These electric vehicles are so cute you'll want to cuddle instead of drive them
Sleek is one thing. We all know what Tesla electric cars look like, or the newest electric designs from Porsche, not to mention the infamously boring silhouette of the Prius hybrid. But what about these newer electric vehicles that aren't so much aerodynamic as they are adorable? Like, really, just so darn cheek-pinching cute. If only they had cheeks.
Uniti One
Announced Monday, Sweden's Uniti One is a two-door electric vehicle for sale in the UK and Sweden at the starting price of $17,767 Euro or just under $20,000 (before UK or other government subsidies for an electric vehicle). With two different battery choices, the max range is 300 km or 186 miles on a charge. The smaller 12 kWh battery has a 93-mile range.
The car will first arrive in the UK and Sweden in the middle of next year. If you put down a deposit before the end of November, you'll become part of Uniti's "Founders Club," which means free software upgrades (a la Tesla) and other lifetime benefits.
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The car is a bonafide cutie with only enough space for three people; it can also be reconfigured as a solo ride for more space for stuff. The outside design is very Scandinavian — it's intended to emulate a smartphone with its front windshield and panoramic roof.
Also cute: It can only hit 75 mph as its top speed.
Ayro
Just because it's a light-duty EV doesn't mean it's not adorable. The Ayro plug-in vehicles are perfect for fleet deliveries, though you can have plenty of fun with them as a consumer driver, too. Back in August, the vehicles started using Ford-owned Autonomic's "Transportation Mobility Cloud," which is basically a cloud connectivity app store for cars that lets the company manage the fleet and get real-time feedback about batteries, maintenance needs, and other issues in each vehicle. The 10-foot-long three-wheelers (a Tesla Model 3 is more than 16 feet long) only have a 50-mile range, but who cares? Too cute.
Arcimoto
If we're going to veer into three-wheeled electric vehicle territory, you have to make way for the Arcimoto all-electric "fun utility vehicle." With options for deliveries or emergency services, and also for sightseeing or pure consumer use, Arcimoto is a great traditional car alternative.
With enough range to go more than 100 miles and a top 75-mph speed, it feels like a motorcycle meets a giant e-scooter meets a golf cart. Two people can sit front to back, and there's a compartment in the back to store a bag. The Arcimoto starts at $19,900, and started delivering pre-ordered cars on the West Coast last month.
Canoo
Weird and funky can also be cute! Just look at the Canoo, "subscription" vehicles that will be available for rent in the Los Angeles area in 2021. Think the Netflix model: Instead of buying a car, you pay a monthly price to have access to an EV with a lot of interior space (hence the boxy design).
The inside cabin feels like a lounge with a sofa-like bench that wraps around, and the cars get a 250-mile range on a single charge.
If you want to ogle at the battery-powered car, a prototype will be on display this weekend at the Car Classic in Pasadena, California.
Mini Cooper SE
While we're talking cute EVs, there's the undeniably adorable electric Mini Cooper. But it's still only available for pre-orders in Europe right now. Here in the U.S., we'll have to wait for the 165-mile range Mini to be offered. It's expected some time next year, but until then we can stare at it longingly while the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and other countries get it first. Just look at those puppy-dog eyes, I mean, headlights.
Topics Electric Vehicles
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
