Looking for a recommendation: best cheap electric vehicle?

[TheWraith]

I'd like to suggest it to a friend of a friend who claims to be spending $300 a week on gas. I doubt that she really is, but she wants to replace her Pathfinder anyway.

[htuttle]

1. The bestest, cheapest EV's are to be found in India

http://www.revaindia.com/aboutevs.htm

http://www.et-india.com/silev.html

Starting at about $5,000 US.

Problem is, you can't get them here.

[gateley]

2. Rec. I'd like to know, too. nt

[CRF450]

3. How many miles does she drive??

I was spending around $130/week durring my summer job. I drove my Dodge Dakota which gets around 16mpg.

[Iwasthere]

4. Good Luck everyone

I have been looking for awhile. there are some golf cart style cars that go 70 MPH but I don't want to go that route. Ironic thing is Toyota just announced the prius will be plug in for the 2010 model. ARGGHH!! the very first Hybrid Prius 6 years ago was essentially plug in!!!!!!!! It had a button on the dash that made it electric only, but they disabled the button for their U.S. cars. In Japan and some European countries you could push the button and drive a couple of miles on a charge. Can't tell me they didn't have the technology to get that 2 miles up to 10 miles back then. WTF is wrong with Toyota? Now Chevy (VOLT) and others are going to beat them to it (pluggables). I am sooooo sick of waiting for my electric car.

[lectrobyte]

6. The Prius electric-only mode is only good for about 2 miles at

low speeds, under 25 mph. The button was removed from US models to simplify the car for the US audience. Easily added back with a little aftermarket assistance, it's more of a convenience for not running the engine on a very short trip than any kind of electric car alternate energy mode. A real plug-in hybrid needs a much bigger battery pack than the current Prius. Available from the aftermarkt for $12K or so.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Forget electric-- there are no decent cheap ones, BUT...

depending on the year and engine, a Pathfinder's mileage could be as bad as 12/18. That's terrible and damn near ANYTHING she buys could double it if she stays away from trucks. Econoboxes from Ford, GM, and all the Japanese except Subaru give you about 30MPG overall. The four cylinder Accords and Camrys give you better than 30 MPG highway, although city mileage takes a hit.

If she absolutely, positively has to have a truck, then the Escape/Mariner hybrid is the answer. The FWD model sets you back 26 grand and gets you 34 city and 30 highway. AWD is another 2 grand. Nothing else comes close, and, since Ford hasn't sold 100,000 of them yet, you get the full rebate back, too (if they still have the hybrid rebate). Mazda started selling the Tribute hybrid this year for a little bit less. It's the same car, so look for the best deal from a Ford, Mercury, or Mazda dealer.

Other, cheaper, wagony things like the Chevy HHR, various Scions, Dodge Caliber, Pontiac Vibe, and some others I can't think of offhand, are relatively cheap, give good gas mileage, and carry a decent amount of stuff.

Or, the Mini will give an honest 40 highway MPG and be a lot easier to park than that monster she's driving now. (and be a lot more fun than a Yarus or Fit.)

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Did you see these threads? ;^)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2806266&mesg_id=2806266

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=7422242&mesg_id=7422242

And there is a SI group, "motorcycles & scooters"!

[skids]

8. 2-3 years too early for anything but "glorified golf carts"

...but if that will do, look for a ZAP dealer.