SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL: Arcimoto

In Berkeley, the owner of this Arcimoto three-wheel electric vehicle says she can easily ride up to the top of the Berkeley Hills, no problem. Parking it is a breeze; it is 86 inches shorter than a Ford Explorer. That allows more vehicles this size to be parked in parking areas on- or off-street than conventional vehicles.

The bicycles-versus-cars battles in the East Bay, with each fighting for road space, would be much less contentious if a lot of these types of small electric vehicles replaced full-size cars for local errands. If you can't walk or bicycle to a store, why not take a comfortable vehicle that takes less parking?

The Arcimoto has a 100-mile range for city driving. It can go up to 75 miles per hour on the highway for those with a taste for exhilarating speed. It won't go far at that speed. I would stick with using it for local errands.

It can be charged overnight in a standard wall outlet — no fancy charging stations required. There's a version with cargo room in the back for business use called the Deliverator. The company is in Eugene, Oregon.

— Steve Price