Although electric cars are currently limited in terms of performance, variety and supply, they offer a viable option for many motorists.

By Jack Rosenberger

Is an electric car right for you? The answer depends largely on your driving habits and your personality.

For most motorists — such as commuters who drive 40 miles or less per day to work, households with multiple vehicles and urban dwellers who rarely take long trips — an electric vehicle (EV) makes a lot of sense.

EVs employ an electric motor, which is usually powered by a bank of rechargeable batteries. In general, electric cars are classified according to three categories: production electric cars, electric conversion vehicles and low-speed vehicles (LSVs). The vast majority of the estimated 60,000 electric cars in the United States are LSVs.

In terms of appearance, a low-speed vehicle can resemble either a souped-up golf cart or a regular gas-powered car or truck. LSVs are currently handicapped in terms of use and performance by a bewildering patchwork of local, state and federal regulations, many of which were enacted to prevent retirees from driving golf carts on city streets. Presently, LSVs are not street-legal in nine states (Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wyoming) and the District of Columbia.

Under federal law, LSVs must be equipped with headlights, brake lights, turn signals, windshields, seat belts and other safety equipment. LSVs are legally restricted to a top speed of 25 miles per hour, but can travel on a road with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. (To ensure LSVs can't go faster than 25 mph, a device known as a controller restricts the electric motor's capability.) LSVs can typically travel 25 to 40 miles on a single battery charge.

Unlike LSVs, production electric cars and electric conversion vehicles are classified as passenger cars under federal law. Therefore, they are not legally restricted in terms of performance or usage of public roads.

Despite the aforementioned restrictions, EVs are increasingly popular due to rising gasoline prices, environmental concerns, the commercial success of the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and the ability of electric car manufacturers to produce a new generation of quality vehicles.

Pros and Cons

Like any consumer product, electric cars have pros and cons. In their favor, electric cars are usually affordable, with a starting price of approximately $12,000, and as their source of fuel is electricity, the cost of driving is 3 cents to 5 cents per mile. In addition, electric cars are refreshingly quiet, whether idling at a traffic light or moving full speed. And for individuals who don't want to own a vehicle that spews toxic emissions, electric cars provide a high level of personal satisfaction.

On the negative side, most EVs have inherent limitations in terms of speed and distance. Battery recharge times are often measured in hours (typically four to six hours), and a battery's lifecycle ranges from three to 12 years. Another drawback is the meager supply and variety of LSVs and production electric vehicles. Also, due to their use of aluminum and other lightweight materials, production electric vehicles can suffer significant damage even in low-speed, parking lot-type collisions. And like other small autos, production electric cars fare poorly in collisions with larger vehicles. Moreover, anecdotal evidence suggests that EV owners have difficulty obtaining car insurance in some states.

That said, electric cars fill a definite need for many households. The majority of Americans' daily driving consists of short trips. As Ronald Freund, the chairman of the Electric Auto Association, a Los Altos, Calif.-based nonprofit organization, says, "If you're driving a couple of miles to the local supermarket to buy milk and bread, why drive a Hummer, which gets only nine miles per gallon? According to the 2001 U.S. Census, the average American household has 2.1 cars. Why not make one of them electric?"

One person who agrees with Freund is my sister, Kate Rosenberger, a Berkeley, Calif., resident who bought a ZENN LSV last December. "I really like the car," says Rosenberger, whose husband owns a gasoline-powered vehicle. "Most of my journeys are one to five miles, and it's good for local errands. Also, I never have to worry about getting a speeding ticket!"

What's Available

With the exception of Chrysler, none of the major automotive companies that sell vehicles in the United States currently produce a 100-percent electric car. However, the variety of electric cars is continuously growing, with new models appearing at a surprising clip and manufacturers regularly announcing technological breakthroughs, such as a battery management system that will enable an LSV to travel 152 miles on a single charge.

Electric vehicles can be divided into these five categories:

Noteworthy Rides

Electric cars that have received high marks from motorists include a ZENN (which stands for "Zero Emission, No Noise") two-seater hatchback, an LSV based on Europe's Microcar, with a starting retail price of $12,750; a four-seat, four-door sedan from Dynasty Electric Car, an LSV with a starting retail price of $20,000; and the Phoenix SUT pickup truck, a production electric vehicle that lists for $47,500 and will be available this spring. It reportedly has a top speed of 95 mph and a range of 130 miles.

Hollywood Superstar

The EV that has attracted the most media attention (partly because George Clooney is said to have plunked down a $5,000 reservation for one) is the high-performance, ultra-sexy Tesla Roadster, which lists for $98,000. According to Tesla Motors, the Roadster, a production electric car, goes from zero to 60 in less than four seconds and can travel 220 miles on a single battery charge. At press time, Tesla announced it would begin shipping Roadsters in March.

Souped-up Golf Carts

Global Electric Motorcars, a Chrysler company, specializes in LSVs that have been compared to "golf carts on steroids." It sells three cars (two-, four- and six-passenger models), with respective starting prices of $6,795, $9,695 and $12,495. It also markets three two-passenger trucks, one with a short-back bed and two with a long-back bed, with respective starting prices of $7,995, $9,595 and $10,995. These street-legal vehicles have a top speed of 25 mph, a range of up to 30 miles and a battery recharge time of approximately six to eight hours.

Less Is More

ZAP (which stands for "Zero Air Pollution") Automotive currently offers a pair of three-wheel LSV-like vehicles: the Xebra four-passenger sedan, which has a starting price of $11,200, and the Xebra two-passenger truck, with a starting price of $12,500. (Due to the absence of a fourth wheel, both vehicles are legally classified as motorcycles.) The Xebras go up to 40 mph and have an average range of 25 miles per charge, says ZAP spokesman Alex Campbell.

Conversion Kits

If you want to convert your gas guzzler into an EV, you'll be traveling on an increasingly well-worn road. Conversion kits cost $4,000 to $6,000, and batteries cost an additional $700 to $1,200 apiece, according to the Electric Auto Association. One company with decades of experience selling auto-conversation kits is Electro Automotive. Since 1979, thousands of Electro Automotive customers have converted everything from a VW Rabbit to a Rolls-Royce into their carbon dioxide-free equivalents.

Like many EV owners, Rosenberger bought an electric car largely for environmental reasons. "I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem," she says. However, she quickly discovered that driving an electric car often attracts a crowd.

"It's like being a rock star," she says. "When I park the car on Shattuck Avenue [a busy commercial street in Berkeley], a crowd always gathers. People take photos of the car, and everyone wants to know more about it. I've met [so many] people because of my electric car, and they're all doing something about the environment, too."

Bio: Jack Rosenberger is a veteran writer and editor who specializes in technology, business and consumer issues. He has written for a wide variety of publications, including American Health, Art in America, Entertainment Weekly, Graphic Arts Monthly, New York, New York Observer, Premiere, Spin, Vegetarian Times and The Village Voice.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Progressive Casualty Insurance Company or its affiliates.