Our next vehicle - Electric?

My husband and I are looking to buy an electric vehicle. Typically if we are traveling out of town, we rent a car. When we are toodling around town, we have a little generic car that gets about 25-28 mpg. It's so small that whenever we want to buy something big (think lumber for our patio project, or a new chair), we have to either rent a truck or borrow a friend's van.

Recently we saw the Dynasty truck and I immediately fell in love with it. The Dynasty is classified as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle so has a limited (30 miles) range. It is really cute and has a neat 3rd door that opens into the bed of the truck for easy access in addition to the normal tail gate. Unfortunately, the place that sells them in Austin has such odd hours that we've yet to actually sit in it or drive it.

Another option is a Zap utility truck. Zaps are a little funky because they only have 3 wheels. It's also a NEV but has a greater range. A BIG plus for the Zap is that it has an optional solar panel that charges the batteries while you are driving or parked somewhere. This gives it an even greater range. The Zaps are the less expensive of what we are considering and with the solar option ... top choice, right now.

Lastly, today, I discovered the Phoenix SUT. The Phoenix is everything that I want. But it has a much bigger price. It looks and performs more like a normal truck. Since it can be used on the highway, it's not classified as an NEV. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be available for consumers until 2008.