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2. Test Drive

“In this mode, the engine sounds like a miniature jet turbine,” says Anthony Moore, of Rickenbaugh Fisker, as I hit 75 mph on West 6th Avenue. Like other Fisker models, the Karma EcoChic has a “Sport” paddle on the steering wheel, which I’ve toggled, quickly transitioning from the mid-mounted lithium ion battery to gasoline. The orange LCD tachometer jumps to the right. “Cops don’t have many places to hide here. That’s why I take clients down this way.”

Unlike many electric or hybrid cars, Fisker and Tesla try breaking stigmas associated with green vehicles. By design, the EcoChic, with its plush, animal-free upholstery, reclaimed wood and baked-in, solar-panel rooftop, is a loud self-proclamation of eco-friendliness. The distinguishing aspect? Two 201 brake horsepower motors. Makes it hard not to push the 1300 newton-meters of torque.

When I switch the steering paddle to “Stealth” (battery), we’re thrown back into our seats. Given its $100,000 price tag, Fisker has only been able to sell 1,800 to date (one of them to Justin Bieber). And after a recent slew of layoffs at their California headquarters, and designer Henrik Fisker’s (conveniently timed) resignation, the company is on the fritz.

Moore’s cornflower blue, pinstriped sleeve comes into view as he shows the cars diagnostics on a Tron-esque touchscreen interface. All together, the battery has a 50-mile range. For one-forth the price, though, you can double that type of battery mileage.

“There’s a couple things a fully electric car is gonna have over any hybrid,” says Jeff Torbush of Empire Lakewood Nissan. “Gas with electric. Gas with natural gas. Gas with hamster—it doesn’t matter. If you run two systems, you take up twice as much space.”

Days later, I’m in Nissan’s new Leaf SV, a fully electric vehicle with a 6.6 kW on-board charger, delivering a full battery in four hours. Besides being able to preprogram recharge times and A/C climate remotely with your smartphone through an intuitive app, Leaf’s Zero Emissions dashboard control panel gives energy diagnostics—an historical account of your driving efficiency habits.

The Leaf’s battery range is tailored nicely for commutes under 80 miles—a distance many people don’t make daily. Most miles are wasted on impromptu errands. But what if we could better control those habits? It even begs the question: Why own a car?

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