Dear Tom and Ray:
I'm tired of waiting for the American auto industry to come up with an affordable all-electric car, so I'm looking seriously into buying a Chinese-made Flybo. I know it has a top speed of 43 mph, and lacks a lot of basic safety and comfort extras (no air bags, no heat ...) but the same is true of the '87 Dodge Raider I'm driving now. I want an electric car not only because of the price of fuel, but also because of environmental issues. My question is, how easy (or difficult) will it be to service this car? I will need to have this auto shipped from Michigan to Wyoming. And I don't know of any Flybo dealerships in the U.S. What could go wrong with this car, and how can it be fixed? --Kate
Ray: Kate, you are about to join the wacko fringe. You know those guys who live in yurts, feeding themselves off their own homemade acorn granola and squirrel yogurt? Ask them about their Flybos.
Tom: We admire your environmental ambitions, Kate. And we agree with you that electric propulsion is probably where cars are eventually heading. But it's very difficult to be an early adopter. Especially when you're adopting something that has no serious support network. So, unless you're married to a very handy electrical engineer, who happens to live in a yurt, you're almost certainly sentencing yourself to years of trouble in finding parts and people willing to work on this thing.
Ray: Here's what we'd recommend instead. Adopt the best available, widely supported current solution. Hybrids like the Toyota Prius, and Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid are getting 40-50 miles per gallon. And they're doing it with all of the latest and greatest safety equipment.
Tom: If that's not good enough, there are a number of people who offer plugin conversion kits for those cars, which will turn your Prius into a car that can be plugged in at night and operate only on electric power much of the time. That's pretty close to what you're looking for now, isn't it?
Ray: And now that America has figured out that things finally need to
change, it'll be only a few more years before carmakers are offering real, functional, highly energy-efficient, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. With warranties, air bags, dealer networks and heat! So take it a step at a time, Kate.
(Car Talk is a nationally syndicated column by automotive experts (and brothers) Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Write to them at the Car Talk Web site.)
7 Comments
By wythors on July 2, 2009 4:34 PM
Tom and Ray, please don't forget the Ford Fusion and Escape hybrids.
By john on July 2, 2009 5:46 PM
The escape and fusion hybrids don't really count in my book. Any new car that gets less than 40 mpg is a crime. Do we really need such huge powerful vehicles to putt us around? I'm looking forward to something along the lines of an electric honda fit or toyota yaris.
By cmf-seattle on July 2, 2009 7:06 PM
it's not which car one drives; it's one's overall lifestyle.
as long as those who show compassion are characterized as "wackos" and 25% of the world's population are consuming 75% of the world's resources, "developed" countries' standard of living is oppressive and unsustainable.
as much as i hate to be a cynic, it looks like things won't change until they have to.
By Michael on July 3, 2009 9:48 AM
JOHN--you are an idiot with this sentence--
Any new car that gets less than 40 mpg is a crime
Read Federal laws and then understand why larger cars will always be needed---do you have any kids under 8 years old?? They have to be in a child seat that takes up more room than you understand and it's a federal law--and you will get a ticket if you don't do this--so if you have 2 or 3 kids under 8----you can't drive a yaris or a prius or anything ending in sight--
Do you know what powers all of the worlds ships and trains??? DIESEL you retard---!!!
There are no standards for pollution at all for ships and or trains---How about India and China--ever been there??? they use COAL for power and DIESEL/GAS for everything else---we the USA can not put ourselves into an economic meltdown over pollution issues to save the world--when the WORLD does not want to be saved---
Grow up and actually read/understand the whole situation in world climate of economics/politics and the pollution issue--
By JohnQPublic on July 3, 2009 9:53 PM
Actually, there ARE emissions standards for trains.
All locomotives built in the U.S. today must meet EPA Tier-II emissions requirements, which is why EMD had to revamp their SD70MAC line of locomotives to the more efficient SD70ACEs, and General Electric developed their GEVO line and is currently working on a hybrid version of the GEVO heavy-haul locomotive.
Ships are much harder to regulate because they are international in nature.
As far as U.S. automakers making electric cars, it's happening right now. Check out Tesla Motors-- Their all-electric Roadster is in production and available for purchase, and their Model S all-electric full-size family sedan is due in production shortly.
By JohnQPublic on July 3, 2009 9:57 PM
Oh, and the Tesla cars aren't some piddly dressed up golf carts that people tend to think when "electric car" is mentioned.
The Tesla Roadster does 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. It is a real sports car with a chassis designed by Lotus.
By Almost a Wacko on July 6, 2009 3:01 PM
Well, I don't live in a yurt, but I kind of like the thought of it...
But I do drive a Gizmo, a 40mph, three wheeled golf-cart on steroids. It's a kick to drive around in, but certainly not something I'd trust my kids in.
As usual, these guys have it right. I am just able to tinker around enough to keep this little contraption running, but it is not for the faint of heart. A few more years and I truly believe we will have OEM options that we can buy for less than $30k. And they will have these handy little things called service centers. And warranties.
Hold off just a bit and be on the cutting edge, not the bleeding edge.
--Almost a Wacko