| How to Save Money by Greener Driving |
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| Green Car
Guide |
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The Top 10 Green Cars - Electric City Cars
| City Cars |
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Electric
2. Mega City
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| Model/Engine size: One model only |
| Fuel: Electric |
Fuel economy combined:
Up to 600 mpg equivalent |
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Summary
The electric Mega City is the first real competitor to the popular G-Wiz, and comparison between the two is bound to happen.
The Mega City is based on an existing car made in France, powered by a traditional diesel or petrol engine. It’s now being marketed with an electric engine in the London area by NICE (standing for ‘No Internal Combustion Engine’).
Along with the G-Wiz, the Mega City is exempt from the central London Congestion Charge and parking charges in areas of central London; there is no road tax to pay, and it needs no petrol; but it should be recharged with renewable electricity to be truly green.
The main difference between the Mega City and the G-Wiz is that the Mega City feels more like a ‘proper’ car. The overall build quality feels much more solid, and the higher quality interior is a major factor in this. The Mega City is also larger, although it only has two seats, whereas the diminutive G-Wiz somehow manages to cram 4 seats into its tiny body, even through the rear seats are only really suitable for very small children. The styling of the Mega City is also probably to more people’s tastes than the G-Wiz. The Mega’s performance, driving experience, and the ‘get up and go’ is absolutely fine for London traffic.
So if you want cheap, environmentally-friendly motoring in London, which car do you go for? If you’re happy to have ‘cheap, cheerful and quirky’, go for the G-Wiz. If you want a vehicle that starts to bridge the gap between an electric novelty that’s not generally accepted as a proper car and a vehicle that feels much more like a mainstream offering from a mass manufacturer, go for the Mega City – it’s more expensive at £10,498, but there are likely to be plenty of people who are willing to pay the premium for better build quality and a more car-like overall feel. |
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| Fuel economy extra urban: N/A |
| Fuel economy urban: N/A |
| CO2 emissions: Very low/potentially zero* |
| Green rating: VED band A - £0 a year |
| Weight: 645 Kg |
| Company car tax liability (2007): 9% |
| Price: £10,498 |
| Insurance group: 1 |
| Safety: NCAP N/A |
| Max speed: 40mph |
| 0-60mph: N/A |
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* if recharged with renewable electricity |
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