Years after GM killed off its EV1 electric car, car makers are finally rolling out electric cars again. We take a look at three EVs on sale overseas and one that's available locally.

The only model for sale in our great brown land is the evMe, which is engineered and reassembled at Energetique's headquarters in Armidale. It handles almost like the Mazda 2 it's based on, although it's much quieter and there's none of the usual gear changing theatrics. With range set at about 200km and a full recharge requiring 15 hours, it's best suited to city driving.

Pushed by the country's tax regime, as well as its tightly packed cities, small but tall kei-cars are all the rage in Japan. Little wonder then that the country's first two production EVs are kei-car-based. There's the rather utilitarian Subaru Stella EV and the pinch-its-cheeks-cute Mitsubishi i MiEV which, if the rumours prove to be true, could one day go on sale here.

Swapping practically for speed and sexiness is the much lauded Tesla Roadster. Based on the Lotus Elise, the Roadster is currently on sale in the US and Europe, and is a first step for the start-up company, which is hoping to produce a more practical, but just as slinky, electric sedan for under US$50k by 2011.

For all the electrics listed here, the main stumbling block is price — AU$70k for the evMe — the majority of which is gobbled up by the Lithium-ion batteries. Until production ramps up significantly and battery prices fall further, or alternative schemes, such as Better Place's battery swap stations, take hold, most of us will keep chugging along with our dino-juice quaffing pride and joys.

By Derek Fung

Tesla Roadster

Mitsubishi i MiEV

Subaru Stella EV