5 hot and fast green cars for millionaires

As the first Teslas roll off the production line and into the hands of some rich people, it's time to take a look at the Roadster's competition. While the $100K Roadster is certainly the best known of the sexy, fast, green cars, it's not the first or last to serve this market.

So where is Tesla's competition coming from? All OVER the place. And while we can't stop loving the Roadster, there are some other hot green cars that are worth mentioning (and ogling)-and some that might even soon be worth buying.

Let's go in order of price, shall we?

The Rinspeed sQuba
It's difficult to fit this car into any one category. In fact, it's a bit difficult to even fit it into the "car" category, as it does pretty well underwater, too. The sQuba is all-electric-not just for the sake of being green, but to ensure that it can run in an environment that has no oxygen (like the bottom of a lake, for example.)

Besides fulfilling the dreams of wannabe James Bonds, the car is completely emissions-free and uses biodegradable lubricants. And as for the price? Well, the people at Rinspeed are leaving that up to our imaginations.

The Venturi Fétish
This electric sports car beat Tesla to the punch. It has been on sale since 2002. Of course, Venturi has only made about 30 of them and has had to be a bit more flexible with the price than Tesla's strict $100,000 ceiling. OK, about six times more flexible. The Venturi Fétish can be yours for the low, low price of $600,000.

Venturi doesn't seem to care about getting its price down to Tesla's range. It's looking to serve a more upscale clientele. 

The Lightning GT
Built by British manufacturer and funded in part by the British government, the Lightning GT might be the only car on this list capable of beating Tesla's 3.9 second 0-60 time. But we don't have any guarantee of that yet because, so far the high-capacity NanoSafe^TM lithium ion batteries have not been connected to the in-wheel PML Flightlink Hi-Pa Drive^TM motors. Yeah! That's some hot car-nerd talk! Those fancy words come with a big price tag: $300,000 and rising, as the dollar drops against the pound.

The Tesla Roadster
Really, for what it delivers, the Roadster is starting to look like a bargain! It boasts the fastest 0-60 time, ties the Lightning GT with a range of 250 miles, and is faster than the (somewhat outdated) Venturi Fétish. Plus, at $100,000, it's the cheapest full electric on this list. Which I suppose is why so many of America's rich and famous are on the waiting list. Really, the only mark against it is that it isn't submersible.

The Fisker Karma
Well, we're cheaper than the Roadster now, so we must be into hybrids-and we are. But the Karma is no normal hybrid. It plugs into the wall and can drive for 50 miles without using a drop of gasoline. After 50, a small gas-powered generator kicks on to recharge the battery, so you can keep driving without having to stop and plug in.

It has a slower 0-60 time than any other car on the list (6 seconds) but a faster top speed (more than 125 mph). I don't know why you'd need either of those things, but true EcoGeeks will want the built-in, rooftop solar panels-an option that bumps the Karma's cost significantly over the $80,000 base price. 

So those are five fast and fancy cars that are almost certainly out of your budget. What's a regular green consumer to do?

I suggest one of the following vehicles as lower-price but still excellently fast, sexy, and green option:

• The ZAP Alias, U.S. 2009
• Toyota FT-HS, - U.S. 2009
• Honda CR-Z, - E.U. 2009