Stateside Stories: Electric Cars–The Future is Now
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The Porsche Taycan: distinctively sleek appearance which is not just for show. Accelerates
from 0 to 60 mph in less than half the time of the Hyundai Kona. Superfast charging.
by Mary Foran
From recycling to solar power, living green is becoming somewhat mainstream.
Electric cars are unfortunately very expensive and their manufacture is less-than-green. But with anyone with the funds or finance options, the best ten electric cars on the market are as follows:
- Porsche Taycan—This one has a distinctively sleek appearance which is not just for show. With its 600 hp engine it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than half the time of the Kona. It also has superfast charging, adding 60 miles to its range in about 4 minutes of charging time.
- Tesla Model S—Tesla electric cars are some of the best known on the market. But the price starts at $77.000 which can be off-putting. 400 kWhours of free annual SuperCharger credits are included, cutting down the cost of charging your electric car.
- Tesla Model X—The Model X is Tesla’s SUV-style electric car. It has a range of up to 295 miles, seating for seven, a panoramic windshield, and super-cool falcon-winged rear doors. But the price tag is steep: $83,000 to $140,000.
- Audi e-tron—a little bit smaller than the Tesla Model X with room for five, not seven, and it has one little extra perk—the integration of an on-board Amazon Alexa computer.
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Kona: resembles an SUV. Has a total range of 258 miles on a full charge and roughly 125 miles on 30-minute charge
Hyundai Kona—The Kona is designed to resemble an SUV—a Sports Utility Vehicle. It has a total range of 258 miles on a full charge and roughly 125 miles on a quick charge of 30 minutes. And its 201 hp motor accelerates from 0 to 60 in under eight seconds.
- Chevrolet Bolt—This is the most affordable of these electric cars. With a federal tax credit for electric vehicles, it starts at $30,000 and drives 238 miles on a single charge.
- Nissan Leaf e+– In the same class as the Kona and Bolt as regards to range(226 miles) and power (215hp). It can also double as a generator for your home thanks to a two-way power flow through the 62kwh battery.
- Jaguar I-Pace—Like Tesla’s models, Jaguar’s I-Pace is intended as a luxury car. Prices start at around $70,000 and it has a modest range of 234 miles, but it comes with 1000 kwh of free charges at Electrify America which is just under 3000 miles worth.
- Volkswagen e-Golf—It has seating for five, cargo versatility and a “regular” driving experience. However, it only manages 125 miles on a charge.
- BMW i3—BMW’s i3 has a striking carbon fiber and aluminum chassis with a two-tone paint job option. It’s not great for long-distance use, only managing 114 miles per charge (or 180 with a range extender).
With the rising price of gasoline, the green-car price tags might not look so exorbitant anymore
They say that electric cars are the future, and the future is now.
US President Joe Biden has promised to build electric car charging stations across the country as part of his Build Back Better program and his adherence to the values of the Green New Deal.
But the limited range of electric cars is a serious drawback to their usability in the vast distances of the United States, and most people want to stick to their compact cars which get 40 miles per gallon of gas.
With the rising price of gasoline, maybe electric cars will become more popular, in spite of their exorbitant price tags.
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Images
Featured image/peterolthof, CC BY-ND2.0
Kona/Ming-yen Hsu, CC BY-ND2.0
Price tag/Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Pixabay. Text supplied.
