> The result is a vehicle that closely resembles the Isetta of old, just > a bit bigger and rounder ... 15-kilowatt electric motor ... The > Microlino tops out at 62 mph, goes 60 to 75 miles on a charge, and > weighs just 880 pounds ... It will cost somewhere between $9,000 and > $13,500 ...
This is a pretty good start. They're in the same general league as the Renault Twizy, which has had a moderate if variable success in the EU. I bet this EV will have more visual appeal and nostalgia factor. It might even be more comfortable. The problem is the price. A Twizy costs way less -- around $7500 last time I looked, though that doesn't include the battery, which Renault wants to lease to you. As far as practicality goes, forget it. A Suzuki Celerio ICE costs UK£7k (~US$8600) and has WAY more utility than this little guy. Add another £1k or ~$1k, and you can have a Hyundai i10 or Nissan Micra. A price far enough below the cheapest ICEV can drop an EV like this into -- forgive me for putting it this way -- big-kid-toy territory. Make it cute, make it fun (meaning brisk acceleration and tight handling), and make it cheap. Youi'll sell it to the wealthy (and those who think they are) as a 3rd or 4th vehicle for weekend gadabouts. The the key is CHEAP. I could be wrong, but I don't think even $9k is going to cut it in that neighborhood. This is a great idea, but IMO they're going to have to try harder on the price. David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA EVDL Administrator = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not reach me. To send a private message, please obtain my email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
