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It may sound more like an overactive toy than a car, but Nissanswears the "Hypermini", a tiny but peppy two-seatelectric vehicle (EV), will take drivers 60 miles on a singlebattery charge-without drinking a single drop of gasoline. Whilethey're not exactly as simple to recharge as your cell phone,the Hypermini and other alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) have hitthe marketplace hard this year, and more are on the way.
The most popular and practical AFVs are hybrids powered by acombination of two energy sources, such as gasoline and naturalgas. Most models sacrifice trunk space to house batteries ornatural gas tanks, so if you carry lots of equipment, you may findthem unsuitable for your business needs. However, some provideplenty of passenger room. Toyota's Prius, for example, seatsfive.
Benefits for budgetwise businesspeople include great savings onfuel bills and some peace on the road with quiet electric motors.Honda's Insight can take you 600 to 700 miles on a single tankof gasoline, and the car's engine automatically recharges itsbuddy electric motor while you're driving.
AFV drawbacks include a current dearth of recharging stationsand natural-gas centers, lower horsepower with non-gasoline enginesand multihour recharging. Toyota's RAV4-EV sports utilityvehicle, for example, needs a 6.5-hour hook-up before it'sready to roll.
Prices for AFVs are generally in line with their standard modelsand stretch from just under $20,000 to about $40,000. Some can bepurchased as fleets only. But some dealers consider a singlecompany car a fleet, so this method could save you seriouscash.
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 The CarElectric
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Jill Amadio has reported on the automotive industry for 23years as an editor and a consultant.
