The freshly unveiled all-electric Lightning GT we showed you yesterday is certainly garnering a lot of attention and video tape at this years British International Motor Show. We received a message from British electric-car vlogger, Danny, telling us he had footage of the hi-tech silver beauty having its shroud publicly removed. We rushed to watch it and happily discovered he also had his own mini Q & A session with Lightning Car Company representative, Chris Dell. We got to hear some very interesting tidbits that answer some of the questions we've been getting. For instance, the range is less than we hoped for at about 150 to 180 miles (this should come as no surprise since the Altairnano batteries only have half the energy density of the cells used by Tesla). However, the size of the 36 Kwh battery pack can be increased. Mr Dell informs us the "nought to sixty" time should be under 4 seconds with its top speed limited to 130 mph. Just as impressive as its Tesla-challenging numbers was the way it looked with its linen removed, spinning on the turntable.

Another comment we heard a lot yesterday was that it's still vapor because it's not driveable. Our second video, though brief, dumps a lake full of cold water on this assumption. From RockaboxMedia comes teaser footage of the Lightning GT looking quite at home on a length of track. In true teaser fashion, most of the clip is soundless and in slow-motion but they promise they will bring us a full documentary on the creation and launch of the car. Unfortunately, they aren't sharing the embed code so you must go to YouTube to see it.

The last video we want to bring to your attention today is an Al Jazeera news piece that seems to hold the spotlight on the Lightning GT. We are briefly shown the NICE Mega City but most of the report seems to be spent contrasting the Tesla Roadster with the new UK contender. Find out which vehicle the British-accented presenter prefers as well as Danny's video after the jump.


[Source: Danny's Contentment / YouTube]

We've discussed these electric cars before but now Whatcar? has gathered the NICE Mega City, the Smart ed, the Micro-Vett Fiat Doblo, and the Reva G-Wiz together for a group evaluation on the streets of London town to "...decide whether or not they do make a practical alternative to urban transport.". The first thing they discovered about the cars as they prepared for the initial shoot is that people are now extremely interested in electric vehicles as the quartet attracted "masses" of people with lots of questions.

So, how did they do? Somewhat surprisingly the G-Wiz seemed to best the Mega City as it was quicker, stronger and less expensive. The G-Wiz is set to get even better in Q4 when lithium ion batteries become an option and it's range and, no doubt its power, receive a welcome boost. The presenter, Peter Lawton, enjoyed the Smart ed saying that after driving the quadricycle entrants it "felt as safe as a tank.". This is another vehicle whose performance will greatly improve when they are produced with a lithium ion battery though the sodium-nickel chloride version is already quicker then the gas burning one. Lastly, the electric Doblo was the only vehicle already equipped with li-ion and had the best range and top speed. It also had the seating for 5 and a "boot". Although it was also the most expensive at £30,000 (nearly $60,000), it seemed the best choice for both the streets of London and those of America. Hit the jump to check all the shootout action as well as a bonus visit to a fuel price protest at the end of the clip.

[Source: WhatCar?]

The review is by MegaWhat TV, a web TV channel producing weekly shows about any new electronic gadget, which now includes this car. While it does look like the "special" child of the smart ForTwo and Fiat 500, the fact is that it's being put into production now, with preorders currently being taken. Turns out, while it's a very small car, it very well suits the market it's aiming at - strict city-dwellers with hearts of gold. I added that last part, but if they're going green, they're golden in my book. The boot (read: trunk) is larger than you would expect, but that's where the pleasant surprises end. The speedometer doesn't go past 50 mph - again, suburbanites and vacationers can't make much use of that, but this car isn't made with them in mind. Range is 40 miles per charge, and there are apparently charging stations on curbs in London already. Unfortunately, as our host points out, while the cable can't be detached from said charging station, some jerk can walk past and yank it out of the car itself, whereupon you come out of the office, unable to get home for a few hours.

I would expect this car to be a success in the U.K. People there are, shall we say, less fickle than we are here, and the styling won't bother as many potential buyers (watch out the windows to see the other real 'lookers' on the road there). The fit and finish of the interior leaves a bit to be desired, but unless you're loaded, there's always trade-offs.

[Source: MegaWhat TV Thanks for the tip, Linton!]

Newconsumer.tv gives us a nice nine minute video about what it's like to drive two small all-electric cars in the streets of London: the NICE Mega City and the G-wiz.

The G-wiz feels punchier, the reviewer says, but the Mega City's interior is roomier and feels more like a standard petrol car. The NICE Mega City doesn't have power steering, though, which he says makes handling a bit difficult. Driving the G-wiz "feels like a video game" and he's awful skeptical of the claim that it's a four seater, even though the G-wiz owner interviewed for the bit explains that her family of four fits in just fine, especially since they know they'll never be going very far. They make a bit of a compromise inside the car for a better outside. We also pay a visit to London's free electric charging stations.

All in all, the reviewer is pretty impressed with these cars in the city, but watch for yourself. Remember, too, there are safety issues with the tiny G-wiz.

[Source: YouTube, h/t to Linton]

The NICE (No Internal Combustion Engine) car company unveiled the MEGA City electric car this week at the British Motor Show.

In the wake of the unveiling of the spectacular Tesla Roadster sports car, the MEGA City seems completely boring by comparison. Beyond the 2-seat passenger configuration, the Tesla and the NICE couldn't be more different. With its 4kW maximum output, 40 mph top speed, and 38 to 50 mile range on a full charge, no one is ever going to accuse the MEGA City of setting any performance benchmarks.

Then again, the NICE isn't about all that. It is a pure city car designed to be used on the streets of London, where its exempt from the congestion and road taxes, pulls a low insurance premium, and qualifies its driver for free or cut-rate parking. Oh, and it also won't break the bank with its £9,995 starting price. NICE even has an agreement worked out with self-service car rental agency Streetcar that will let drivers rent a VW at reduced prices if they need to go somewhere outside of the EV's range.

The NICE MEGA City is a robust-looking little package that's available in 5 colors and is reasonably well-equipped right out of the showroom. Beyond that, the list of available options is highlighted by a satellite navigation system that has London's free Park-and-Charge recharging points pre-programmed into it. Nice touch. Drivers will be able to download updates via the NICE website.

For London's urbanites, the NICE MEGA City offers a stylish, zero-emissions automotive solution that's affordable at the same time.

(Additional info after the jump)

Source: NICE