| Company: | American Electric Vehicle |  |
| Brands: | Kurrent (out of business) | |
| Pricing: | Starting at $9800 | |
| Range: | 35-40 miles | |
| Speed: | 35 mph | |
| Batteries: | Four 12-volt lead-gel sealed batteries |
Update: This company is now out of business. See comments for details.
The American made Kurrent is what you would call a “Neighborhood Vehicle” (NV), which means it has four wheels and weighs less than 2500 lbs. In other words, it’s the fanciest golf cart you will ever drive. But that distinction comes with advantages. It uses regular household power, just plug the car into any standard 110 volt outlet. A full charge will take you 8 hours to complete. With a sticker price of $9800, it’s a car worth another look.
For my purposes, I have a family of 4 and couldn’t live with a 2 seater. I also live in New Jersey which is full of lead footed drivers. 35 mph is the speed people attain in their own driveways. The road I drive daily says 40 mph, but I get tailgated at 55 mph. Having recently blown a clutch on my Saturn, I know the feeling of having to drive on the shoulder of a highway doing 35 mph as everyone whizzes by you, and I have no plans to reenact that scenario.
So who is this car for? Someone who never travels on a highway. If you live alone in a small community and only drive to visit friends, this car might be perfect. It’s fully enclosed, passed safety tests, and comes with lights and windshield wipers. For an extra $200 you can get a nice metallic paint job and turn heads as you come whizzing down the street.
9 Comments Received
September 13th, 2008 @6:49 pm
I’ve actually driven in one of these and I didn’t think I’d make it over a speed bump, let alone an actual hill.
September 13th, 2008 @7:05 pm
Stan: Interesting that they claim a sustained speed of 25 to 35 mph without problems. Living near hills is an issue I hadn’t considered. Since I do live on a large hill, that would be a deciding factor for me. Even worse, some of the highways near me go uphil, and challenge the engine of my Saturn.
September 13th, 2008 @7:10 pm
When I was in the car, we had to go out of our way to make sure we didn’t go up or down any major hills. Down, because then we’d test the brakes too much. Up, because we’d probably never see the top. This was in the SF area, so obviously hills were a major issue.
September 13th, 2008 @11:33 pm
You’ve GOT to write about the Aptera! http://www.aptera.com 300mph and 85mph (gonna be released in CA only right now - check it out!)
I’m not spam!
I just wanted to come by - I saw your intro in the forum!
Welcome to EC!
September 14th, 2008 @2:06 am
Zyrian: For you I will review it next!
September 26th, 2008 @8:41 am
The company has gone out of business. The newest “news” story on the site is from 2007.
September 26th, 2008 @8:12 pm
Bryan: Thanks for the update! I found the following post searching for news on what happened:
The company AEVCO(Michigan) which made the Kurrent is out of business. They went out in APR 08. There is no one to get in touch with. There were only 47 cars made with only approximately 4 unsold throughout the USA. Most of the dealer that dealt with the Kurrent don’t want anything to do with the car or have gone out of business. If the dealer still exist the last time they had contact with the company is through the bankruptcy lawyers. The body frame is Italian designed and they are still in business. They just make the body. There is a car that is the UK called Electtrica that is the same car and body style made by Future Vehicle of UK. I have not been able to get a hold of anyone there. Their website does not exist anymore. Nor was I able to find any information about the car while I was in the UK on business. I know the dealers that still have the car. If you are in need of some parts you can contact me @ jmmihuc@comcast.net I may be able to help you. Any other specific information I can get you in touch with someone who use to sell the car.
October 12th, 2008 @3:29 pm
I bookmarked your blog, thanks for sharing this very interesting article
November 9th, 2008 @1:03 pm
If you are looking for something smaller than a car, the Electric Trikke is a good alternative! Great blog.
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