last updated 22 Oct 04
by 4ecotips.com

£1.64p per day electric car in UK Business of the Year award.

A super-efficient electric car called the G-Wiz has won the T-Mobile Startups Business of the Year inaugural award. The car costs just £5,899, is 100% emission free so it’s carbon neutral, it consumes just one quarter the energy of the average petrol car and when charged with electricity from renewable sources it’s totally sustainable. The Energy Saving Trust says it’s “the most energy efficient car on the road.”

At around £1.64p per day to run it's cheaper than taking the bus or tube.
There’s no road tax to pay, and at 1p per mile electricity that is equivalent to 600 miles per gallon or just £40 to £50 in fuel per year! It falls within the lowest insurance group (1) and, it gets even better, if you regularly drive in central London it’s exempt from the congestion charge.

There’s said to be free parking on meters, in display bays and in over 25 car parks, (some with free charging) and up to 83% discounts on residential parking permits.

Ideal for commuting, nipping around town and for short journeys on ordinary roads, the G-Wiz Automatic Electric Vehicle from the Reva Electric Car Company is a 2-door hatchback which takes up little road space, yet has a surprisingly large volume capacity. There is room for 2 adults and 2 children or storage space for shopping, luggage, or even light cargo (the rear seats fold flat and there is additional storage space under the bonnet).

The G-Wiz can be easily charge at home, at work and in one of the increasing number of car parks with free charging facilities. Simply plug one end of the 5 metre lead provided into the car (where the petrol cap is normally found) and the other into a standard 240v/13 amp socket. Charge time is only 2.5 hours for 80% of the range and 6 hours for the full 100%. In fact, it's so easy you could do it in your sleep.

The car is only 2.6m long, it fits snugly in to parking spaces which are too small for other cars. It has surprisingly good acceleration, a top speed of 40 mph (more than you'll need for urban driving conditions and speed limits) and a range of up to 40 miles, equivalent to at least 5 average journeys on a single charge. The average journey anywhere across the whole of the UK is only 8 miles, and in cities it is much less than that.

For more details: www.goingreen.co.uk.