Electric Cars / Vehicles

Electric vehicles your thing? Good, this is a page for electric vehicle car answers and facts of various sorts. If you’ve got something to add, drop a note in the comments below! This page will be continually updated.

Basics

• Electric Vehicles (EVs) run on electricity.
• Some EVs run 100% on electricity, while others (hybrid electric vehicles) run partly on electricity and partly on some other fuel (e.g. gas).
• Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are clearly much better for the environment (and, thus, humans) than their gasoline-powered equivalents (see the UCS study discussed on the bottom of this page). Their fuel is also much cheaper.
• There’s currently a wide variety of EVs on the US market — check them out below, and add info in the comments if there are more to share.

Currently Available EV Models

The following are EVs that are commercially available today. Prices listed are base prices before the federal tax credit (normally $7,500) or other tax credits potentially available in your city or state. Links on the car names are mostly to our stories on these cars. Links on the prices are to the car companies’ pages for the cars. Range and MPGe/MPG data come from the EPA.

Chevy Volt (not 100% electric) – $39,145

• 
• 38-mile range on battery; 380-mile range in total
• 98 MPGe on battery; 37 MPG on gas (60 MPGe combined)
• 4 seats

Opel Ampera (European version of Volt) – £28,995

• 52-mile range on battery; 360-mile range in total
• ?? MPGe
• 4 seats

Chevy Spark — $32,500 (summer 2013)

• Range TBA
• MPGe TBA
• 4 seats

Nissan Leaf – $28,800

• 73-mile range
• 99 MPGe
• 2013 model — 5 seats; 2012 model — 4 seats

Mitsubishi i – $29,125

• 62-mile range
• 112 MPGe
• 4 seats

2013 smart electric drive – $25,000

• 68-mile range
• 107 MPGe
• 2 seats

2012 smart ForTwo – $23,686 as a coupe or $27,557 as a convertible without the battery (battery rentals start at $81 per month), or $29,661 for the coupe and $33,532 for the convertible with the battery.

• 87-mile range
• 87 MPGe

Wheego Whip – $18,995

• 40-mile range
• ?? MPGe
• 2 seats

Wheego LiFe – $32,995

• 100-mile range
• ?? MPGe
• 2 seats

Coda – $37,250

• 88-mile range
• 73 MPGe
• 5 seats

Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid — $39,780

• 13-mile range on battery; ?? range in total
• 115 MPGe (on battery)
• 5 seats

2013 Ford Focus Electric — $37,995

• 76-mile range
• 105 MPGe
• 5 seats

Ford Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid — $38,700

• 21-mile range; 620-mile range in total
• 100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
• 5 seats

Ford C-Max Energi Plug-in Hybrid – $32,950

• 21-mile range; 620-mile range in total
• 100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
• 5 seats

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid — $39,525

• 11-mile range on battery; 540-mile range in total
• 95 MPGe on battery; 50 MPG on gas
• 5 seats

Fiat 500e — Price TBA in Spring 2013

• 87-mile range
• 115 MPGe
• 4 seats

Scion iQ EV — Colleges & Carsharing Services Only

• 50-mile range
• 121 MPGe
• 4 seats

Honda Fit EV – $36,625

• 82-mile range
• 118 MPGe
• 5 seats

Tesla Model S – $77,400

• 208-mile range
• 95 MPGe
• 5 seats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tesla Model X — $60,000

• Range TBA
• MPGe TBA
• 5 seats

Tesla Roadster – $109,000 (sold out)

• 244-mile range
• 119 MPGe
• 2 seats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fisker Karma (not 100% electric) – $102,000

• 33-mile range on battery; 240-mile range in total
• 54 MPGe on battery; 20 MPG on gas
• 4 seats

Ford/Azure Dynamics Transit Connect EV – $29,925

• 56-mile range
• 62 MPGe
• 5 seats

Toyota RAV4 EV — $50,000

• 103-mile range
• 76 MPGe
• 5 seats

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid — $38,975

• 37-mile range on battery; total range TBA
• MPGe TBA
• 5 seats