Federal government to roll out Wheego electric cars

By Lindsay Moore

June 29, 2010

You could soon start seeing these Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) on the road—well sort of. Wheego will begin rolling out its new line of microcars to government agencies, affiliated companies and military installations across the U.S. next fall.

The government contract is a result of Presidential Executive Order 13423, signed by former President George W. Bush, which mandates that the federal agencies improve energy efficiency and reduce gas emissions by 30 percent by the end of 2015.

“The Wheego Whip LSV is an excellent choice for government fleets,” explained Wheego President Jeff Boyd. The Whip is no bigger than a golf cart, but it’s street-legal. It includes a steel body frame, enclosed cabin, heater and radio, plus air conditioning. It can travel on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less, including streets on military bases.

According to Wheego, a new model will soon begin shipping as well. The Wheego LiFe has a range of approximately 100 miles on a single charge, and will be fully crash-tested and highway-ready.

Wheego is taking reservations for the Wheego LiFe now at www.wheego.net. It has an MSRP of $26,495, which includes a $7,500 federal tax credit.