Talking About Green

Tesla Roadster Sport

Image Credit: tinou

Tesla was a relatively unknown American car manufacturer until just a few years ago when it launched the Roadster – the then world’s fastest production electric sports car. The Roadster was fast, but Tesla decided to launch the Roadster Sport, which can hit 0-60mph in a 3.7 seconds, and best of all, it’s electric. No internal combustion engine, no hybrid systems and no petrol in sight, the Tesla is a plug-in electric sports car that will easily out-sprint its main rival, the Lotus Elise – which is powered by petrol. What makes the Tesla so impressive is its ability to accelerate with an eerily quiet ease. Handling is its downfall, though, but if you’re prepared to pay the £90,000 asking price, you will be driving one of the fastest green machines in the country.

Nissan Leaf

Image Credit: cliff1066

The Nissan Leaf has finally blown its way into showrooms – and granted it isn’t exactly a fast car. But with that said, Nissan has claimed that the Leaf will hit 0-62mph in ‘around 7.0 seconds’. If that turns out to be true, the Leaf will be considerably quicker than its petrol counterparts. A comparable Ford Focus can’t touch the Leaf’s acceleration figures. Ok, so the top speed is less than 100mph, but in reality, when do we ever do over 100mph? And if you do, then you’re speeding my friend, which is very naughty!

SSC Ultimate Aero EV

Carol Shelby is a legend in the motoring world, and his Shelby SuperCars Ultimate Aero managed to break the original Bugatti Veyron’s top speed world record. That particular car was powered by petrol and a few turbos, but Shelby has hinted that an Ultimate Aero EV car is being seriously considered. An electric Ultimate Aero that could hit 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph is something that could create havoc in a very competitive supercar market. If it does come to fruition, then SSC will be laughing all the way to the bank – let’s wait and see.

Tango T600

It’s hard to be taken seriously when your name is the same as a can of fizzy pop, but it’s even harder when the car is made in a shed by an eccentric visionary. The Tango T600 looks ridiculous, crazy and intriguing in one hard to swallow lump. But, and it’s a round and full bodied but, the T600 does have one plus point – it’s fast, in a way that only Space Shuttles can relate to. The electric motors puts out a hairy chested 805bhp and 1,000lb ft of torque – no, that wasn’t a typo! The batteries do weigh the T600 down a bit, but even so, it will hit 0-62mph in four seconds and cover a quarter-mile in an incredible 12 seconds. It’s a pretty amazing bit of kit then, just a shame about those looks. What about its rivals? Well, if you can think of any, contact us, because we can’t think of anything that competes with its size, power and awkward looks.

Dodge Circuit EV

Image Credit: TechShowNetwork

Ok, it’s not a Dodge, you’re right. Anybody with eyes can see that this is actually a re-badged Lotus Europa. But, it was a concept that is helping American electric vehicles reach a production ready basis. The Circuit promised around 250bhp and 480lb ft of torque from its electric motor – and more importantly, a top speed of 120mph. It’s that kind of motor technology that could help modern day electric cars reach the higher top end speeds that the current crop can’t quite manage. It’s looking good for the future, though.

This article was put together by Netcars, who specialise in used Nissan, Ford, BMW and Audi.