August 04, 2009 08:02 PM UTC

Strange Bubble-Shaped Tiny Plastic Cars (More) Legal Tomorrow

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• by: Colorado Pols

From the AP:

Those cute little electric cars may become more attractive to consumers once a pending Colorado law catches up with the new energy economy.

One of 151 laws going into effect Wednesday, it will allow smaller and slower electric car brands on more state roads. It aims to reduce gasoline consumption and pollution.

The law allows electric cars on state highways with speed limits of 35 mph or less and to cross state highways with higher speed limits. Currently, the vehicles are banned from all state highways and from crossing them because they’re too slow.

Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, sponsored the legislation in the Senate. She said demand for fuel-efficient cars vehicles will increase despite fluctuations in fuel prices.

“Sooner or later, gas prices will go up and people will want more fuel-efficient cars,” Schwartz said.

You might laugh, or curse a little if you happen to find yourself behind one, but they’ll be good for Mother Earth–and pretty cheap for a new vehicle, too. For urban commuters relatively close to work, this might really be all the car they’ll need. For others it will make a good second car.

We’ll have to see what it looks like with Yosemite Sam mudflaps, though, to know whether these funky little cars can ever truly be at home in our high-clearance state.