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RE: Making the Middle East Less Important
Great range, power and features all for a projected price under $20,000
The Tango seems like an interesting concept, but I disagree with your characterization of it. From the link you provided, it appears to have a max range of only 80 miles (on standard batteries, 150 mi. on "high-tech" batteries [presumably not included]) between charges. For longer ranges, a 10-minute charge every 50 miles would be required. For max battery life, the site recommends charging the battery every 20-24 miles. As for features, it seems to be equipped with fairly quality components for a car that small, but it only holds 2 people, and the legroom is pretty limited - the passenger has to straddle the driver's seat. Even when trading the passenger for cargo, the storage space is tight, with a max capacity of about 7 small boxes. Also, the trim levels are widely separated by price - the $20K figure is for the base model, the mid-level model jumps to $40K, and the top-end model comes in at a staggering $108K(!).
I agree that electric cars are the "wave of the future," so to speak, but I don't think the technology has caught up to the demand. Speaking for myself, if I'm going to spend $20,000 or more on a car, it had better have at least a little bit of versatility. I understand that the Tango is being marketed as strictly a commuter vehicle, but that is really all it can do. I need a car that can not only take me to and from work, but also carry 2-4 passengers occasionally, transport a reasonable amount of cargo from Safeway or Home Depot, and from time to time, drive more than 80 miles before recharging/refueling. I would venture to say that a sizeable majority of the car-buying public would also desire similar features in a $20K+ car.
Battery technology has a long way to go before being able to compete with gas-powered cars in range and cost. Hybrids are a start, but even they aren't quite there yet.
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RE: Making the Middle East Less Important
I've wondered the same thing (about the '2,000 pounds of metal propelled down the highway by exploding gasoline'). Recently I've been investigating different electric-only options for getting to work - being motivated by having spent an average of $189/month on our 1996 Camry in maintenance only over the past 30 months.
One of the great things about electric cars is the simplicity. I work in the oil industry designing subsea production equipment (subsea trees, specifically) and there is nothing quite like designing pressure-containing equipment; it is regulated like nothing else (as it should be). Such equipment takes up all kinds of resources in inspection, testing and quality control and it uses the most expensive materials. The seals and valves involved are expensive and must be extremely reliable. All of this complexity revolves around pressure containment - and yet, we decide to carry an ICE around under the hood with all of the same kinds of issues. CAM seals, crank seals, radiators, etc - Think of how simple auto maintenance would be without all of these critical pressure containing systems.
And that's exactly what an electric car is. No contained exploding gases. No intricate cooling system. No transmission with all of its moving parts. Just a motor, some batteries and wires (basically).
Back to the electric car conspiracy issue, though, a friend of mine sent me a link to this electric 2000Ford Ranger for sale on Ebay. No, it's not a conversion; it was designed and manufactured by Ford - yet another electric vehicle discontinued and then recalled/smashed.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the Tango. Great range, power and features all for a projected price under $20,000 once it goes into mass production.
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