For an electric car to be relevant as a long-legged mile-muncher, it needs to fulfil a specific set of criteria. First, it needs to be a Tesla. Since there is no second, we’ve tested this quartet of electro-hatches exactly where they’re best suited: London. Other cities are available, apparently. But nowhere else can match the capital for the sheer breadth and depth of urban misery it delivers, so here we are. Here we are in the land of congestion charges, low emission zones and the whole squalid matter of Croydon. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. 0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. And here we are in a Hyundai Ioniq, the latest addition to the electric hatchback market. We have it alongside three stern challengers in the BMW i3, the VW E-Golf and the evergreen Nissan Leaf. Aside from being the worst joke ever, that’s a reference to the fact that the Leaf has been around for six years now.
Electric cars are no longer novelty but reality - and with the market for them growing by 50% each year, they’re getting more real all the time. Being six years old counts against the Leaf, though. Its cabin feels dated compared to those of the Golf and i3, which in turn are great because in the Golf’s case, it’s a Golf, and in the i3’s case it’s a brilliantly conceived bespoke window on the future. The i3’s screen graphics are pin-sharp, its dash design clean as a whistle and its seating position imperious. It’s a great place to sit. The Ioniq pitches in with a good showing too - its displays are crisp and clear, its seats comfortable and its whole cabin impressively roomy. That’s a result of its big body and long wheelbase, which can make it a little cumbersome around town - as can a heavy steering wheel. The same principle applies in the i3, in which just backing off the loud pedal can be like trampling on the anchors. The Leaf, by contrast, sits on soft springs designed to soak up the bumps.
They do, but they also allow enough body roll to take the edge off your experience behind the wheel. As for the Golf, it’s a Golf. With an electric motor. That’s the only real difference between it and its fossil-fuelled stablemates. So what we have here is four cars, each taking its own approach. If there’s an overwhelming impression, though, it’s that the two German vehicles have a feeling of real quality that sets them apart from their Far Eastern opponents. Of the two, the Golf is very good for the reasons why every other Golf is very good. Well, not the R, but you get the idea. The i3, however, remains one of the most imaginative, effective, pleasing and enjoyable cars out there, electric or not. It’s one of the first examples of a major manufacturer treating alternative fuels not as a necessary evil but an opportunity to create something special. And it is very special. Very special, and very much top of this class. The Ioniq is a worthy addition, and the Leaf will no doubt come back stronger one day. But for now, on the streets of London BMW is streets ahead.
Duke Energy covering 7 states has stopped participating, but yet some of their states like South Carolina, Kentucky and Indiana are on ARCA's list, so if you have someone other than Duke, you might benefit. The Money Pantry site lists some other electric companies by state such as CPS, Ameren, Efficiency United and LG the Diabetes Association; the Purple Heart Foundation; Make-a-Wish Foundation; or a vets organization. Some batteries may be free to recycle, while others can have cash value. Lead batteries like 12 volt batteries for vehicles and riding lawn mowers have cash value. 1 for lawnmower batteries, but prices may vary at different locations around the country. Sometimes 6 volt batteries for lanterns and flashlights can have value depending on the type, (alkaline vs. Most nickel batteries are rechargeable, but not all are, so if they are rechargeable they can be dropped off for free. Some of the free drop-off nickel based batteries are nickel-cadmium (NICD) and nickel metal hydride (NIMH).
Silver oxide or lithium batteries like those found in watches and hearing aids are also free to leave with scrap metal yards. Dry cell batteries like AA and AAA which run clocks and TV remotes, and the A23 battery which is used for home security and garage door openers do not have a cash value. Size C and D dry cell batteries for radios also have no value. 1.50 per pound. None of the alkaline batteries (to date) are rechargeable and therefore have no value. Bulbs that are compact fluorescent lights also known as CFLs are free to drop off, although most places will not take broken bulbs, coated bulbs or leaking ballasts. Ballasts can have value as well, because they have copper, wire, and iron. The older ballasts actually are worth more at the scrap metal yard and also have copper, circuit boards and electrical transformers, but they also have that sticky tar that contain PCBs which are dangerous. You might want to take those to the scrap metal yard whole and in tact without tearing it down.
