Various outlets quote this AP story: All-electric car-sharing debuts in Baltimore

"The nation's first all-electric car-sharing program debuted Tuesday at the city's Inner Harbor, with manufacturer Electrovaya hoping urban residents seeking to go green and curious tourists will take the concept for a spin."

I did just that. On my way to the City Sands competition at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, I joined a few other onlookers around the three tiny green Maya 300s parked in front of the Maryland Science Center. Oddly enough, AltCar's staff posted their display boards on an open cab GEM, a familiar low speed, neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) used by city staff and security around Inner Harbor, by the postal service elsewhere in the city and even as taxis in good weather.

Both Electrovaya and ExxonMobil logos were on display, but there was little to indicate that the body is imported from Changan Automobile Group of China, where it is sold with a gasoline engine as the BenBen. Electrovaya makes the electric drivetrain and assembles the car in Mississauga, Ontario while ExxonMobil manufactures the separator film between anode and cathode in the lithium-ion batteries. Green Car Congress is great for battery talk:

"The advanced performance separators exhibit enhanced permeability, higher meltdown temperature and melt integrity without compromising the shutdown temperature and mechanical strength. The higher meltdown temperature significantly increases the film's thermal safety margin."

AP continues:

"Electrovaya Inc. is offering its Maya 300 for rent at the Maryland Science Center. The car can go up to 120 miles on one charge of its lithium-ion battery system, and it gets its juice from a regular 110-volt outlet."

But, EV range claims always bear clarification. The Maya 300 can probably travel 120 miles at 30-40 mph under good road conditions. The staffer told us that driving at highway speeds would probably lower that range to 80 miles, and that ordinary recharging will take 6 hours. (He also mentioned they were still waiting for DOT approval to drive at higher speeds than NEVs.) Also, cold weather always reduces battery performance. There is also the issue of proper charging to maintain battery lifespan, which I suspect will cost early adopters a lot of money:

"The lifespan of a deep cycle battery will vary considerably with how it is used, how it is maintained and charged, temperature, and other factors. In extreme cases, it can vary to extremes - we have seen L-16's killed in less than a year by severe overcharging, ... We have seen gelled cells destroyed in one day when overcharged with a large automotive charger. We have seen golf cart batteries destroyed without ever being used in less than a year because they were left sitting in a hot garage without being charged."

Anyway, I signed a release and drove the Maya around the block. It was easy to start, the gearing was Forward - Neutral - Reverse, and it was very quiet - just a low whine on acceleration. But the very small tires made for bumpy handling over the ordinary manholes and irregularities of Key Highway. I'd be afraid to take the Maya across Pulaski Highway's terrible potholes, or at higher speeds on the beltway.

The interior was spartan, with controls centered to allow both left and right-hand steering wheel placement. The rear seats fold down to provide enough cargo space for moving a futon, perhaps, but probably not a futon frame.

AltCar Standard $0.00/mo $9.00/hr $72.00/day

AltCar Preferred $25.00/mo $7.50/hr $60.00/day (three free hours per month)

ZipCar Week $50.00/yr $8.00/hr $66.00/day

ZipCar Weekend $50.00/yr $9.00/hr $72.00/day

I could see renting the Maya 300 as a more commodious alternative to riding a bike or scooter, but their pricing structure is only competitive for car sharing. ZipCar is slightly less expensive but has only a handful of cars around Johns Hopkins, while Enterprise will rent an economy car for perhaps $45/day.