Optimal's Joule electric vehicle seats six, on track for launch next year
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 6th 2009 4:44PM
posted April 6th 2009 4:44PM
[Via AutoblogGreen]
posted April 6th 2009 4:44PM
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looks decent
Looks decent for $33K? Pay up a few thou and get something from Tesla.
The price could be lowered just by manufacturing the Joule in the US. Shipping from South Africa will get expensive.
@BigD145
agreed.
but why does that comment necessitate replying to mine instead of spending the extra effort to scroll down the page???
just curious.
I'd rather buy a C300 benz, kill the planet and drive it to hell.
looks bloody horrible.
Tesla is the only el-car maker that seems to have understood that el vehicles don't need to look like bad jokes to"look the part".
I whish I could afford a Tesla roadster but unfortunately I don't.
Maybe next year, when I'll have finished to pay for my 60" kouro (or more probably not even then)
Because mine was more a reply to bjsguess than you.
It's all a lie until I see one drive by my window
compressed prius?
Prius are not 6 seaters. So you should say expanded Prius if anything. But even then you'd be wrong.
Electric car here.
Don't forget, it's also parked illegally.
It looks more like it was "rendered in the wrong place" to me.
And what does it seat six of? Definitely not adult humans.
http://www.helpnu.com/images/wonkpic1.jpg
Pure, unaltered fugliness
It is debut?
/smartass
Am I the only one who finds the overall design of these Eco-Friendly vehicles to be near horrendous? Im only 21, but I love the design of all the 70's, 80's, and some 90's stylings.
The big boat caddys and such, seem to be going extinct for a more compact, futuristic design.
*sigh*
Those 1970s land yachts are what brought the American automakers to the brink of bankruptcy. Get with the times, dude
Well, maybe building land yachts plus the fact that they're forced to pay auto workers $80k to turn screws. THANKS UAW!!! I agree, with old-school design lines. The Dodge Challenger looks hot and is selling like it too. Make a watt-tappin version of that.
degaff,
A friend of mine converted a land yacht to a dual propane/gas setup using a kit for truck. He has commercial access to bulk propane and it runs great. Total conversion was less then 2K.
That's a pretty lazy photoshop job. These guys are about five days too late for this...
It's ironic that a car from the future looks like a cardboard cutout and not actually 'shopped.
Ugly. Why can't electric cars look like a real sedan. They need a Mazda Miata Electric. Tony two-seater sports car, electric with at least 150 miles per charge and under $30k. I'd buy that.
With most EVs promising 40-80 mile distances, what is the recharge time on a 250 mile battery?
Hybrids are a better choice. Gas-powered vehicles are too mainstream and relying on electricity completely is not a good option as of now. The biggest issue is that despite a mileage of 250 miles, you have to wait HOURS for each charge. Also, you get a better value out of regular and hybrid vehicles for an added bonus.
swappable battery infrastructure.
http://www.betterplace.com/
looks cheap for $33k. i'd rather buy mid-level sedan than this.
I like! If it's a futuristic car, why shouldn't it have a "futuristic" design instead of looking like the same old crap with crap mileage they've been selling? I probably won't have the dough to spend on this, but the design will succeed in turning heads, which is good marketing and good for raising awareness of electric cars. "It's electric! doo-doo-doo-duh-doo, duh-doo-doo-doo..."
Seats six what? Oompa-loompas?
It doesn't look too bad except for that bizaare bump on the front.
Looks like they stole the design of the Subaru R2/R1.
When are these going to get pricing that "Main Street" can afford. If we are to move more & more toward clean & efficient electric cars then they need to be in the under $20,000 range. Hard to justify spending $30,000 for something that's going to be worthless in 5 yrs. & need $3,000 in battery replacement.
I just realized - electric vehicle mileage will be the next megapixel wars. Just like no consumer today needs more than 6 MP or so, car companies will eventually charge with "200 miles!" "300 miles!" when most people only drive 30 miles a day.
wtf, why South Africa? such a random place to test a car.
@Motoken - Every single major manufacturer makes cars in South Africa. Not so random.
I put sugar in your engine.
It looks uh...wavy?