What's it like driving an Electric Car? [Citroen Ax]

I felt like a cartoon character who has just stepped off a cliff and has been walking on thin air for a while. I told myself "why in the world did I spend money on that thing? Why didn't I buy a real car?" By now, this sensation is mostly gone, but sometimes it reappears when I look at that curious white thing parked in my driveway. It is like, I can tell you, switching from Vista to Linux, something that I did a few months ago. Linux is cheaper, easier and faster, but the psychological impact during the first months is not unlike that of being abducted by a flying saucer and married to an alien princess.

So, there is an attitude problem with electric cars. People just don't seem to be able to understand that a car may be something that doesn't make noise, doesn't emit smoke, doesn't use fuel. Electric vehicles just aren't seen as "real". - The Oil Drum

SHOOT: Very interesting real world perspective. Take time out to read the whole TOD article.

clipped from europe.theoildrum.com I can already give you an assessment of this car. And I can tell you that it is a great little car: perfect for suburban commuting. Simple, cheap, quiet, easy to drive. The maximum speed is 95 km/h, enough to run on highways. It is very inexpensive to refuel, it goes 100 km with one recharge that, in Italy, costs less than 2 Euros. Much less for me since I have photovoltaic panels on my roof. The limited range is not a problem, although you have to program your trips a little. So, after some time, you start thinking that this is the way all cars should be: silent, cheap and zero emission. If you happen to be back at the wheel of an ordinary car; you feel that there is something wrong with all that noise. Also, what is that funny stick protruding out of the floor? Then, you start thinking that you are running around with 50 liters of flammable gasoline behind your back. Doesn't that make you feel uneasy? And, if you happen to give a look under the hood - eek!