Aptera: A three-wheeled 21st century vehicle

This funky 21st century vehicle is the Aptera, a three-wheeled energy efficient car that will come in either an all-electric version or a hybrid model. You get a top speed of 95 MPH, zero to 60 MPH in 10 seconds it seats 2 comfortably (or 3 squished together). A solar panel on the roof is used to help power the climate control system inside. It uses RFID to power on, has GPS navigation and a CD/MP3/DVD sound system with XM radio too. Safety is covered by the Aptera’s twin airbags and a rear view camera.

If you throw down a fully refundable $500 now you can secure an Aptera when the vehicles begin to roll off the assembly line in a year. The hybrid model will get you about 230 miles per gallon and costs $29,900 while the fully electric model only gets you 120 miles before your charge is depleted (but you save on the sticker price which is $26,900).

For that kind of price the Aptera may be able to grab some attention as an alternative family vehicle. The fact that it also looks like it came from the future may certainly help if you want to attract the attention of passersby. via: gooptech

EVs (Electric Vehicles) on the road in 2011

They’re finally here! After years of anticipation, plans, promises and the occasional test drive, electric vehicles (EVs) arrived with a thump this week: Nissan delivered the first Leaf to a customer, Chevy put 350 Volts on trucks for delivery to dealers in several states, Mercedes handed over its first leased F-Cell hydrogen car (to the head of the Producers Guild of America) and Think opened its new Indiana factory with 15 City plug-ins for the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

The new EVs are expensive, starting around $32,780 (the Leaf’s price) and rising to $87,400 (the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid). But the purchase price can be offset with a $7,500 federal income tax credit, and state rebates and tax credits. The most lucrative of those is a $5,000 rebate for California residents, and Tennessee (where the Leaf will be built) offers $2,500 for the first 1,000 cars. A list of subsidies by state is here, but it may be out of date in some instances — you’ll need to check locally.

Also available is a federal tax credit for installing a home charger. This will be 50% of the cost up to $2,000, but only up to December 31, 2010. Congress just extended the credit for a year, but now it’s at “pre-stimulus” levels of 30% up to $1,000. via gooptech