Sponsored by
Charging into the future
The Bucks Herald's motoring editor Alan Candy road tests an electric car around Aylesbury.
I turned the ignition key.
Absolutely nothing.
I looked up helplessly and dealership owner Gary Band smiled knowingly.
"There's no engine noise, just hit the accelerator and away you go," he explained.
Driving this particular electric car – a Sakura Maranello4 – is an eerie experience, and laughably simple.
A tiny gearstick raised up just under the dashboard doesn't need much mastering– press the knob on the top and push the lever forward or backwards, depending on which way you want to go.
A bit like a milk float, really.
The tiny Italian-built, battery- powered model is a two-seater, and actually shorter than a Smart car.
But it never feels cramped, as there's stacks of headroom and surprising luggage space behind the rear seats.
Best of all, it costs peanuts to run.
Plug it into an ordinary household socket for a couple of hours and – hey presto! – you have enough juice to take you from 70 km to 100 km (43.4-62.1 miles) from a single charge.
Travelling around town is strangely quiet, with just a ghostly soprano warble emanating from the cute Maranello.
The speedo said it would do 120km/h (74.5mph) but I only managed 35km/h flat out (21.7 mph), which was pretty pedestrian.
Other than that, handling, manoeuvring and comfort levels were surprisingly high.
Around town I could certainly live with an electric car – especially as I would be paying no road tax and could take it and park it more or less anywhere free (including London).
And there's the feelgood factor of flying the green flag...
Mr Band, of Country Cars & Vans, in Buckingham Road, Aylesbury, said: "We bought it to do our bit for the environment and for a bit of fun, really."
The 2007 Maranello is on sale there for 4,500 ... and has only done about 600 miles. Call 01296 421114 for full details.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Champions Red Bull set to unveil Mark Webber’s new RB8
- Aylesbury murder trial latest: ‘Family row night before killing’
- Slipping and a sliding in the Bourg Walk boogie
- Aylesbury murder trial latest: Police criticised over ‘unfair’ interviews with ‘loving’ husband
- Aylesbury murder trial latest: ‘Blood found on husband’s shoes’
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Aylesbury
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
