Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the South African developed and built Joule is the first electric car to originate from our country.

It is planned to go on sale sometime in 2010 and no indication of pricing has been provided yet.

Though it won’t win any beauty contests, the Joule combines a practical design with the best features an electric car can provide. It’s a six seater that is capable of travelling at speeds up to 135km/h and has a range of 400km. Battery packs are placed below the passenger shell and are recharged in seven hours using a standard 220V power socket.

The Joule is no slouch: estimated to accelerate from a 0 to 50km/h in under five seconds, Joule drivers won’t scare Porsche pilots, but will be able to get going quickly enough without affecting the environment.

There’s no doubt that electric cars are a part of our future. I, for one, would welcome a small, compact car that is cheap to run for my errands and travelling to and from work. Hopefully the Joule will be affordable enough to make a real impact on South African and international roads.

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