Some people believe that one day all cars will be electric. With the current debates on global warming this is not considered as pure fantasy.

Within a few years it won’t be unusual to see more electric vehicles and hybrid-electric cars on roads most everywhere. This is partly due to unpredictable and unstable petrol prices. Therefore to fit in with day to day driving needs, people are searching for better alternatives.

Electric cars are claimed to be up to 97% cleaner than what we now use and we will not have to endure the same pollutants as we do now. Did you know that just starting your car or sitting in traffic can increase air pollution?

So, just how fast do these cars go?

The NEV or Neighborhood Electric Vehicle can go at 20-25 mph. The three-wheeled enclosed “city cars” go up to 45 mph.

The ZAP Xebra sedan, although not a neighborhood electric car, because it only has 3 wheels can actually get speeds up to 40 mph. These city-class three-wheelers are more like motorcycles, and it can be licensed as a motorcycle.

The MM NGM – Myers Motors No More Gas is commonly referred to as the sparrow. Apparently Myers Motors acquired Sparrow Motors. They are in production and are now available and can reach speeds of up to a fast 75 mph.

The ZENN – Zero Emissions, No Noise is a four-wheel car that can reach up to 35
mph.

The T-zero built by AC Propulsion Inc does 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to the company. Due to its torque and light weight it does this on only 200 horsepower. It can go for 280 to 300 miles without recharging even if it can recharge on any 120 or 240 V power socket. Although this may sound good the price ticket may be a bit off-putting - $220,000.

According to WhatCar the Prius Hatchback 1.5 Hybrid T Spirit had an overall review rating of 3/5 for on the road performance. “The second-generation Prius is in a different league to other petrol-electric hybrids, nipping into gaps in town traffic and easily coping with A-roads and motorways. However, the electric motor can only deliver peak pull below 22mph, so at higher speeds the Prius doesn’t have the pulling muscle of a good turbo diesel motor.”

Hybrid and electric cars ‘can’t go fast’ is a myth that has been wrongly associated with them for a long time and is probably the reason that buyers stay away from them. Dependent upon the engineers the great thing about them is that they can be versatile – range, fuel economy and speed.

So we now have learned that the electric cars can in fact go fast enough to function in everyday life. For this reason, with the much cleaner efficiency, electric cars may soon grow in mass use.