Chines Car

Wheego Electric Cars, a startup based in Atlanta, may have the best shot at survival. Perhaps as early as this month, the company will introduce a minicar called the Life.

The two-seater is only 118 inches long, with a 100-mile range and a top speed of 65 mph. The Life borrows its body shell from the Noble, a mini-car built by Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile Co.

The Noble has had its share of controversy. A few years ago, Daimler sued to block the sale of the Noble in Germany, claiming that it was a copy of the Smart.