Forget SUVs. These auto makers think tiny electric cars are the next big thing

Americans have long had a love affair with big SUVs that can carry more people and stuff than they usually need to transport and go much further than most of us drive in a day. But now there's a number of start ups that are betting they can sell car shoppers on vehicles that offer the exact opposite.

These companies are unveiling tiny electric cars that will carry just one or two people and, in many cases, go relatively short distances on a single charge.

It's a trend-bucking idea that's been tried — and failed — before. But better technology, allowing ranges of more than 100 miles with small battery packs, is making it possible.

One hurdle, though, might be the price tag: These car companies are asking consumers to consider their small size and cute designs to be benefits worth paying nearly as much as a larger car. Sometimes it has worked, as with the Mini Cooper, but it's a tough trick to pull off.

"It's like buying a [Porsche] 911. It's going to make you stand out. It's kind of cool," said Eric Ibarra of Kelley Blue Book. "I can see that people would be attracted to these, but in very special circumstances."

Still, it will be a tough sell, he said. Car shoppers tend to have a fairly simple way of assessing a car's value: When we pay more, we expect to get more.

Here are just a few of the tiny electric cars these start ups are offering.

Source: CNN

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