Electric car made ‘as logical as possible’
Associated Press, Forbes
By MURRAY EVANS
OKLAHOMA CITY — Turn the key on the Wheego Whip to start the engine, and it sounds like nothing has happened, although it has. Drive it around with the window open and ambient sounds – everything but the engine – fill the ears.
Mike McQuary, the chief executive of Atlanta-based Wheego Electric Cars Inc., said Tuesday he hopes the quiet car is among the vehicles that will help wean the U.S. off of foreign oil. During a presentation of the two-seat car at the state Capitol, he said the company’s goal is to bring “real street-going electric cars to the U.S.” that also are affordable.
The current top speed of the Wheego Whip is 35 mph, although McQuary said his company is working on a model that should be out next summer that will travel up to 65 mph.
Inside, the car – at 63 inches high and 63.2 inches wide – still has storage behind the seats. It has a stereo system, and air conditioning is an option.
The car has a wheel base of 79.7 inches, which is a little more than 6 1/2 feet. By comparison, the 2010 Honda Civic – a popular subcompact – has a 106-inch wheel base.
The Whip can be charged from a standard household outlet and will run about 35 to 40 miles on a single charge, McQuary said, adding that the 2010 model will be expected to run about 100 miles on a single charge.
If the EESTOR “battery” is real, the Wheego could have double the range and half the re-charging time. I’m not trying to make the perfect be the enemy of the good but a better battery really does change everything about electric cars.
I live in El Paso and have to be able to travel from one end of the city to the other (about 26 miles one way) plus some extra stops depending on how many clients I have to see. So let’s figure 75 miles. I’m ready for an MSEV (medium speed electric vehicle) if the range was right. 35mph is okay.