The electric car has come on in leaps and bounds in the last half decade or so and there are a number of autos that give their combustion brothers a run for their money.
We’re not going to be audacious and say the EV is taking over, but there are certainly a lot more of them around than before. Fortunately, unlike earlier incarnations, modern EVs are almost unnoticeable from the typical vehicle and in a lot of cases very desirable. So, let’s take a look at the best 5 currently on the market.
Nissan Leaf
The Japanese manufacturer introduced the Leaf a few years ago now and the car has been extremely popular in the time. The car sold very well in Britain in 2012 and you’ll probably manage 100 miles or so in between charges in the car with the most basic package. The newest model is also very well made, offers a great ride and in a lot of ways is a better car than many of Nissan’s petrol powered alternatives.
Ford C-Max Energi
The C-Max Energi is not a purely electric car, but a hybrid with a plug-in option. The car itself is based on the Ford Focus chassis, which is no bad thing in itself and uses both electric and combustion technology to provide the drive. Between the two the Ford claims it can do 620 miles and offers almost 20miles on a single charge, making it quite easy to perform short commutes on electricity alone.
Tesla Roadster 2.5
If you’re more inclined towards something a little sporty, then Tesla is offering the first fully electric sports car. The auto uses the most advanced battery technology to provide a 160mile range and the amazing thing is you can hit 60mph in under 4 seconds. It’s hardly the most run of the mill EV around, but my goodness it’s a demon to drive. The Tesla 2.5 is the green motorist’s environmental auto dream, offering pace and eco performance side by side.
Chevy Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is one auto that has significantly improved with time and the car manufacturer has tweaked and changed the Volt to improve it dramatically. The car is lauded as a great ride by auto journalists and is driven by a number of celebs, including Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Volt can manage 40 miles easily on a single charge and offers a high quality finish that makes it a favourite among the EV lover’s field. Alongside it’s brother the Chevrolet Spark, the Volt is creating a far more positive impression of the company outside of America and we’ve seen plenty of contract hire and car sale increases recently.
Coda
Lesser known manufacturer, Coda began producing the Coda EV last year. The car’s range is somewhere in the 88mile region and its combined fuel economy is a whopping 73mph. However, due to issues with styling and also other concerns the car only sold 100 units in around a year. However, it’s one of the cheapest autos of this kind here and offers excellent returns on energy.
These five autos offer an exciting prospect for the future and showcase just the beginning of the electric car revolution.
The Volt is a decent car, just hard to fine refill stations in my area.
Do you mean the Tesla Model S? The Tesla Roadster 2.5 isn’t even being manufactured any more.
strange of you to leave out the World Green Car of the Year: The Model S. Also happens to currently be the best selling EV in the U.S. and possibly the world. A 7 passenger sedan that has a 265 mile range and still goes 0-60 in under 4 seconds while also having more cargo space than many SUV’s (58 cu ft).
The CODA is out of production, The company file for bankruptcy no May 1st, 2013. This list is clearly outdated, Tesla end production of its Roadster in early 2012 and it is now sold out.
This article is a pile of out-dated-tosh! Go and do your homework author and come back – the top EV of 2013 is without question the Model S, not the roadster. Clue: Model S also got the MotorTrend Car of the Year award and 99/100 from Consumer Reports. Really, did the author write this last year and then re-hashed it by putting 2013 instead of 2012?