Suzuki Alto - £7,195

The car featured above is the Renault ze Twizy. It is roughly around the £7000 mark. It is only available in this country (UK) as far as I know, as an all electric vehicle. It will only carry two people (in tandem) which is fine, but only two. It will do 50mph max but this is not the issue, that's fine, the issue is that old chestnut - range. Though 100km is respectable especially for city use, that range will limit it to just that and not much more.

The worst thing about it though is the leasing of the battery/s. This comes in at around £45 to £67 every month. Now add the electricity to charge it, which takes 3.5 hours (to be fair this is to bring it from min to max I should imagine) then you are talking even more money. The dilemma that anyone faces when buying one of these vehicles to save on fuel is this: you have paid nearly £7000.00 and then perhaps £80 more for the battery package and running costs on top (though they won't be much) then it begins not to make sense just yet.

To put it another way, your old car is paid for, it's quite presentable, the insurance is ok and you can carry five people and quite a bit of luggage. It only does 30mpg (combined) maybe, but guess what?

I still have my £7000.00 and no £45 - £67 battery and I can travel as far as I want. Now work out how long it would take you to make up the difference between using petrol and one of these especially if you don't do big mileage.

Electric/hybrid cars do have a future but until there is a much bigger incentive, then it just 'aint going to happen. Don't get me wrong, I'd like one of these but unless someone gave it to me, it's dead in the water. It IS safer than using a scooter though but a scooter will cost pence.

Oh, and please don't mention the environment.

thats not a car,,, its a golf cart, in a crash you would not stand a chance, got more chance on a push bike,