Who Killed the Electric Car? Not Africa.

South Africa’s Optimal Energy wants to bring electric cars into mass production in Africa. It’s starting with the innovative and stylish Joule…

The entire world hopes to start driving electric cars soon, and Africa, despite its reputation for poor economies, is no exception. Luckily, a South African company called Optimal Energy is working to release a vehicle in 2010. And unlike the many attempts to make electric cars as small and cheap as possible, the vehicle, called the Joule, will be a highway-speed, multi-passenger model aimed at the same people that buy full-priced four door vehicles, making it a good fit for Europe and the United States.

Optimal’s Joule will feature an optional solar panel for keeping the car charged, custom seating arrangements (six to four seater), and an adjustable battery chassis (for maximum compatability). The companies unique business model allows the car to be purchased separate from batteries which will be leased over time. There’s no word on actual pricing yet but the Joule will be directly competing with the Tata Nano which sells for as little as $2,000 in some parts of the world.