Reader Question: All-electric Street Vehicles
Monday December 24, 2007
As 2007 slowly winds down and comes to a close, we're taking some time to highlight a series of the most popular questions we've received from readers throughout the year. And, of course, you get our answers as well. Thanks to all of you for reading and writing--we look forward to hearing from you soon, too!
April wrote: "I have a daily commute of 20 miles (10 miles each way) of in town driving, in the city of Atlanta. I want the cleanest alt fuel vehicle I can afford. I would prefer an electric car or CNG powered light duty truck. 1) Is there an electric vehicle that will go faster than 40mph that is affordable (not the 80K Tesla)? I am specifically looking for electric because I am planning a solar renovation to take my home off the electric grid and figure it would be an added bonus to be able to provide power for my own vehicle. 2) Is it possible for an average consumer to be able to purchase a CNG light duty truck like the CNG Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado CNG? I can only find them offered in fleets to companies."
Hi April,
In answer to your questions, first off—there really aren’t any affordable, viable all-electric street cars at this point in time. The neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs: such as IT and GEM cars) are affordable but aren’t viable on highways. If you definitely want to go electric, the best bet at this point would be to hold out for a few more years until plug-in hybrids become available. Hydrogen powered fuel cell cars will probably become available over the next several years also. Or you could also consider a current hybrid--check out these photos of all the 2008 hybrids available. Although they need to run the gasoline-powered engine and are not available in other alt fuels, many of them are rated as AT-PZEVs which makes for extremely clean emissions, not to mention most hybrids offer excellent fuel mileage.
As far as CNG vehicles, you can order trucks directly from dealers—you may have to probe a little to find one that will actually help you order one (it’s not a common occurrence). You could also consider a Honda Civic GX—no, it’s not a truck, but they can be ordered through a NY dealership. Of course, you’d have to arrange to have it delivered. Check out our review of the Honda Civic GX. You’ll want to make sure there's a CNG station within reasonable distance to fill up, or if you have natural gas at your house, you can find out about getting a Phill, a home refueling appliance device.
If none of these solutions sounds good, perhaps you may want to consider getting a 2006 (or slightly older) VW Jetta or Golf diesel and find a biodiesel station near you. VW is redesigning their diesels for 2008 if you’d rather have a new car. If you can’t find a biodiesel station near you, it’s possible to make your own biodiesel. Diesels are extremely efficient, and when running biodiesel, are very low emission. This could easily bridge the gap until an electric vehicle that would suit your needs becomes available.
Hope this helps,
Christine and Scott
April wrote: "I have a daily commute of 20 miles (10 miles each way) of in town driving, in the city of Atlanta. I want the cleanest alt fuel vehicle I can afford. I would prefer an electric car or CNG powered light duty truck. 1) Is there an electric vehicle that will go faster than 40mph that is affordable (not the 80K Tesla)? I am specifically looking for electric because I am planning a solar renovation to take my home off the electric grid and figure it would be an added bonus to be able to provide power for my own vehicle. 2) Is it possible for an average consumer to be able to purchase a CNG light duty truck like the CNG Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado CNG? I can only find them offered in fleets to companies."
Hi April,
In answer to your questions, first off—there really aren’t any affordable, viable all-electric street cars at this point in time. The neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs: such as IT and GEM cars) are affordable but aren’t viable on highways. If you definitely want to go electric, the best bet at this point would be to hold out for a few more years until plug-in hybrids become available. Hydrogen powered fuel cell cars will probably become available over the next several years also. Or you could also consider a current hybrid--check out these photos of all the 2008 hybrids available. Although they need to run the gasoline-powered engine and are not available in other alt fuels, many of them are rated as AT-PZEVs which makes for extremely clean emissions, not to mention most hybrids offer excellent fuel mileage.
As far as CNG vehicles, you can order trucks directly from dealers—you may have to probe a little to find one that will actually help you order one (it’s not a common occurrence). You could also consider a Honda Civic GX—no, it’s not a truck, but they can be ordered through a NY dealership. Of course, you’d have to arrange to have it delivered. Check out our review of the Honda Civic GX. You’ll want to make sure there's a CNG station within reasonable distance to fill up, or if you have natural gas at your house, you can find out about getting a Phill, a home refueling appliance device.
If none of these solutions sounds good, perhaps you may want to consider getting a 2006 (or slightly older) VW Jetta or Golf diesel and find a biodiesel station near you. VW is redesigning their diesels for 2008 if you’d rather have a new car. If you can’t find a biodiesel station near you, it’s possible to make your own biodiesel. Diesels are extremely efficient, and when running biodiesel, are very low emission. This could easily bridge the gap until an electric vehicle that would suit your needs becomes available.
Hope this helps,
Christine and Scott
Comments
Another option would be to do an electrical conversion done if she truly wants an EV.