7 New Electric Cars Available in 2011

Much anticipated electric cars are hitting showrooms this year, from the Nissan Leaf to the Chevy Volt, Coda, Think, Fisker Karma and more.
By Jim Motavalli

Smart Electric Drive

What is It? The Smart EV is a plug-in version of one of the original eco-cars, the Smart fortwo. The battery pack is sourced from Daimler's ongoing collaboration with Tesla Motors, which is also producing an electric version of the Mercedes A-Class. The Smart electric drive is still in the test program phase, but it is likely to expand if it succeeds in the marketplace.

Under the Hood: A 30-kilowatt peak-power motor and a 16.5 kilowatt-hour li-ion battery pack (sourced from Tesla Motors).

Range: 83 miles

Performance: Better than the gas version.

Delivery Date: A small fleet of 250 is being deployed in the U.S., in Portland (Oregon); San Jose and Los Angeles, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Austin, Texas (which hosts Daimler's Car2go car-sharing program); Detroit, Michigan; and the Washington-to-Boston I-95 corridor.

Bottom Line: $44,837, but initial cars will be available for a four-year, $599 a month lease.