Gas Sippers
Finding energy somewhere else
It may sound more like an overactive toy than a car, but Nissan
swears the "Hypermini", a tiny but peppy two-seat
electric vehicle (EV), will take drivers 60 miles on a single
battery charge-without drinking a single drop of gasoline. While
they're not exactly as simple to recharge as your cell phone,
the Hypermini and other alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) have hit
the marketplace hard this year, and more are on the way.
The most popular and practical AFVs are hybrids powered by a
combination of two energy sources, such as gasoline and natural
gas. Most models sacrifice trunk space to house batteries or
natural gas tanks, so if you carry lots of equipment, you may find
them unsuitable for your business needs. However, some provide
plenty of passenger room. Toyota's Prius, for example, seats
five.
Benefits for budgetwise businesspeople include great savings on
fuel bills and some peace on the road with quiet electric motors.
Honda's Insight can take you 600 to 700 miles on a single tank
of gasoline, and the car's engine automatically recharges its
buddy electric motor while you're driving.
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AFV drawbacks include a current dearth of recharging stations
and natural-gas centers, lower horsepower with non-gasoline engines
and multihour recharging. Toyota's RAV4-EV sports utility
vehicle, for example, needs a 6.5-hour hook-up before it's
ready to roll.
Prices for AFVs are generally in line with their standard models
and stretch from just under $20,000 to about $40,000. Some can be
purchased as fleets only. But some dealers consider a single
company car a fleet, so this method could save you serious
cash.
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| |  The Car
Electric
- Ford Ranger EV Electric
- Ford Taurus Ethanol and
gasoline
- GM EV1 (sold only at Saturn
retailers) Electric
- Honda Civic GX NGV Natural
gas
- Honda Insight Gasoline and
electric
- Nissan Altra EV Electric
- Nissan Hypermini Electric
- Toyota Prius Gasoline and
electric
- Toyota RAV4-EV
Electric
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Jill Amadio has reported on the automotive industry for 23
years as an editor and a consultant.