Charge Car : Electric-Powered Vehicle Zooms Up to 50 M.P.H. in Seconds

At first glance, the brightly colored, bubble-like vehicles look more like golf carts than state-of-the-art automobiles. But give them a few seconds and these electric-powered cars can hit speeds up to 50 m.p.h.

And they may be the first electric cars whose sticker price won’t shock consumers.

“This is one of the first cars [built] especially for electric car use which means that they can be produced for more affordable prices,” said Michael Gage, head of Calstart, a group that promotes the manufacturing of electric cars.

Introduced Tuesday by Calstart and PIVCO, a Norwegian consortium, the new line of two-seat electric automobiles, called CITI cars, is designed for the budget-conscious and environmentally sensitive commuter, with a sticker price of $10,000.

It’s a ride designed for those who want a second or third family car that can scoot about town. Although there’s a slight delay and jerk forward when you hit the accelerator, the car quickly picks up speed.

Once the driver gets the hang of handling the car, it’s a smooth ride for up to 65 miles before it needs to be recharged. The vehicle automatically slows down when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator and comes to a stop on its own even if the brake is not used.

The CITI cars are being introduced and manufactured in California at a time when environmentalists and officials of the county’s Air Quality Management Division are pushing to clean up the Southland’s smog problem by the turn of the century.

PIVCO officials expect to begin manufacturing the cars in California by 1998--the same year that 2% of new cars offered for sale by manufacturers must be entirely free of emissions, according to a state mandate.