Electric cars are great for the environment but somewhat less friendly on the wallet. Because of their battery packs, electric cars tend to cost between $8,000 and $15,000 more than comparable gasoline-powered sedans before federal tax and state clean tax credits, as The Washington Post reports. Through researching new vehicles, you’ll find the price differential may finally be narrowing, if the current crop of electric vehicles is any indication. Here in no particular order are some of the best electric cars for your money:
2013 Ford Focus Electric: Value for Money
Photo by Mariordo via Wikimedia Commons
With a base price of $39,200, according to U.S. News and Rankings, the electric version of Ford’s popular sedan is not exactly inexpensive. But it does offer considerable value for the money. Perhaps not too surprisingly, a lot of the car’s affordability stems from its energy efficiency. According to Ford, the car delivers a substantial 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in city driving conditions and 99 MPGe on the highway. The Focus EV comes equipped with a 6.6-kilowatt onboard charger that adds about 20 miles of additional driving capacity for each hour that the car is charged. Even though the Focus EV has an all-electric train, the car is no wimp. Its 107-kilowatt magnetic motor engine delivers a decent 143 horsepower of thrust and 184 foot-pounds of torque. The car has a top speed of 84 miles per hour and goes from zero to 60 in 9.2 seconds.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV: Deceptively Large
Photo by David Villarreal Fernandez via Wikimedia Commons
Mitsubishi’s all-electric, egg-shaped oddity has the distinction of being rated the most fuel-efficient car in the country by the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2012 model of the vehicle delivers 126 MPGe in city driving and 99 miles for highway driving, according to JD Power. It can go up to 62 miles on a full battery and can be charged in less than 7 hours with a 240-volt recharger. The i-MiEV’s rear-mounted 49-killowatt magnetic motor engine delivers a modest 48 horsepower of thrust, but that’s enough to push the car up to a maximum speed of 81 miles per hour. The i-MiEV, which stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle, looks almost cartoonishly small from the outside but has a surprisingly large interior capable of seating four adults comfortably. With a starting price tag of less than $30K, the i-MiEV is one of the least expensive electric vehicles currently available.
2013 Chevy Volt: Hybrid Design
Photo by Mariordo via Wikimedia Commons
The Chevy Volt is not strictly an all-electric vehicle but rather a hybrid that runs on both gasoline and electricity. With a suggested retail price of more than $39,000, the Volt is in the same price class as the Ford Focus EV, but that’s where most of the comparisons end. As a hybrid vehicle, the Volt travels a lot longer on a full-charge than all-electric options do. The Volt can go 300 miles on a full battery and a full tank of gas, which is well more than double the distance offered by other electric vehicles like the Focus EV. The Volt takes about 10 hours to charge using an ordinary household outlet and qualifies for all federal and state tax credits for green vehicles.
Nissan Leaf: Popular Choice
Photo by Tennen-Gas via Wikimedia Commons
No lineup of affordable electric vehicles is complete without the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf was the first truly affordable zero-emissions electric vehicle. It continues to be a popular choice among those making the switch to green technology. The car has a driving range of between 60 miles to 95 miles on a fully-charged battery and takes about 10 hours to charge at a standard residential power outlet. The car’s 24-kilowatt lithium ion battery pack delivers 107 horsepower and 187 foot-pounds of torque, according to Nissan’s website, making it fairly zippy for an electric vehicle. The car goes from zero to 60 in about 9 seconds and has a respectable maximum speed of 90 miles per hour. Pricing for the Leaf starts at just over $36,000, putting it on par with most other electric vehicles.
Stacy Simpson
Stacy is working toward her masters in urban sustainability. When grad school isn’t ruling her life, she likes to blog about local green initiatives.
