You know what? There is basically NO reason for an elecrtic vehicle to cost what they do. That rediculous battery “tether” is beyond a white elephant already…BESIDES depleting rare earths being as bad as fracking.
Look, even a college physics or engineering student can figure out THIS one………a battery on a CART, in your garage, or small storage shed, you wheel it over the the rear hatch that even an idiot could design, you press the button, and the spent battery IN the car is pulled onto the cart. Then, the OTHER battery, is installed into the car by the same conveyer running the other way.
And NO, this set up won’t work for most tight metros, people without the ability to have a garage or shed…..bla bla bla….ok, so let’s just not let ANYONE have this kind of car….so everyone is equal….after all, what good would 100 million $21,995 electric cars with an extra $3000 battery and a $750 cart do for the envirnment anyway?

just a hint: mph is understood well in the USA. All other countries in the
whole wide world are metric and to mutiply by 5 and divide by 8 to convert, is a bit af a pain.

Here’s what one reviewer said about the original Beetle:
“[T]here is a combination of civilized U.S.-type comfort and fun in the VW that the Renault doesn’t approach,” MT concluded. “We’re even a little embarrassed about it, because we feel that in many ways it puts our own cars to shame. On the debit side are its homely looks, its tendency to break away at the rear on curves, its lack of rear seat room for adults. But in almost electric smoothness, in faithful service, and above all in the feeling it gives that all is well in the engine room and there is near-complete rapport between it and the driver, we know of few cars to beat it.”
Homely looks….19
If there was another car in the middle of the 20th century which was uglier than the Beele,it was the Citroen 2cv. Between 1948 and 1960, they managed to sell a few:

During a production run of 42 years between 1948 and 1990, 3,872,583 2CVs were produced, plus 1,246,306 Fourgonnettes (small 2CV delivery vans), as well as spawning mechanically identical vehicles including the Ami – 1,840,396; the Dyane – 1,444,583; the Acadiane – 253,393; and the Mehari – 144,953, a grand total of 8,756,688, of which there are still 3,417 on the road in the UK as of June 2011.[7]

Not bad for the arguably “ugliest car in the world”.
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder.

To me, this car is positively futuristic! I’d buy it in a New York second…

Actually, the car’s not ugly. It’s just that it’s “face” is set higher than it is on most cars. Look up a little. See? It’s smiling at you.

Volt owner here
I would love to see a small inexpensive 200 mile car come out.
That being said, I have n trouble making it on only 30-40 mile range at least during week.

MOST of us need no more than this for our commutes.
Agreed it is funky looking buy Hey I drove Prius for 8 years waiting for an EV or EREV

Peace
Tom

This isn’t exactly on topic, but it is interesting how ugliness is often a judgement from the subconscious that is founded on reasonable concerns. For example the back tire looks like a trap for leaves, twigs, and snow. I imagine that once stuff gets stuck there the body panel will begin to bulge and how do you remove the back tire to clear it out?

But I understand the basic point is the arrival of the technology, not its current form. The only technological improvement I have for this product would be a small methanol fuel cell that would also offer a 12 hour recharge. If you put in a couple gallons at work in the morning you’d have enough power to get home at the end of the day, etc.