MILES XS500 ELECTRIC FOR CARS


Last year, we wrote about the XS 500 by the Miles Automotive Group, what was supposed to be the first affordable electric car that can do highway speeds with a decent range. Unfortunately, it seems like the $30,000 price tag has almost doubled (inflation's that bad, eh?) to €40,000, which converts to a little under $60,000. But there's still hope: maybe this simply means that it will be more expensive in Europe than elsewhere. We've contacted a Miles employee to try to confirm what's going on. 

Update: Good news! "Information regarding an increase in the projected price of the MILES XS500 which was listed on AutoblogGreen and Treehugger.com was the result of miscommunication between a writer and our EU distributor, MILES-Benelux BV. Our 2009 XS500 model is still projected to sell for $30,000 to $35,000 in the United States."

Update: "AllGreenVehicles, the MILES-Benelux BV distributor, currently distributes the low speed Miles Electric Vehicles models in the Benelux countries. When the XS500 is available for purchase, MILES-Benelux BV will be distributing the sedan in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg; but, the price for the XS500 has not yet been set for those markets. The MSRP for the XS500 is set by the manufacturer, Miles Electric Vehicles, and not by the distributors."

With a little luck, they'll sell a good number and that will make the prices go down. We hope so, because although not out of this world, the specifications of the car are attractive compared to many other electric vehicles.

-Rapid acceleration to top speed of 80+ mph (130+ kph)
-120+ miles driving range (200+ kilometers)
-Battery life of approximately 100,000 miles.
-Minimal maintenance required, very low operating costs
-One charge costs about the price of one gallon of gasoline
-Charged on any standard 220V wall socket
-Advanced airbags
-Safety-tested proprietary li-ion battery pack

We wish we had more detailed specs, but they don't seem available anywhere yet. The car is supposed to be in showrooms at the end of 2008, so we should hear about it before then.