Manufactured by General Motors, the Volt has a very impressive electric 'engine' of 111 kW. It can travel up to a 25 to 50 miles using a 16 kW·h. After the lithium-ion battery is drained to 35% of the full charge capacity, the 4 cylinder engine kicks in and a 55 kW generator starts filling up the batteries. This increases the total range of the Volt to 379 miles. The Chevrolet Volt is classified to be a compact car with a front wheel engine and four wheel drive. It is a highly fuel efficient car even by the standards of United States Environment Protection Agency, with a rating of 93 MPGe for only electric mode and once the combustion engine kicks in the efficiency comes down to 37 MPG. The car has very graceful look and good interior. Thus you end up not just saving the environment and at the same time you also tend to save a ton of cash.
Nissan Leaf
LEAF stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car. Nissan Leaf is also one of the most highly regarded electric cars by the EPA. This car is completely run by an electric battery. As per the EPA, the range for this car is depicted to be 117 kilometers (about 72 miles) and energy consumption rate of 34 kWh per 100 miles. The EPA rates amount to 99 MPG. The best thing about the Nissan Leaf is that it is a mid-sized an all electric car which does not emit any of emissions. This car is an ideal deal for people living in cities, especially where there is over crowding of cars.
Toyota RAV4 EV
Another all electric version. This car is the all electric twin of the RAV4 SUV by Toyota. The second generation of this model will be produced by Toyota in collaboration with Tesla Motors. This electric SUV has a range of 100 to 120 miles with a 27 kWh propulsion. The remaining features of this car are exactly similar to the internal combustion engine SUV. Toyota is planning a better mass production and by 2012, this car would be underway for the second generation. One of the best aspects of this car is the battery life with some models running about 150,000 miles without a battery change. It is highly durable, economical and comfortable to use.
Fisker Karma
Sports car enthusiasts like myself are eagerly waiting to buy this plug in hybrid car. This car has a 50 mile range for sole battery operation and will attain a range of 300 miles when combined with the normal hybrid combustion engine. The top speed of the Karma is about 125 mph it can race from 0-60 mph in a fraction of 5.8 seconds. Reportedly the Karma has a torque which is better than that of Bugatti Vernon. The big problem is that the initial cost of this car is enormous, though the latter operations cost is relatively less.
BMW Mini E
This all electric car is being used in Los Angeles, New Jersey and New York with quite a success. The best feature of this car is that it can be availed through the 'Project I' by BMW. The Mini E has attained a huge recorded range of 147.3 miles.
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is yet another similar battery driven sports car. Its lithium-ion battery cells provide a mammoth range of 300 miles in one charge. The car has an average speed of 25 mph, and it can go from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The Roadster has a 120 MPG Gasoline equivalent efficiency.
The following are some other electric cars that are all set to enter the electric car market in the new decade following 2011, with several of them being mass produced 2011 electric car models.
Mitsubishi i MiEV
Renault Fluence Z.E.
Th!nk City
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