Top Three Electric Cars

1. Tesla Roadster

This $100,000 two-seater packed with 6,831 laptop batteries is now shipping in limited numbers. Originally, the 2,700-pound vehicle could zip from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, but since then its problematic transmission has been limited to one gear only, reducing that acceleration to a 0 to 60 time of 5.9 seconds.

Tesla Motorspromises to replace that makeshift transmission with a new unit as soon as it’s developed; meanwhile, Tesla says it will roll out 1,000 cars this year, with the waiting list into next year already full.

2.Fisker Karma

Check out this Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid sports car, a comely road rocket whose designer Henrik Fisker hails from BMW and Aston Martin. The $80K car supposedly will go 125 mph, but beyond that number and lots of sexy pictures, the company is mum about the progress with its power plant it says is made by Quantum Technologies. Too bad the company is now being sued by Tesla Motors for swiping trade secrets. Fisker says he’ll be showing off a test vehicle before this summer, and hopes to produce the first cars sometime in 2009. So far, it’s a lot of talk.

3.Renault-Nissan

Here’s a novel idea: Give away electric cars, and then sell battery maintenance in a contract-based business model. Called Project Better Place, it’s a plan scheduled to start this year that involves a huge grid of parking meter-like charging units, along with refueling stations where the entire battery can be quickly swapped out for a fresh one. The cars, jointly developed by Renault-Nissan, will have a 100+ mile range, a 100 mph top speed and will go 0 to 60 in under 10 seconds.