Little Chinese Electric Cars Have Big Hopes

Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

TULSA--When you first see one of the Chinese cars sold by Miles of Tulsa you are struck by its size. These cars are small. REALLY small! They are also quiet, REALLY quiet! But they have one amazing ability other cars don't.

‘You pull it into the garage and plug it in just like you do a toaster,' said Miles dealer John Esche.

Esche has been selling Miles electric vehicles for two years now and realizes the current limitations of the battery-driven cars.

‘These are low-speed vehicles, they're used up to thirty-five miles-per-hour. They have a mileage limitation of roughly sixty miles. There's no oil, there's no water, absolutely no emissions whatsoever.'

But Miles Electric Vehicles claims their soon-to-be-released sedan with lithium-ion batteries will go 85 miles-per-hour and have 100-mile-plus range.

‘It takes away the low-speed aspect of electric transportation, it's really a breakthrough,' John said.

Chinese and other imported electric cars will soon battle cars like the Chevy Volt for the American auto market. With big tax rebates making them more affordable, and operating costs as low as a few cents per mile, we may be headed for a future of plugging-in rather than gassing-up.