Sparky G-wiz impresses Eastleigh MP through its paces

11.34.54am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 21st Jul 2006

Chris Huhne MP with Lorley Burt MP with G Wiz

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne today gave a test drive to the new environmentally friendly G-Wiz electric city car yesterday to mark its appearance at the British motor show at the Excel centre in London.

Eastleigh MP and Lib Dem shadow environment secretary Chris Huhne, pictured here, was accompanied by Solihull MP Lorely Burt who represents many motor industry workers. They both drove the car round Westminster and said that they were impressed with its nippiness and convenience.

The G-Wiz is currently made in India and costs £7,000. It has running costs just a fraction of normal petrol cars: around 1 penny per mile if the battery is recharged over six hours at night at a cost of about 40 pence.

This compares with a cost of some 6 pence or more for petrol cars. The range for the G-Wiz on one charge is about 48 miles.

Chris Huhne said: "I took it for a spin around Westminster, and it is very nippy for diving in and out of city traffic. It is definitely the smallest thing on the road, and you get some very interested looks!

"There are already about 500 of the G-wiz cars on the roads in London in part because of strong incentives like free parking on metre and pay-and-display spaces in the City of London and in Westminster. It is small and convenient to use".

"The traditional drawback for electric cars has been the short range and the difficulty of charging, but those problems are improving. It would certainly be possible, for example, to use the G-Wiz to commute to work from Eastleigh to Southampton".

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