The "Wheego" electric car

[Still_Small_Voice]

Following electric cars has become a side hobby of mine.

I just discovered an American made low speed electric car priced at about $19,995. The top speed of the car is 65 miles per hour and the range on a full charge is about 90 to 100 miles. It is the Wheego Whip electric car. It seats two and weighs a mere 2,828 pounds. It looks much better than the Smart Cars in my opinion.

When the batteries go the estimated replacement cost is about $2,700.

Read more about it here:

wheego | electric cars | EV | 100 mile range

Review of the Wheego Electric car is here:

Wheego Whip Review; The Car Electric test drives the Wheego Whip; Read Results

Here is some footage of the car driving is here:

[NeuroTypical]

I would absolutely love to see a breakthrough in energy storage in my lifetime. Improve the battery technology enough, and suddenly electric cars, windmills, and solar power get a lot more attractive.

Engineery-type folks who know what they're talking about seem to say it's a pipe dream. But I'd love to see it nonetheless.

[MarginOfError]

I would absolutely love to see a breakthrough in energy storage in my lifetime. Improve the battery technology enough, and suddenly electric cars, windmills, and solar power get a lot more attractive.

Engineery-type folks who know what they're talking about seem to say it's a pipe dream. But I'd love to see it nonetheless.

I think we should take the batteries out of the consumer's hands and put them in the oil companies' hands. Let the oil companies buy all the batteries and rent them out from the gas stations.

[Dravin]

I think we should take the batteries out of the consumer's hands and put them in the oil companies' hands. Let the oil companies buy all the batteries and rent them out from the gas stations.

You'll have to get the car companies on board as you'd need to see industry wide standardization. If you have 2 or 3 standard batteries with a common, quick, replacement procedure (ideally something that doesn't require a mechanic to accomplish) I could see that working, but if each car has a unique battery and replacement procedure I don't think it'll work. Image how well gas stations would work if each car required its own special fuel (that wasn't just an additive but required its own fuel tank), unique fuel nozzle, and required an AES certified mechanic to pump your gas.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Dravin

[Still_Small_Voice]

Electric cars are every day vehicles for daily duties. Most people do not travel over 80 miles per day. Gasoline cars are for the long trips.

The Tesla electric cars are amazing. They have a range of about 150 miles on a full charge. But they are priced at about $57,000.

[mnn727]

The Oklahoma dealer has them on clearance for $9,995 and $8,995

Even at that I'd have to tow them home since the nearest dealer (Oklahoma) is 300+ miles away

Edited July 18, 2013 by mnn727

[Traveler]

I would absolutely love to see a breakthrough in energy storage in my lifetime. Improve the battery technology enough, and suddenly electric cars, windmills, and solar power get a lot more attractive.

Engineery-type folks who know what they're talking about seem to say it's a pipe dream. But I'd love to see it nonetheless.

There has been a number of breakthroughs in energy storage to replace batteries - aka, the carbon fiber flywheel. This uses the flywheel concept but puts the lightweight flywheel in a vacuum with magnetic levitation (frictionless) bearings. This works great for just about anything but cars. The reason is that that gyroscopic forces of the flywheel try very hard to keep cars from making any turns. However, with carbon nanotube completely replacing the usual carbon fiber the efficiency of lightweight flywheels can be increased by over 100% which more than doubles the output. That makes this particular method the most efficient means to store power ever discovered.

The big problem is the carbon nanotubes. We just have not been able to manufacture them on a large scale economically. There are political problems with this solution - It lends itself to taking the average Joe off the power grid - forever. Big Brother government cannot let that happen any more than the big power companies - right there we have opposition from both liberal and conservative political power brokers. If you like political conspiracies think of all the fun you can have if both right and left wing politics have a dog in the fight?

The Traveler

[Canuck Mormon]

Electric cars are every day vehicles for daily duties. Most people do not travel over 80 miles per day. Gasoline cars are for the long trips.

The Tesla electric cars are amazing. They have a range of about 150 miles on a full charge. But they are priced at about $57,000.

Don't forget about the Chevrolet Volt. It runs on batteries for about 50 miles then if you need more, there's an on board generator that lasts for another 350 miles. Best of both worlds. People who have them have been recording mpg's around 250 with some only filling the gas twice in a year.

[ACommonMan]

Electric cars are every day vehicles for daily duties. Most people do not travel over 80 miles per day. Gasoline cars are for the long trips.

Speaking as someone who used to drive about 1,250 miles per week, hearing about what "most people" do is of little interest to me. Besides, the notion of having a spare car around for long trips seems like a terrible waste. If I did, it would be a less than $20,000 car, and then I'd worry about taking it on long trips.

From a purely financial perspective, I recently purchased a '98 Lumina for $1,500. If I drive 40 miles per day, 365 days per year, I will spend approximately $2,500 per year on gas. After seven years, my total cost of ownership is only $19,000.

I like the concept behind an electric car but, it still doesn't seem quite practical yet.

[NeuroTypical]

I lost track - we currently run our cars on gas. Electric cars still run mostly on coal (since that's the primary way the US delivers electricity to the plug). Are we still thinking clean coal technology is preferable to oil, especially foreign oil?

[MarginOfError]

I lost track - we currently run our cars on gas. Electric cars still run mostly on coal (since that's the primary way the US delivers electricity to the plug). Are we still thinking clean coal technology is preferable to oil, especially foreign oil?

No. Clean coal is awful. I'm thinking 40 new nuclear power plants, wind farms, and carpeting the desert in solar panels.

[NeuroTypical]

So wait then MOE - until that all happens, are you saying that electric cars are a horrible thing that should not become more popular?

[mnn727]

The problem with oil is that we have to depend on foreign sources, whereas coal and natural gas, we are completely self sufficient here in the U.S.

Most city people and even a lot of country people could get along with today's electric cars just fine and then the once or twice a year they need more could rent a gas powered car. Then we wouldn't have to buy oil from countries that hate us.

Heck, I don't drive 100 miles a week since I live 7 miles from work and 2 blocks from a grocery store and a couple of strip malls

[Windseeker]

Where I live you see allot of these.

I think if we stay in this area I might pick one up. They are super convienient. People take them to the beach, the grocery store and to drop their kids off at school.

[NeuroTypical]

It seems to me that the relevant questions are why are clean coal powerplants awful? And are they more awful than buying foreign oil?

The fate of my opinion about electric cars hangs in the balance (such as it is).

[Still_Small_Voice]

I would not want an car like that Windseeker. There is not enough side protection.

[Windseeker]

No more side protection then this

If you live within a couple miles of schools, church, grocery, malls, beach it's not a bad option.

It's certainly not for free-way use.

The top speed is 25 mph...

[mnn727]

It seems to me that the relevant questions are why are clean coal powerplants awful? And are they more awful than buying foreign oil?

The fate of my opinion about electric cars hangs in the balance (such as it is).

They are not awful at all, with the environmental standards as they are today, pollution from coal plants is at an all time low.

[Traveler]

The problem with oil is that we have to depend on foreign sources, whereas coal and natural gas, we are completely self sufficient here in the U.S.

Most city people and even a lot of country people could get along with today's electric cars just fine and then the once or twice a year they need more could rent a gas powered car. Then we wouldn't have to buy oil from countries that hate us.

Heck, I don't drive 100 miles a week since I live 7 miles from work and 2 blocks from a grocery store and a couple of strip malls

Really - the bicycle is the greenest most efficient means of transportation invented - for 30 years I commuted 25 miles one way to work. The health and economic benefits of ridding a bicycle far outweigh the use of electric cars. My high end custom bicycle cost less than $6,000 and the fuel is in essence free.

But I must admit I was completely demoralized a while back when a girl (of all people) passed me and I could not catch her to make a point of it. Just letting everyone know there are draw backs to a bicycle.

The Traveler

[NeuroTypical]

Want jetpack.

[mnn727]

Really - the bicycle is the greenest most efficient means of transportation invented - for 30 years I commuted 25 miles one way to work.

Some cities are not conducive to riding bikes, in Dallas you'd get run off most roads. And its hard to ride when its 100+ most days during the summer. Nevertheless some people do it.

- - -

$6K for a bike. I thought my $150 bike was expensive, but then its just for pleasure riding within the neighborhood, I'd never take it on a major road here as I'm not ready to meet my maker yet.

[Still_Small_Voice]

I just recently took a test drive in an all electric car the "Mitsubishi i MiEV." I was impressed. The acceleration beat my four cylinder gasoline car. I took up to 65 miles per hour with no issues on the highway. I am presently spending about $1,550 on gasoline to get to work and back every year.

The range is only about 58 miles with the car though. That would not be an issue for me as I could find charging stations close to my work. My issue is the $25,000 price tag on the car. The battery has about a eight year 100,000 mile warranty on it. But battery replacement is presently $10,500. That is ridiculous. I will wait until I can get a used electric car for $13,000 or less with a battery that doesn't cost more than $4,000 to replace.

If I could find a decent leasing option that could also be an opening for me to own an all electric car. The dealership wanted $4,000 up front and $300 a month for a lease. That is just too much money. The most I could spend is about $250 per month on a lease that would not require a load of money up front.