Miles XS500 Electric Highway Speed Sedan

Are you looking forward to hopping in your can and NEVER having to fill up for gas again? You may have to wait a couple years, but only a couple. By 2010 you may have your choice of electric vehicles to choose from. Of them, the California made Miles XS500. The Miles Company is working on mass producing these cars. They will go 80 plus miles per hour, have a range of 120 miles, and plug in to a 220 V socket. It takes a full night to recharge the battery. The car should be available by late 2009 and cost around $39K.

There are some great positives to this car. First off, it is only slightly more expensive than the other gas sedans available. With it being electric, you will not have to worry about running out of gas or having to pay 40 bucks to fill it up. The range of 120 miles should cover most people for a couple days or so before one would have to fill it up. It goes highway speeds; you will not have to worry about a slow vehicle. The best part about the car is the fact that it looks like a normal car. Chances are people will not realize that it is not a gas car, unless they realize there is no tailpipe.

There are some downsides. The car will not be available for at least another year. As in any new prototype there are bound to be some issues with the first batch of vehicles to come out. If you are planning on taking a vacation to a place that is more than 100 miles away, this car will probably not suit you very well. For some, there may be an annoyance of waiting eight hours to charge a car. Another issue is the battery life. The lithium-ion battery will only last about 100,000 miles. The battery is the most expensive part of the vehicle, replacing the battery will only add onto the long term price of the car.

Zap, Zenn, Tesla, Phoenix and General Motors all make comparable cars.

If you are looking for the car of the future, Miles may be it. It is priced fairly competitively at around $39,000. It goes highway speeds and should have a battery life to get you to and from work no problem. The car looks roomy and should fit four to five people comfortably. There is the annoyance of a battery that constantly need to be recharged, but if you are willing to deal with it, it should be a fine car.