Gasoline prices were running north of $4 per gallon last summer when Juan Borrego’s family started looking for a new car, so fuel efficiency was high on the priority list.
Then the family heard about the Zenn, an all-electric version of a two-person hatchback that cruises the highways of Europe as a gasoline fueled car. The electric version can only go 35 mph and currently isn’t allowed on streets where the speed limit is above 40. But with a range of about 30 miles, air conditioning and a price tag of about $15,000 — nearly $10,000 less than the Prius.
Houston Electric Cars Corp., where the Borregos bought their Zenn, just added to its lineup the Benjy, a two-person convertible version of the Chinese-made Jinan Flybo. The dealership also carries vehicles by ZAP, which has two-, three- and four-wheel scooters, cars and trucks. Apollo Scooters in Houston is also a ZAP dealer.
The closest thing to a full-speed all-electric car currently in production in the U. S. is the two-person Tesla Roadster, a high-performance sports car that sells for $101,500 (after the $7,500 federal tax credit). The cars just started showing up in driveways in recent months to customers who paid in advance up to two years ago.
Chevrolet has also promised big with the Volt, a two-door all-electric hybrid sports coupe scheduled for rollout next year.
Prius’s can be converted to fully electric, plug-in vehicles with the help of do-it-yourself kits that range from $6,000 to $10,000, but the company has plans for a plug-in version from the factory sometime in the next two to three years.
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