G-Wiz L-ion: 600mpg, but it'll cost ya

By Rory Reid on 26 March 2009, 11:02am

The new G-Wiz L-ion is here, and we've got great news: it swaps the lead-acid batteries of the original model in favour of a more futuristic lithium-ion power cell. We've also got some bad news: it'll cost you £15,795.

Don't run away, though. The new lithium-ion model has several advantages over the original. Firstly, it gives the car a range of 75 miles -- 27 miles more than previous G-Wiz. It also cuts the total charging time by 2 hours to 6 hours, although the time it takes to reach an 80 per cent charge has increased by 45 minutes, to 3.25 hours. That said, when three-phase recharging stations start cropping up, the G-Wiz L-ion could be fully topped up in as little as 20 minutes.

Now back to that price: £15,795 is a hell of a lot of money to spend on a car that looks like it fell off a Toys R Us shelf, but is the high price justified by low running costs? GoinGreen, distributors of the G-Wiz, say the car returns the equivalent of 600mpg, or an average of 1.2p per mile. Those who do a lot of urban driving may find the car paying for itself in the long run.

Keep an eye on that warranty though: GoinGreen provides a 3-year warranty on the car's battery pack and 2 years on the car itself. If something were to go wrong with it after 1,096 days of use, you could be up the creek with a broken-down electric car and no paddle.

Watch our video review of the previous G-Wiz here, then check out GoinGreen's Web site for more information.