Time has gone when electric cars were traditional and shabby with conventional fringe looks; compact interior with no back seat and congested driving seat with hardly any facilities. The year 2011 is going to mark with some of the coolest electric cars with some cool features. Let’s have a look to the list of the electric cars which you can think to buy for you.

1. Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf is the new car from the house of Nissan. It is 100% electric and contains high response 80Kw AC synchronous electric motor and consist of 50 kW DC fast charging port. Nissan Leaf is meant for 5 passengers and consists of 5 doors. One can speed it up to 90mph. Unlike other cars, Nissan leaf does not have tail pipe. That’s why it is environment friendly and zero emissions vehicle. Its electronic brakes force distribution system makes it a safe car.

2. Ford Focus Electric

Ford Focus Electric is stylish and stunning car with new and better chassis and suspension. It is powered by high-voltage 23 kWh lithium ion battery; its electric motor is especially designed to avoid energy loss. An optional 240-volt charging station helps to charge its battery in 3-4 hours. It also contains a standard 120-volt convenience cord, which is used to charge batteries in garage with the help of 120-volt household outlet. Its exterior is stunning whereas interior is more than comfortable, Earth-friendly cloth seat fabric makes its seats Eco-friendly. It means it is a complete Eco-friendly car.

3. Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Mitsubishi i-MiEV is an electric vehicle with zero emission level. MiEV stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. It is cost effective car as compare to gasoline vehicles. It contains a permanent magnet synchronous motor that produces high torque for low speed. Its Lithium ion battery can be charged with 100V or 200V power source. i-MiEV is a meant for four passengers and one can achieve speed up-to 130Km/Hr.

4. Coda Sedan

Coda Sedan is an all-electric car. It is meant for 5 passengers and consists of Lithium-ion phosphate battery that needs 6 Hrs to charge from 220 Volt power. Transmission in Soda is single speed gear reduction. Its ABS brakes and 6 air-bags rank it among the safest cars.

5. Ford Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect is a commercial van that best suits the people who own business. It is a comfortable and fuel-economical car. It is powered by 2.0L Dura tech 16-valve I-4 engine. Its mpg value is 21 in the city and 26 on the highway. It has 4-speed automatic transmission. It is quite spacious and best for recreational family trips.

6. Chevrolet Volt

Volt is new electric vehicle designed by Chevrolet powered by electricity. It has 16-kWH lithium-ion battery; it takes 10 Hrs to charge with standard 120-volt line or 4 Hrs from 40-volt line. Engineers have specially designed 7 air bags to enhance the safety of Chevrolet Volt. It is fuel-efficient car with stylist interior and trendy design.

7. Honda Fit EV

Honda Fit is an electric vehicle designed by Honda. It is meant for 5 passengers. Fit EV Concept has a high density motor. It could be charge in less than 12 Hrs with the help of traditional 120-volt outlet and less than 6 Hrs with 240-volt outlet. Honda Fit EV is a hatch back vehicle. It will be available in US in 2012.

8. Tesla Roadster

Roadster is the reflection of Tesla’s innovative capabilities, it is an electric car powered by 375 Volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive. One can attain speed up-to 125mph with it. Roadster consists of lithium-ion battery that requires almost 4 Hrs to charge with the help of Tesla high power wall connector at 240 Volts. Being an electric car, Roadster is Eco-friendly with zero-emission level. Once fully charged, it can run up-to 245 miles.

9. Wheego Life

Wheego Life is a hatch-back electric car from China. It’s a front wheel drive, meant for two passengers. It is powered by an electric motor (AC 50). Wheego Life has power lock doors and remote keyless entry. Power assisted four wheels disk brakes with ABS make it a safe vehicle. It contains 115 Volt Lithium pack battery. Being an electric car it is Eco-friendly and energy efficient.

10. Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma is an electric car but it is somewhat hybrid because it contains gas engine to recharge the battery. It just uses the electric motor for the power train; it can be speed up- to 125 mph (200 Km/Hr). A fully charged Fisker Karma does not need fuel at least for first 50 miles, after 50 miles its gasoline engine with the help of generator; charge the lithium-ion battery.

2011 is expected to be the year of electric cars because soaring fuel prices really hassle people. Keeping an eye on this trend, majority of leading car manufacturers have added electric cars in their current and future product lines.

Nissan has now announced that the Nissan LEAF will be manufactured at the Sunderland, UK plant. The production is expected to begin early in 2010, and the initial annual production capacity in Sunderland will be about 50,000 units. This is part of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd’s commitment to zero emission leadership.

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The Nissan LEAF will be the first in a range of upcoming Nissan electrical vehicles, which are all set to be the first affordable and mass-produced zero-emission cars. The vehicles themselves are part of Nissan’s vision for an environmentally sustainable future for road transportation.

The construction of the company’s advanced lithium-ion battery plant, which was announced last year, will begin this April, Nissan said. The facility will be at Sunderland, and will have a production capacity of 60,000 units annually. The batteries will be manufacturer 2010 onwards for not just Nissan but also for the Alliance partner Renault.

The production of the Nissan LEAF and the batteries means a total investment of more than 420 million GBP – 468.2 million Euros, in the Sunderland plant. Around 2,2,50 jobs will be opened at Nissan, and across the UK supply chain. The investment and workforce are expected to bring in confidence.

Nissan says that their new prospective is really different now.They are now hard at work with their case and depth analysis. The company has admitted that the cautious ones are really with their new marketing alt-fuel vehicles. This process is taking place in North America with their hard work being kept alive through their newly forming electric vehicles. The advanced lithium-ion batteries are about to support them by 1992.

Their officials say that they are now all about producing great cars that have zero emission. Their singularity is being shot to transitional shift with new powertrain solutions. They are also having gas-electric hybrids that they will use on US shores later in 2010.

Their newly developed identity and singularity are all about keeping US favor through their genuine gas-electric support. There is a hatchback that gives it a C-segment front drive. There is also a 4-5 seat option. However much it is eco friendly it is not to be mistaken as a slow paced car. It is fast and perfect for urban usage. It is meant to be a daily car where US customers are supposed to make 80% of drivers in less than 100km every day. They are supposed to make 70% of the world’s demand for motor driving.

Credit: autoblog

Nissan has been equipping this car to be one of the number ones to be used in America. They are specially designed for urban use and great motoring in America. They can even take control of most of their motoring majority. They can even take for power sapping and work on hilly terrains that associate with accessory draw and extreme temperatures as well. They have even made the Leaf designed in a way that it becomes a solid fit for America’s motoring majority.

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Advanced peep into the Leaf’s look gives us the idea that it is on a hands-off affair. It has formulations of the first metal impression but it still has to take a drive into the formulated technology it is planning to get into.

Credit: autoblog

The first impressions bring to point that the car has not been hugely publicly promoted. But no one is complaining as so long it is a zero emission car in today’s times, they can be promoted easily. They have alternative fuel energy and have great strategies for maintaining fuel emission. The automakers have easily focused on burnishing it for the new age conscious designs and needs.

Credit: autoblog

Its image also remains polished for coming to the US grounds. The car has accomplished the look of a new crossover that will totally blow the mind of most of infiniti vehicles. There is a huge augmentation made for it in making it a cross over design. The company’s whole focus is on making the segments put together for long term energy sustenance.

Hawaii has to import foreign oil for nearly 90% of its energy requirements and almost 25% of this oil is consumed by the buses and cars in the island.

According to Linda Lingle of the Gov. this new move will prove quite helpful for Hawaii to meet its targets of cutting petrol consumption up to 70% by 2030.

“Today is the day when we have done well enough for our energy independence, as it’s a huge step get rid off oil addiction.”

Better Place, which is a California based company, will erect its electric charging stations as well as offer recharged batteries for cars too.

Hawaiian Electric Co. that is quite well-known as Hawaii’s largest utility will sell renewable energy like wind power to the company.

Better Place is planning to open the stations by the end of 2011. The company is considering building around 50,000 to 100,000 stations statewide.

Similar sort of plans were announced by different communities including San Francisco Bay area to build Better Place power spots, however, Hawaii will become the first to develop these stations. Better Place has also signed deals to develop electric autos infrastructures in some other countries as well. – AP