Renault Twizy EV

I like it, but I also like the idea of the Tango.
Commuter Cars - The Tango, ultra-narrow electric car for commuting; 0-60 in 4 seconds

It does have a Segway vibe to it. Styling also reminds of the Gem NEV.

Cool. Doors are optional. Like the Gem.

The 60 mile range is good, but I couldn't find mention of a top speed.

 

Twizy top speed is 50 MPH.

Tango is way cool. If I had the $$ I'd take it over the Tesla any day. :rockon:

Lots of cool Tango shenanigans on YouTube. One of my favorites:

 

According to the link for the Twizy:

That would be 113 wH per mile, or almost 9 miles per kWh. Granted, it's small and light, but I don't believe those numbers.

Last time I spoke to Rick over at Commuter Cars (just down the road from me) a couple of years ago, he was struggling to come up with capital just to stay afloat. The first time I spoke with him I was considering the Tango. (I was also considering the Tesla, not yet in production, and ended up with the Xebra, the only one of the three actually available.) At that time, Rick was estimating a six-month wait for a Tango, but there were delays and problems, and a couple of years after that he was still struggling to get the car out. There may be a few on the road, but it's not something you can just go out and buy. It's sold as a "kit" because it has not undergone any safety testing. Rick believes it is very safe. I'm not so sure. It has racing-style crossed shoulder belts, an extremely solid frame and roll bar, but no crumple zone. I asked him about that. He insisted that the very sturdy cage and racing belts made a crumple zone unnecessary. The "kit car" designation allows it to be sold without safety testing, but the assembly required is very minimal. I was told I'd have no trouble with the assembly, should I buy one. I don't like the looks, the tandem seating, or the absence of any storage space. No trunk at all. Not even any rear passenger leg area: the rear passenger's legs go next to the driver's seat, like on a motorcycle. However, you can remove the rear seat and put a storage box in its place, making it a one-seat car. For a passenger to get in and out, the driver must get out and slide the driver's seat all the way forward. A passenger cannot get in or out if anyone is in the driver's seat.

It's big selling point is that, like a motorcycle, parking is easy and you can split lanes.

I wish him all the best, and I hope he succeeds, but my Tesla has several times the range and similar acceleration for the same price tag. To get Tesla range in a Tango, brings the Tango price to 50% more than the Tesla. Unless he's changed that since I discussed prices with him 4 years ago. Maybe it was 4 1/2 years. Rick definitely knows electronics and I'd bet on the Tango to be solidly built, well designed, and reliable.

The Tesla has gone through all the safety testing.

For full disclosure, the Xebra I drove for 4 years also had never been safety tested, and in an accident would probably be toast, along with the driver.