The Electric Car is Back!

I'm a biodiesel enthusiast: I've been to biodiesel workshops, I follow it in the news, I drive a Jetta TDI fueled with 99% biodiesel, and I've made it in my garage. I strongly believe that for engine fuels, biodiesel can't be beat.

But I still think there's a lot of value in the cheap commuter car that's powered by electricity. The EV1 was the late 90's first attempt at a commercial electric vehicle, but it failed miserably, partially because it was ugly, slow, and awkward, but also because Big Oil killed it. Fortunately, the geeks of Silicon Valley have not yet given up and have recently launched another electric car.

This time it's hot. Check out the Tesla Sportster from Tesla Motors and see a hot looking car that gets 250 miles to a charge, goes from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, and costs around 2 cents per mile. Expect to see it in California in about a year.

I can only hope it will take off, especially given my concerns about the sustainability of heavy use on lithium ion batteries. But suppose it does and the rest of the auto industry gets on board. There is a good chance you'll start seeing SmartCars powered by battery stacks rather than gasoline. And that's what most of us commuters need: 2 seater tiny cars that have a range of 300 miles and are cheap.