If you are either a tech enthusiast, or environmentally friendly citizen you may have your eye on a new fully electric vehicle. You should stop for a second to consider what’s on offer. In the medium price range of around $60k, there’s actually quite a big difference between manufacturers for what you get for your dollars.
In Australia, the only fully electric car available is the Mitsubishi jelly bean iMiev which will set you back the best part of $60k. In the US, you can pick up the latest Tesla Model S, also for around $60k. Admittedly these are in different currencies, however given the US > AUD conversion, there’s really not a lot of difference between the two right now. In terms of the cars on offer at that price, there is indeed a world of difference.
If you take the base Mitsubishi iMiev, you’ll get a 4 Door Hatch with a 49kw, 180Nm electric engine. The car is 2 wheel drive (FWD) with 15” wheels and tips the scales at 1,100Kgs. Putting the foot to the floor, you’ll reach 100km/h in around 13.4 seconds. It retails for A$53,132 Drive away, with a $2k Audio Visual pack bringing the cost to A$55,182. It’s range.. around 160km per charge.
The 4-door sports car can seat up to 7, that’s 5 adults and 2 children. Achieving speeds of 0-96km/h in just 5.6 seconds, the interior is no slouch either. Featuring an amazing 17” touchscreen with 3G compatibility to run streaming radio, GPS navigation and even movie showtimes. The base right-hand drive model of the Tesla Model S will achieve a range of 255km, but have battery options that allow ranges up to 480km. The Tesla Model S starts at around US$60k. The version with the biggest battery will set you back US$69,900 and that’s after 7.5k tax credit.
While the upper end of the Tesla Model S is expensive, the entry model looks to be great value for money compared to the little Mitsu iMiev. It’s pretty easy to make a choice between the two, however Tesla only plan to ship 20,000 units per year, so getting access to one, may be easier said than done.
