

or email them at ElectricRider@att.net

Italvel Day

Italvel Day electric scooter is built in Italy.  It has a- 48V brush-less motor with special patented features, battery operated by 4 12V-65Ah sealed lead acid batteries gives it a quoted range or  40 miles (expect about 15 - 20 in real world driving) and a Maximum speed of about 30mph.

It can be purchased at GranbyScooters.co.uk  in the UK

Also available in the Netherlands from Voltamax

SOL GATO SCOOTER

The Sol Gato is a Vespa style electric scooter built in the USA.  

    Top speed 30 mph

    Powered by 2 12V deep cell lead acid batteries for a maximum range of 17 Miles 

    110 V charger.

It is available from ZEV Technologies and their online order system quotes a  vehicle is priced at $2390.

EVC

EVC is developing the Volta G/T, which they term a step through motorcycle that is basically a modern looking "Vespa Style" scooter similar to the Vectrix.  The Scooter will be offered in three versions, the EVC-8 will come with an 8KW motor, the EVC-15 will come with a 15KW motor and the EVC-21 will come with a 21 KW motor.  The scooters will be powered by a 72V LiIon battery pack which can be configured for 5.5KWH, 8KWH, or 11KWH and the controller can be programmed to meet several performance characteristics so you can tailor the bike to meet your commuting needs.  One interesting thing about these scooters is that they use AC motors.

The EVC-8 will have a maximum speed of 70mph, the EVC-15 will have a maximum speed of 90 mph and the EVC-21 can be pushed up to a top speed of 110mph.  Stopping power is provided by a combination of regenerative braking and disk brakes on both front and rear wheels.  Range will vary depending on which battery option you choose but EVC claim that the maximum range of these bikes will be over 100 miles at 30mph with the largest battery pack option.  Your range will obviously vary depending on the battery option you choose.

EVC are currently looking for dealers and plan on selling their scooter during the 2008 model year.  So far there is no indication of price.

Alel

Alel is developing a new electric scooter called the Scooler which they claim will have the same performance as an equivalent gas powered scooter.  This is another line of motor scooter developed in Europe that might actually be on sale.  If you find any dealers or websites where you can purchase one of these vehicles please let EV Finder know.

The lottery for the remaining Ford EVs has begun so if you haven't applied by now you are probably too late but it might still be worth a shot.  Any remaining vehicles will be PbA since the limited number of NiMH are already spoken for.   If you are interested in owning one of these EVs then contact Ms. Pilotti via here email which is  fpilotti (at) ford.com Please note I have scrambled her email prevent spam so you will need to correct before sending.

Note: the odd shaped batteries in this vehicle are now being supported by Battery MD.  They are rebuilding the batteries using the old Tub so they are warning people to make sure that if you buy a used Ford Ranger that batteries are included even if the pack is totally dead.

Toyota RAV4

The MSRP is expected to be about $42,000. There will be a $5,000 ZIP incentive from the State of California and a $3,000 Federal tax credit making the price to the consumer $34,000.  This price includes the cost of the home charger but not the cost of charger installation.

An article in the LA times quotes Toyota had  about 750 of the old RAV4 bodies and once those were sold RAV4 EV production would be ended.  I have been give to understand that Toyota actually took orders for 800 vehicles but that there is a high rate of people who drop out due to problems with charger installation or price concerns.    Bottom line;  if you want one you had better hurry up and get on the waiting list.

You can get on the waiting list at the RAV4 EV web page   

4 Door 4 passenger SUV based on the 1998 Model year    RAV4 body

    Top Speed 78mph

    NiMH batteries give a range of 125 Miles (75 miles in real world conditions)

    220V small paddle Inductive Charging

    Colors Silver or White

Read the EV World article on the RAV4 EV

Or the excellent article written by Aaron Gold for thecarplace.com 

Or visit the RAV4 EV page on Toyota's web site

A word of warning: availability of public charging equipped with the small paddle inductive chargers is limited. 

Citroen

Citroen has made the all electric version of the Berlingo available in France and the UK.  While it was intended for the Berlingo to be used by fleets, Citroen has sold them to individuals, although it is usual to lease the battery pack.

The Berlingo is a Van so it is only designed to seat two people and has a payload capacity of 500Kg in a 3 cubic meter cargo space.  It has a top speed of 60 mph and a range of around 50 miles. It features a 28Kw DC motor with the ability to provide regenerative braking.  Power comes from 27 NiCad batteries.

To Purchase a Citroen Berlingo EV contact your local Citroen dealer.  They may not be aware that these vehicles are available so you will need to be persistant.

GPI are currently offering the Berlingo in the UK.  Check out their AD on ElectricCarsUK

Universal Electric Vehicle

Breaking News 9/10/2008:Due to illness the owners have shut down operations and place their prototype on ebay

Universal Electric Vehicle Corp is a start-up company that is planning to build a variety of electric vehicles.  They currently have a prototype of a two-seat electric sports car, the Electrum Spyder, that has a 112 HP duel motor rear wheel drive system that gives it a top speed of 80 mph.  It will be offered with NiZn batteries with a NiMH or Li pack as an option.  

Range will vary from 70 to 150 miles depending on battery type and driving style.  They have incorporated a charger that will accept both 110 or 240 volt inputs which provides for maximum flexibility.  It also comes with a removable hard top that should make this a fun car to drive.  Target price for this vehicle is around $70,000

They also plan to produce two additional vehicles, both three wheelers.  The first will be a commuter vehicle and the second will be targeted at local government applications such as parking enforcement.  

See video of the Electrum Spyder on the road courtesy of Youtube

WrightSpeed

What happens when you cross an Ariel Atom kit car with an AC Propulsion AC-150 drive train - that's what Ian Wright did at Wrightspeed.  What he ended up with was on high performance electric sports car that will blow the doors of almost anything on the road.  Their first prototype, the X1 can do zero to sixty in three seconds, do the standing quarter mile in eleven and a half seconds, and reach a top speed of 112 mph.  The lithium Ion battery pack gives the X1 a range of about 100 miles at an energy equivalent of 170 mpg.  Weighing in at just 1500 lbs the X1 provides all the handling an style of the Ariel Atom in an eco friendly package.  They have no target date yet on when they plan to go into production.

Paul's Exotics

Paul's Exotics, based in West Palm Beach Florida, builds an electric conversion based on a variety of Porsche body styles.  The vehicle can be custom built to your requirements depending on whether you want high speed or long range.  Vehicles start at around $29,000.

They can also offer a conversion built on a Lamborghini body style. 

Contact Paul's Exotics LLC

West Palm Beach, FL 33406

Phone: (561) 681-8875

eSpyder

The eSpyder is a custom built EV based on a replica of the1953 Porsche 550 Spyder.  The eSpyder body is fiberglass on a tubular steel frame.  It comes in a variety of configurations with from 20 to 24 Lead Acid Batteries (240V - 284V).  The vehicle has a top speed of 100 mph and can accelerate from zero to sixty in 9 seconds.  Range is from 50 - 100 miles depending on battery configuration.

Prices start at around $36,000.

For more information contact espyder.org

Peter Ohler has an excellent write-up on his eSpyder

NICE Car Company

The NICE Car Company introduced its Mega City at the British International Motorshow in July, 2006.  The car is a a light weight City class car developed by the French Aixam-Mega Group.  The Mega City has a 48V battery pack consisting of eight 6V batteries giving it a quoted range of 40  - 50 miles on a charge.  The batteries can be charged from empty in about eight hours using a standard 240V 16 amp supply.  There is also an integrated battery management system which will allow them to offer a 2 year or 59,000 amp hour battery waranty.  The 4 KW DC motor can drive the car at a top speed of a little over 40 mph.

The body is made of Acrylic ABS on an Aluminum frame.  It comes with McPherson Strut front suspension with trailing arm and coil springs in the rear.  It will also be equipped with a heater and defroster, three point seatbelts, CD Radio, central remote locking and power windows.

The Mega City, exempt from London's congestion charges, is targeted at people who need to commute in and around central London.  One interesting feature is a link up with Streetcar, the Uk's largest car club, to give Mega City owners special concessions on pay-as-you-go access to a VW Golf when they want to take a trip that it beyond the range of their EV.

The price of the Mega City is targeted at $9995 which should make it competitive with the G-Wiz.  It is expected to go on sale in October, 2006.

See the Nice Mega City review by MegaWhatTV Part 1 and Part 2 courtesy of youtube

To purchase a Mega City or to schedule a test drive go to the NICE Car Company Trying & Buying page

Ronaele

Ronaele has been making performance versions of the Mustang, based on the Shelby Mustang design, for about two years.  They are now working on electric versions of this car.  They currently plan to build two versions, the 300EV which will be 300hp and the 600EV which will tip the scales at 600 hp.  The cars will be driven by a DC motor and LiFePh batteries.  The 300EV will offer over 1000 ft lbs of torque while the 600EV will give over 2000 ft lbs of Torque.  They are currently experimenting with gearing but expect that both cars will top out at around 150mph and will offer a range of around 100 - 125 miles.  The battery pack they are using has the capability to be recharged in 15 minutes.  They will also be offering a second battery pack option for increased range.

If you provide them with a mustang and they will convert it to electric, including upgrading the suspension, interior, and exterior including new wheels starting at about $80,000.   They hope to begin production around the end of March, 2008

See the interview with Ronaele at EVS 23 courtesy of Autoblog Green and Youtube.

ZENN Motor Company

Breaking News 3/18/2010 - production if the ZENN has been shut down and remaining inventory sold off

When the owner of Feelgood Cars bought a 1960s vintage Henney Kilowatt he was so impressed that he decided to put them back into production.  He began buying old Renault Dauphines (the base vehicle for the Henney) and converting them to electric drive.  The company is based in Canada and, while it has received permission to sell them in that country they couldn't get approval from the NHTSA to sell them in the USA so these plans were eventually abandoned.

They have since developed the ZENN a 2 seat, 3 door Hatchback NEV, based on a French built micocar.  At the ETI conference held in Florida in December 2002 they announced that they were starting production of the Zenn.  I

t has been a long haul for Feelgood Cars, now renamed to ZENN Motor Company, to get an electric car to market, but the Zenn is now in dealerships in the US and Canada with plans to start selling in the UK later this year. 

Top speed 25mph Range 30 - 35 Miles

6 12V PbA flooded cell batteries

The 110V charger will reach 80% SOC in 4 hours and takes 6-8 hours for a full charge.

The last information I had is that the ZENN will retail for $11,000 - $13,000 US ($17,000 CDN to $20,000 CDN)

Lang Motors in Vancouver, BC is now taking orders

The ZENN is now available through  MC Electric in Seattle or Portland. 

In Seattle, Spokane and Portland  they can be found at MC Electric

1200 S. Dearborn St. Seattle, WA 98124 

Phone: (206) 328-1750

East 10310 Buckeye lane #1, Spokane, WA 99206

Phone: (509) 922-6677

19099 NE San Rafael, Portland, OR 87230

Phone (503) 667-5093

And at Grants Pass Electric Vehicles 145 Redwood Highway, Grants Pass, OR 97527 

Phone (541) 218-8850 Email Grants Pass Electric Vehicles

or MC Electric in Beaverton, OR and Seattle, WA

In Northern California it can be found at Davis Electric Cars, Green Motors in San Francisco, and Green Rides in Campbell

In Southern California they are on sale at Environmental Motors in Glendale and the Electric Car Company in Long Beach

In Arizona check out Electric Car Outlet of Scottsdale, AZ or Electric Toy Store in Sedona, AZ

In Fayetteville, NC check them out at Bleecker Electric Cars

In Bozeman, MT check out Ecoauto inc.

in Minneapolis, MN they can be found at Cushman Motors 

In Colorado they can be found at the Colorado Auto Center in Parker, CO and Electric Cars of Aspen in Aspen, CO

In Elmhurst, IL check them out at Electric Avenue Auto

In Ohio then can be bought at North Central Zenn

In Janesville, WI you can find them at Green Autos

Or check out their Dealer Locator

Read Mark Chapmon's test drive

Read Tim U's report on his first month of ownership

Chrysler

Chrysler's GEM division is the leading producer of neighborhood electric vehicles.  Their latest offering is the Peapod which will be marketed under the Peapod Mobility brand name.  Unlike the GEM,  Peapod is a fully enclosed vehicle that will be more at home on city streets that at the golf course.  The initial offering will be a four door four seat NEV with a top speed of 25mph and a range expected to be around 30 miles.  The car has an aerodynamic shape and the front looks like has a distinct smile.

Details of the power train are not yet available.  The interior features mesh seats and a docking station for an iPod.  The car will come in a variety of colors

The company also plans to produce a two seat version dubbed the Twinpod which will go on sale towards the end of 2009, and a utility vehicle called the Utilitypod which will go on sale in 2010.  

Peapod mobility will start taking orders for the car on Earth day, April 22, 2009, with deliveries to begin on Labor Day, September 7, 2009.  Price is expected to start at around $12,500 making it significantly cheaper than other fully enclosed NEVs like the ZENN and the Miles ZX40s.

See video of the Peapod courtesy of hulu.com

LE Electric Vehicles

LE Electric Vehicles is an associate company of Louroe Electronics based in Van Nuys, CA.  They have had a couple of false starts, first trying to bring the Kewet over to the US from Norway, then they looked at bringing the Reva from India.  Now they have started designing their own car, called the Intimate.  

They are currently building the first prototype.  The car is built using a fiberglass body over a steal tube frame.  A 16hp electric motor will offer a top speed of 40mph and a target range of 30 to 60 miles.  The car is designed as a city car and will be powered by lead acid batteries.

In reality, unless the current laws are adjusted to include a vehicle classification similar to the European Quadracycle law, this vehicle will eventually be produced as a NEV since the company is probably not going to go to the expense of crash testing.  The design criteria of the car is to make it affordable though so the car should be able to compete in the crowded NEV market.

Ford Th!nk Neighbor

Ford is no longer producing the Th!nk Neighbor.  However,  there are still some available through a limited number of dealerships within the United States in those states where NEVs are allowed on public roads.  New Neighbors also appear on eBay quite often.

Check out the review of the Th!nk Neighbor in Golf-Car Catalog

Humdinger

The Humdinger is a NEV that is designed to look like the Humvee urban assault vehicle.  It is a car for those who like the look of the Hummer but don't want to deal with the huge amounts of waste and pollution that it generates.  The Humdinger has a top speed of 25 mph and can reach that speed in about 9 seconds.  It comes with the usual safety features such as seat belts, turn signals, headlights, brake lights etc.  Six 8V Lead-Acid batteries give it a quoted range of 30 miles though I would expect to get about 20 miles in real world driving.

It comes in 4 seat and 6 seat versions and is priced between $16,000 and $26,000 depending on Options.

Lamborghini 

Yes this is built by Lamborghini in Italy.  The following is an extract from an article in Golf Car Advisor.  

The Lamborghini NEV's are currently being built in Foligno, Italy, the same place the famed automobiles are made. Between 150 and 200 NEV's are handcrafted each month. The vehicles are 100% Italian technology from the chassis on up. The body design of the Lamborghini NEV's are a joint effort between Lamborghini CEO Tonino Lamborghini and Michael Jun, the president of Leewood Incorporated.  For more information on the Lamborghini NEV product line or to inquire about becoming a dealer contact Leewood Incorporated, phone: 352-754-1800, fax: 352-799-6650, E-mail: Leewood@gate.net 

Florida Electric Vehicles currently have vehicles in stock

Address 4413 Martin Highway, Palm City, Florida 34990

phone 772-286-5254

toll free 888-619-6090

fax 772-286-5860

Web site for this vehicle does not appear to be up and running yet but there is more information in an EV World Article

Tonino Lamborghini Group

Italian Tonino Lamborghini Group produce a line of electric micro cars called the Town Life.  They produce two models, the Ginevra and the Helectra.  The cars come with a 48V system that gives a top speed of 45 kph (30 mph).  Range on the web site is quoted as 500 Km (310 miles) but this appears to be for a version that has a diesel engine, the EV version appears to have a range of around 60 Km (35 miles) and I expect that real world range will be somewhat less than this.

To locate a dealer please check out their dealer page.

See video of this car at Holland-Bikes

Frazer-Nash

Frazer-Nash is a UK manufacturer of electric vehicles including NEVs and City EVs.  They provided a range of electric vehicles for use in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia.  At least some of their vehicles might be available in Europe already but there is no sign on their website that they have begun selling to the public.  If you come across any dealership or website that is selling these vehicles then EV finder would like to know

Electric Rider

Electric Rider was formally and EVT dealer but has elected not to continue with that line under EVT World's exclusive dealership.  Instead it is also about to launch the Electra. The original prototype of the Electra looked very similar in appearance to the EVT 168 but I hear from Electric Rider that the production version will be quite different.  Their web site says it will be built by EVT America but I understand that it will be built in China.  The US version is expected to have a top speed of 30 mph.  The 48V system uses lead acid batteries which are claimed to carry the vehicle over 50 miles on flat roads at 18 mph.  However, I would expect a range of 15 - 20 miles in normal driving conditions.  ElectricRider.com has a tentative introductory pirce of $1599 with availability projected for April of 2004.  They are currently working with their Chinese supplier to assure that these vehicles are shipped with very low defect rates.

Rae-Beck Automotive

Rae-Beck Automotive of Sterling Heights, MI is developing a NEV called the Sanibel.  It was shown for the first time at the ETI conference held in December, 2002.  The NEV is a four-seat convertible but the rear seats can be removed so it can be used as a utility type vehicle.  The car is powered by a 72 V battery pack and 15 HP electric motor.  The car will also feature regenerative braking.  There is no word yet on when this vehicle will go into production as the web site just says "Coming Soon".  More information can be found in the Sanibel article at Electrifying Times.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird are developing a line of NEVs.  According to Dave Rush, who left Ford to designed the Hummingbird, "The prototypes are running well and are targeted at NEV leadership and lowest cost. Having been intimate with the Bombardier, GEM and Neighbor, we are comfortable that we will lead the market on Introduction."  He also added " We are currently remodeling a 17,000 sq.ft facility in Detroit for hummingbird production, and are obviously eager to spread news of the Hummingbird and its capabilities."  

Lafayette County Car Company

Lafayette County Car Company has three models the LC3 II is a two-seater, the LC3 IV is a four-seater, and they also offer a truck option. The vehicles look somewhat similar to the GEM.  All are powered by a 72V lead Acid battery pack that gives it a quoted range of 30 - 45 miles and a top speed of 25 mph. The car comes with all the safety features required to make it a street legal NEV.

The company  doesn't appear to have a web site set up so for more information please contact

Lafayette County Car Company, LLC

PO Box 140

Odessa,MO 64076

Phone (816) 633-7300

They do have some dealers. 

Cars on Juice in Ventura, CA, who  offer the four-seat  and two seat LC3 and are also taking orders for the Truck version.

Contact Cars on Juice

2111 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA 93035

Telephone: (805) 643 7255

FAX: (805) 643 7255

Or Email Sales: 

Florida Electric Vehicles in southern Florida currently have vehicles in stock.

Address 4413 Martin Highway, Palm City, Florida 34990

phone 772-286-5254

toll free 888-619-6090

fax 772-286-5860

You can read more about these NEVs at The Auto Channel

Cart-Rite

Cart-Rite, based on Connecticut, produces a line of NEVs at prices starting as low as $6499.00.  These include a passenger vehicle that looks like a GEM 2 seat and four and six passenger vehicles that look like the Th!nk Neighbor.  These vehicles are limited in top speed to 20mph so I can't recommend them for on-street use but they might work for you in a residential community or a campus setting.  The vehicles come with a 90 day warranty that then reduces on a pro-rated basis until the warranty expires at 1 year.

The company is currently looking to establish a dealer network but the vehicles can be ordered directly from the company by going to their Order Page or by phone at (203) 457-9352.

Good Earth Electric Vehicle

Good Earth Electric Vehicle have developed the Freedom line of electric vehicles.  This includes two vehicles, the freedom Buggy which is a three wheel vehicle based on a "Vespa style" scooter, and a truck.  The company claims to have developed a more efficient drive system that translates about 98% of the battery's energy into motion giving the vehicles a 100 mile range on AGM lead acid batteries.  There is no indication at their web site about how fast these vehicles go and so far no indication of when they will be available for sale. 

Toprun Electric Scooter

The Toprun electric scooter is build in China.  It has a 24V system powered by Lead Acid batteries.  The range they quote is about 60 Km (38 miles) and a carrying capacity of about 98Kgs (220 Lbs).  The top speed of 35Kph (22mph) is on the low side but if you are looking for a Vespa-style scooter and are not concerned about speed then this might be a nice scooter for running around town.  Toprun appear to be looking for distributors in the US.  They can be contacted at benchiu@ctimail3.com

Viento

Breaking News;  TECC, the manufacturer of the Viento have lost their backers and have halted production.  Unless they find new backers they will have to close their doors.  There are still a few Viento left if you want one.

Viento from The  electric cycle company was designed by Ely Schless, who also designed the highly regarded Denali electric motorbike.  It will register as a moped in most states.  

Three  Hawker Genesis PbA batteries give it a top speed of 30 mph and a quoted range of 25 miles though I would expect about 15 miles in real world situations.  The bike will seat two people and will come with a 1 year warranty.

They are currently offering test rides in California only and their web site has an order page which appears to be active so you can place an order.  

The Electric Cycle Company are in production and have delivered several vehicles.  They are currently being offered at Zapworld.com.

They are also being offered at NYCEWheels 

NYCEwheels inc.
1603 York ave (between 84th and 85th)
New York, NY 10028
Phone (800)NYCEWHEELS or (212) 737-3078

Pleiades Enterprises, based in Carlsbad, CA is also a Viento dealer 

or Berkley Electric Cycle Company

1700 Martin Luther King Way

Berkley, CA 94709

Phone: (510) 848-1410

Email: info

gliderscooter.com sells the Viento online or Call (800) 913-9582 between 9 AM and 5 PM PST. Monday through Friday.

Find the online at Motor Land Sports or call (800) 466-0010

Check out evfinder.com's test drive of the Viento.

Electricmoto

Electricmoto (formerly Denali Motors) is developing  Blade,  an electric motorcycle that uses 4 12V PbA batteries to give it a top speed of 45mph. Range is not quoted on their web site but expect it to be about 10 to 15 mile if you run the bike at top speed. They say the vehicle should be available some time in Mid February 2003 at a cost of about $5995. for more information contact electicmoto, 

3165 East Main St. 

Ashland, OR. 

Tel 541-488-8226. 

email sales@electricmoto.com

Ford Ranger EV

Breaking News

12/29/2003 - Ford will no longer renew leases on Ford Ranger Trucks.  They say that the role of environmentally friendly vehicles will not be filled by their upcoming hybrid offerings.

You could try and contact one of the dealerships that leases the Ranger EV.  They may not have a vehicle available but would you might be able to get on the waiting list. 

    Top Speed 75mph

    39 8V sealed Lead Acid Batteries give a range of 50 miles

    220V 30 amp Conductive Charger using AVCON connector

They have also just announced a release program on NiMH trucks that have been refurbished after being returned at the end of their original lease.  The program is on the Th!nk web site and says in part

Special re-lease opportunity in California. California based NiMH battery equipped vehicles coming off of lease will be refurbished and remarketed to new lease customers for a 36-month lease term at $349 per month. Click here  for a list of available vehicles

Ford Rangers can be leased through the following dealerships:

Los Angeles 

I've recently (July 14, 2002) heard that Jan Harmonson at Barber Ford/Isuzu, 805-642-6701  have some NiMH Ranger EVs available as part of the re-lease program.

Sacramento 

I've recently (march 18, 2002) heard that Ray Roy at Folsom Lake Ford, 916-353-2000 ext.

440, may have a lead on some Ranger EVs available for lease.

San Diego

Pearson Ford 4300 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego CA 92105

Talk to John Lynch at (629)-283-7181 or email him at altfueltek@home.com

San Francisco

S&C Ford have 1 Ford Ranger currently available as of 1/25/2002

Talk to Frank Ginotti 415-431-8100 x 329

For more details check out the Th!nk Mobility web site

Read the EV World article on how one owner leased a Ranger EV

EV1

There is not much time left for this incredible vehicle.

EMB LECTRA

emotors may have one available at $3995.00

Voltage Vehicles may also have them in stock

Check out Matt Petersons's Lectra Page 

YAMAHA

Yamaha have built a single seat electric motor scooter called the Passol that they are marketing in Japan.  The scooter is be powered by a Li-Ion battery that will give it a range of 15 to 20 miles and a top speed between 25 and 30 mph.

There is no indication on when or if Yamaha will be selling this scooter in other countries.

Esarati

They produce a line of electric motorbikes and motor scooters that appear to be state of the art.  I have heard some rumors that they might actually be selling these bikes although the Esarati web site says that they are only taking preliminary orders and I know of at least one person who gave up the wait and asked for his deposit back.

Latest news from Esarati is that the company changed its CEO in late spring of 2002.  The new CEO has supposedly signed a production agreement with a company in the far east and may begin shipping some motorbikes around October.  There is no indication of this on the Esarati web site so EV Finder believes that a wait and see attitude is best.  If they begin shipping bikes, and if the bikes live up to their claims, then they will be a good buy, but there has been too much vaporware from this company in the past to justify spending money unless they can give a guaranteed delivery date.

Kit-e-Car

E2V in the UK now has their first Kit-e-Car for sale.  check it out on the E2V website 

Freedom Car

Freedom Car is the brainchild of Jerry Dycus, who is building a prototype three wheel EV as time and funds permit.  He has already created the molds and the design looks pretty exciting.  Jerry could probably be persuaded to custom build one of these vehicles.

MEGA Scooter

Electric Powered Mobility Mega scooter available in pink and blue.   A 48V sealed PbA battery pack gives this scooter a top speed of 25mph and a quoted range of 32-40 miles but expect about 15 miles or range in real world conditions.

For places to purchase check out their dealer page. 

eMotion Mobility

Breaking News:  1/30/2004 - eMotion Mobility appear to have ceased operations.  Their inventory of Smart bodies and Solectria electronics were sold recently on eBay.  

eMotion Mobility is a company established by Donald Panoz to build an electric version of the Daimler Chrysler Smart.  They plan to use this car in various Station Car programs in the Atlanta area starting later this year.  Future plans call for expanding this program to Californian in 2003 and to the North Eastern States in 2004.

The car will be based on the Solectria AC drive-train and there are rumors that they might use a Li Ion battery pack.

The eMotion Mobility web site now has a form to let you get on their list of people to be notified when their station car service becomes available in your area.  The list is organized by Zip code so if you are interested in the Smart as a station car then go to their web  page and enter your contact information.

GIZMO

Breaking News - NEVCO have alted production of the Gizmo due to increased costs and overhead.  They are attempting to restructure.  They do have some used vehicles available for sale.  If interested contact them by email 

The Gizmo is manufactured by the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Company but it is not an NEV.  It is a 3 wheel vehicle that carries 1 person and registers as a Motorcycle.

   Top Speed 40 mph

   Powered by 8 Trojan T105 6 volt batteries which the manufacture claims gives it a range of 45 Miles.

   Price $8650

Orders are currently being taken at the web site.  A $250 deposit is required.  Delivery time is quoted as 30 days

   For more information visit the NEVCO web site

   Click here to go their Order Page , call (541)-687-5939 or email gizmo@nevco.com

Also available in Ohio from Midget Motors

Midget Motors Gizmo Dealer

Midget Motors

73 Jefferson St.

Norwalk, Ohio

(419) 663-9287

Email info@midgetmotors.com

Read about the Gizmo Test Drive

Read Davide Andrea's comparison of the Gizmo and Sparrow

Corbin Sparrow

Breaking News

5/29/2004 - Ron Huch, who got most of the assets from the bankruptcy, has sold Phoenix Environmental motors to Myers Motors.  It appears that they are very close to completing the remaining Sparrows, along with many improvements, and making them available for sale.  Check out the Phoenix Environmental Motors web site for more information and keep an eye on the Meyers Motors web page for further developments.

The Corbin Sparrow is a 3 wheel vehicle that carries 1 person.

    Top speed 70 mph.

    Power comes from 13 Optima Yellow Top batteries giving a real world range of about 25 miles.

For more information, or to find a dealer near you, visit the Corbin Motors web site

Read Davide Andrea's comparison of the  Sparrow and Gizmo

Corbin are currently testing an AC system on one of the 73 incomplete bodies that they still have.  So far tests have been successful so they are beginning to prepare to finish the others.  Most of these vehicles are already ordered but some will go to dealers and some will  be sold directly by Corbin Motors,  There will be 17 2003 Sparrows available for purchase directly from Corbin. They will all be fitted with an AC motor and controller and Corbin's new smart charger that uses pulse technology in an attempt to extend battery life. 

For more details please go to The Sparrow page  and click on the "Available Colors" link towards the bottom of the page.

Environmental Motors in Glendale CA. currently have 1 Sparrow, pictured left, available

Ecarmotors in Santa Monica, CA and Emeryville, CA have both new and used Sparrows available

   Morland Motors in the San Mateo, CA area has 2 Sarrows available with 2 more due to arrive shortly

Moreland Motors has one red sparrow and one blue fore sale. They also have a silver sparrow that was used in Austin Powers 3 that they are keeping but they might be willing to let it go; for the right price.

     Contact Kit Morland 386 El Camino Real, San Carlos, CA 94070.  Phone (650)-814-0220

Xtreme Motors in the Sacramento 

     Their web site says they have 13 Sparrows for Sale but I have been told they only have 4 currently available.

X-Treme Motors Incorporated

4612 Auburn Boulevard

Sacramento, CA 95841

Tel: 916.485.0500

Fax: 916.482.0220

Email xtreme@x-trememotors.com

The Sparrow is what I would call a enthusiasts car.  They are lots of fun to drive but they are not Toyotas.  They are prone to breakdown and need a lot of TLC. There has recently been some fires caused by a brake line being run too close to the battery box.   Fortunately for those of us who are mechanically challenged there is help.  Clare Bell, an electrical engineer who formally worked for Corbin Motors and knows the Sparrow better than anyone has started the EVet service.  For a fee she will answer questions, diagnose problems and even travel to your location to help you fix problems.  She can be contacted at:

The EVet 

Telephone Hotline - 831-637-8227

email cbell@sosinet.net

Snailmail:

EVet

1450 Union Rd

Hollister, CA 95023

Warning, Some Sparrow owners have recently reported difficulty in getting insurance for their Sparrows.  There are companies that will insure, especially if you have several other vehicles with them, but it may be expensive,

Corbin Sparrow II

Corbin, who built and sold the Sparrow, are currently in bankruptcy so it is unlikely that they will ever manufacture the Sparrow II.  However, it is possible that whoever purchases their assets will be able to complete development and start up production..

The Sparrow II will be similar in design to the Merlin but will be powered by an AC motor.  They learned a lot from the trouble prone Sparrow II and hopefully they will put that knowledge into building a superior vehicle when they come to finalize the design for the new model.  They originally put forward a late 2002 date to begin production but that seems very unlikely.  Keep watching for further updates as production draws closer.

Vogelbilt Electric Hog

The Electric Hog is currently being developed by Vogelbilt .  It is an electric motorbike that has a design reminiscent of a Harley Davidson.  Its120V system delivers a top speed of 80mph and you should expect a range of 30 to 40 miles..

Vogelbilt have a prototype running and are in the process of building a second. 

They indicate on their web site that they are willing to build custom prototypes for sale but are waiting for funding before moving to production.  There is no indication of how much one of these prototypes would cost but I would expect the price to be around $20,000. 

There is a great write-up of the Electric Hog in V is for Voltage 

Evolve Motor Works

Evolve Motor Works is has build a prototype front wheel drive recumbant three wheel motorbike called the Eilean/G2 that has a top speed of over 45mph. It is designed to lean in curves ("a leaner") which gives it exceptional stability for a three wheel design.  The bike is powered by a LiIon battery pack but they are also testing with other battery configurations including a 72 volt PbA pack that they expect will provide a range of about 45 miles at a constant 25mph on a level road.  

For more information contact EMW

L/E Autoworks

L/E Autoworks are currently building a prototype of a NEV that they call the LaVie.  This NEV was displayed at the 2006 Santa Monica Alernative Fuel Vehicle Expo but was little more than a fiberglass shell.  The L/E autoworks talks about a plug in hybrid with a top speed of 40mph but it looks like they have altered their focus to produce a NEV instead.

Their plan is to produce a luxury NEV that can be used by the family and will have such things as Air Conditioning, back-up cameras and keyless operation.

Vebco

Vebco, based in British Columbia, Canada,  is developing the silencio a line of electric scooters, NEVs and electric buses that they plan to sell over the web.  They have three full sized electric scooters, the 800 W Urbano , the 1000W Venice and the 1500W Roma.  According to their web site, their NEVs have a top speed of only 20 to 27 kph (13 - 17 mph) which is too slow for use on city streets but would work in campus settings.  Their three electric sightseeing buses have a capacity of 8, 11, and 14 passangers and top speeds in the 35-45 kph (22 - 28) mph.  

For more information contact them at:

Vebco International
2532 Kingsway Ave.
Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 1T6
Tel: 604.944.5990
Fax: 604.944.5965
or email