BugE Electric Vehicle Now Shipping

A couple of months ago, I ran across a link to a light electric vehicle called the BugE. It was notable not only because it's just a cool little bit of transportation technology that'll do 40mph, but because it was going to be far cheaper than the $25,000 to $100,000 that other electric vehicles capable of that speed tend to cost.

Today I got a note indicating that these things are finally shipping and you can order one. While they're a bit more expensive when all is said and done (about $5000 plus shipping) than the $3000 ballpark number thrown out when it was first mentioned, we're still talking about a very reasonable price for a slick little vehicle. The $5000 number is what it takes when you buy the kit, plus the lighting bits and the motor/controller/etc kit in addition.

I really like that his design specifically set out to be simple, using fewer parts than his previous designs. This makes the kits easier to build and cheaper to manufacture, which are critical to pushing stuff like this into the public consciousness. Even at $5000, it's in the price range of a snowmobile, ATV, boat, etc. That makes it a do-able project for a dedicated enthusiast (though it'll be a year or 2 before I'm up for it yet), instead of only for the die hards out there.

Given some of the recent total-cost-of-ownership I've seen for the iPhone, this would be a much more interesting way to spend that same money, as far as I'm concerned.