Any experience with G-wiz electric car?

Question

Has anyone had experience with the G-Wiz electric car? I'm thinking of buying one, for my cross-London commute to work. Should I buy used or new? Should I wait for better models to come out? If so, when are they likely to come out?

Answer 1

This year the frame has been updated so that the 2008 model will be a little more crash resistant, but they're still quite dangerous cars. In the U.K. they're classified as "quadricyles", not cars, because they afford very little protection from collisions. They have a top-speed around 50mph, but most crash tests agree that any crash over 35 can be seriously life threatening. This is ok if YOU want to drive slow, but knowing city traffic there's nothing stopping anyone else from hitting you at that speed.

If you wait until next year you can probably buy a REVA (G-wiz) with lithium ion batteries instead of the lead-acid batteries it uses now, which will probably double the range of the car and allow it to charge a bit quicker (also more expensive though).

In my opinion, these cars are unsafe, unsound, overpriced, and an unwise investment. There are many more micro electric cars out there that are much safer than this contraption, and considering what can go wrong in city traffic, being safe should be a top concern.