Test Driving the Tango: George Clooney’s Next Electric Car

It’s like a bobsled on wheels.

That’s the feeling of driving the Tango from Commuter Cars, the latest electric car startup. The company produces an all-electric (and very expensive) car that’s about the size of a large motorcycle. (See photos). In fact, the car is five inches thinner than some touring motorcycles. The passenger sits directly behind the driver, sort of like team mates on a bobsled. The back seat can also be removed so you can haul stuff around. If you take out the back seat, you can fit two suitcases and a briefcase in the back.

Despite the diminutive size, it’s pretty fast. The car can go from zero to sixty in about four seconds, or as fast as a Tesla Roadster. CEO Rick Woodbury has raced several times against Dodge Vipers and won every time, he says. The secret of the speed is that the car is that it has two electric engines, not just one.

I got to test drive it. I cranked it up to 50 miles per hour in a few seconds and was able to go through sharp turns at 40 miles per hour without any noticeable sliding. In other words, it’s faster than my Honda Accord and handles better. Woodbury cranked it up to 80 miles per hour (in a 25 mph zone) for me while going uphill. It didn’t take long to get to that speed. Like all electric cars, it’s somewhat quiet: the whir of an electric motor is much quieter than a standard car.

George Clooney owns the one I drove around. (It will be delivered soon.) Sergey Brin has three of them. There is currently a six-month waiting list.

The idea is to produce a commuter car with the characteristics of a Porsche or other high-end sports car. Two of the cars fit in the same space as a regular car. Two can also drive side-by-side in a traffic lane. You can also pass regular cars legally without leaving your lane. If enough of the cars or ones like it get into circulation, you can start seeing progress in reducing congestion, said Woodbury.

But, unlike a commuter car, it cranks. Is it safe? Yes, the car contains the same roll cage that comes in Nascar stock cars. When you sit inside, you can see the steel bars. (They are covered in foam.). The car also sports 2,000 pounds of lead acid batteries. They are in the floor to lower the center of gravity.

The company in part uses lead-acid batteries because they weigh more than lithium-ion batteries. In the future, though, the company will produce cars with lithium and lead-acid batteries, he said, and one or two engines.

The choke point? Uhhh, the price is somewhat high. Right now the car costs $108,000. For that price, are you going to want this or a sports car?

“I’d rather have a Porsche,� one attendee told me.