I posted a thread recently about electric cars in general. The niche market for pure electric cars and vans is among customers for whom long range isn't an important factor.

My guess is that as far as passenger cars are concerned, the greatest sector for battery cars is 2-seat urban commuter cars used as second cars. Whether there's a big market for family sized electric cars in the Focus / Golf sector I'm not so sure. I would have thought range-extender hybrids, which are a close relative of pure electrics, would be more suited. However, even if the market for Ford Focus sized electrics is small, Nissan will probably have all of that market to itself for a few years - although I read that an electric VW Golf is planned for 2014.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 17/05/2010 at 16:18

Edited by colinh on 17/05/2010 at 23:26

Lots of good points in Sofa Spud's thread, so have a look if you haven't seen it.

I've yet to read anywhere in the press an answer to the question that many people are asking and which I posed in that thread (and will repeat here):

SWMBO, who is on her third Mini, works from home and does a low mileage: a Mini E would suit her if it came down in price, but only because we have a garage with a power point. Most people who drive in towns and cities (where the electric car would be most practicable) have to park on the street. What do they do - run a cable from the house for someone to trip over and sue, or for teenagers on the way back from the pub at night to unplug for a jolly jape?