Best electric cars
Unlike other future green runabouts -- hello, hydrogen cars! -- you can actually buy an electric car today. These 'batteries on wheels' are backed by big names, from the Lib Dems and the Centre for Alternative Technology to Hollywood stars like George Clooney.
There are good reasons for their growing popularity. For starters, if you're on a green electricity tariff, you can run an electric car theoretically emitting no carbon at all -- aside from the initial carbon splurge required to manufacture the car. They're also green for the local environment as well as the planet. Because electric cars have no combustion engine and therefore no exhaust pipes, they don't spit out any nitrogen oxides and particulates like diesels notoriously do.
If the eco benefits aren't enough to make you friends with electric, try the cash savings. Electric car-owners are Congestion Charge exempt, enjoy free parking in central London, don't pay road tax and fall in cheap insurance bands. Goingreen, the maker of the G-Wiz, estimates you'll pay 1p per mile on your electricity bill.
Sadly, all this goodness doesn't come without sacrifice. The range of these cars is still limited to city driving, with the G-Wiz managing 48 miles before it needs recharging and the NICE Mega City travelling a mere 40 miles before needing the plug. The 'smart ed' fares better with a 72 mile range. Fortunately, topping them up to full takes 5-8 hours and the process is as simple as plugging into any normal three-pin mains socket. Realistically, you'll need a driveway at home to run the cable to the car.
Electric car drivers in London are better catered for than elsewhere in the country. The capital has several on-street and car park charging points (some free -- see this map) for when you're away for home.
The driving experience of today's generation of electric car is also miles away from a petrol car. Don't expect boy racer thrills -- these things accelerate relatively slowly and cap out at maximum speeds of 60mph, meaning motorway driving isn't massively practical. Power steering is out on the G-Wiz and Mega City, too, so get ready for working that wheel when cornering.
Lastly, there's the quality of the fittings and the size of the interior. Due to the issues of range and speed, the current crop of electrics falls into the supermini category and have very little boot space. The standard of the internal fittings (dash, seats and so on) varies enormously, from the rather good ed to the reasonable Mega City and ultra rudimentary G-Wiz.
Still reading? Good -- despite their shortcomings, electric cars are a lot of fun, cheap to run and green to boot. See below for our favourites.
GoinGreen Reva G-Wiz AC drive
NICE Mega City
Smart Ed
Brilliant, no compromises proof that 100 per cent electric cars can compete with petrol cars Continue reading...
