Are Friends Electric.
Alex Shapiro explores some options for getting around the Grove and the congestion charge.
There’s no avoiding it. Congestion charging is set to expand right through the Grove in February.
From east of Hyde Park, the zone will now extend all the way to Holland Road and West Cross Route.
No doubt, getting around the Grove will only keep getting more expensive even while parking gets
somehow more impossible every day.
Still, for most of us, giving up driving isn’t an option. But a smart, new breed of vehicles is ready to
help you get around the Grove and the congestion charge. Smaller, faster and smarter electric cars
have arrived and they’re not just exempt from congestion charging. There’s no road tax to pay either!
With London now ranking as the most-polluted city in Europe, the government’s desperate to reduce
emissions – so, as if not paying for petrol wasn’t sweet enough – you’ll get free parking at some
central locations and a growing number of free-charging points. Plus you’ll now have the rare
opportunity to out-smug hybrid drivers.
The G-Wiz is, for the moment, the most popular electric car in the Grove. You’ve probably seen this
funny looking two-seater popping up all around town, as everyone from city tycoons and trendy media
types to David Cameron, is opting for the politically correct car with a sense of humour.
It’s small, silent and totally zero-emission. With a top speed of 45mph, the G-Wiz is strictly intended for
city driving – where the average speed of traffic is around 12mph. The battery charge will last for 48
miles, which is plenty for zipping around town. Plus, being able to park perpendicular to the pavement
is like having a whole new world of parking spaces available just for you,
The G-Wiz is designed around the driver, so it’s surprisingly comfortable and you can plug in your
iPod to drown out the silence of the engine. To give it a push toward iconic status – the G-Wiz only
costs £7,995 and is now available in limited-edition animal print designs.
‘No internal combustion engines’ is nice and that’s where the NICE Car Company got its name. Their
first creation, the NICE Mega City is set to arrive in October. The company wants the Mega City to be
most guilt-free mode of transportation available. They’ve planted trees in London to offset CO2
produced by the manufacturing process and even give you the option to buy wind-generated
electricity
The NICE Mega City is bigger than the G-Wiz, which means more room but less parking joy. It’s got a
range of 50 miles to a charge and can reach 40mph. The custom satnav directs you to nearby
charging points and its funky design, relative comfort and £9,995 price tag all mean that there’s
already a waiting list to get one.
The Tango is the future of electric cars. It uses the same type of battery that’s in mobile phones,
rather then the cheaper, heavier batteries still used in other cars. Built in California, its futuristic
ambitions have already made it the new darling of eco-warrior celebs like George Clooney.
Because the passenger sits behind the driver, the tiny Tango is 20 inches narrower than a Smart
ForTwo, Inside, the Tango feels more like the cockpit of a fighter jet than a car – even more so
because it gets to 60mph from a standing start in just four seconds. Because it was built with L.A.
freeways in mind, the Tango can reach 120mph and is built to racecar safety standards, complete
with racing harness seats.
The Tango’s supercar speed and safety also add up to a supercar price tag. You can have one
shipped to your door for £72,000, for the model with up to 160 miles of range and a complete, ten-
year warranty. A version capable of 320 miles of range will be available soon for an added £21,000.
Alex Shapiro explores some options for getting around the Grove and the congestion charge.
There’s no avoiding it. Congestion charging is set to expand right through the Grove in February.
From east of Hyde Park, the zone will now extend all the way to Holland Road and West Cross Route.
No doubt, getting around the Grove will only keep getting more expensive even while parking gets
somehow more impossible every day.
Still, for most of us, giving up driving isn’t an option. But a smart, new breed of vehicles is ready to
help you get around the Grove and the congestion charge. Smaller, faster and smarter electric cars
have arrived and they’re not just exempt from congestion charging. There’s no road tax to pay either!
With London now ranking as the most-polluted city in Europe, the government’s desperate to reduce
emissions – so, as if not paying for petrol wasn’t sweet enough – you’ll get free parking at some
central locations and a growing number of free-charging points. Plus you’ll now have the rare
opportunity to out-smug hybrid drivers.
The G-Wiz is, for the moment, the most popular electric car in the Grove. You’ve probably seen this
funny looking two-seater popping up all around town, as everyone from city tycoons and trendy media
types to David Cameron, is opting for the politically correct car with a sense of humour.
It’s small, silent and totally zero-emission. With a top speed of 45mph, the G-Wiz is strictly intended for
city driving – where the average speed of traffic is around 12mph. The battery charge will last for 48
miles, which is plenty for zipping around town. Plus, being able to park perpendicular to the pavement
is like having a whole new world of parking spaces available just for you,
The G-Wiz is designed around the driver, so it’s surprisingly comfortable and you can plug in your
iPod to drown out the silence of the engine. To give it a push toward iconic status – the G-Wiz only
costs £7,995 and is now available in limited-edition animal print designs.
‘No internal combustion engines’ is nice and that’s where the NICE Car Company got its name. Their
first creation, the NICE Mega City is set to arrive in October. The company wants the Mega City to be
most guilt-free mode of transportation available. They’ve planted trees in London to offset CO2
produced by the manufacturing process and even give you the option to buy wind-generated
electricity
The NICE Mega City is bigger than the G-Wiz, which means more room but less parking joy. It’s got a
range of 50 miles to a charge and can reach 40mph. The custom satnav directs you to nearby
charging points and its funky design, relative comfort and £9,995 price tag all mean that there’s
already a waiting list to get one.
The Tango is the future of electric cars. It uses the same type of battery that’s in mobile phones,
rather then the cheaper, heavier batteries still used in other cars. Built in California, its futuristic
ambitions have already made it the new darling of eco-warrior celebs like George Clooney.
Because the passenger sits behind the driver, the tiny Tango is 20 inches narrower than a Smart
ForTwo, Inside, the Tango feels more like the cockpit of a fighter jet than a car – even more so
because it gets to 60mph from a standing start in just four seconds. Because it was built with L.A.
freeways in mind, the Tango can reach 120mph and is built to racecar safety standards, complete
with racing harness seats.
The Tango’s supercar speed and safety also add up to a supercar price tag. You can have one
shipped to your door for £72,000, for the model with up to 160 miles of range and a complete, ten-
year warranty. A version capable of 320 miles of range will be available soon for an added £21,000.
