This year buying electric may not be such a bad idea. Electric car consumers shouldn’t be surprised if prices begin to drop as car makers try to neutralize the cost of manufacturing and price of auto sales. In order for electric vehicles to emerge as more than a trend, driving range will need to be extended and cost will need to be reduced. As of right now, here are three green cars that are worth considering — and they’re priced around $30,000, LA Times reported.

2013 Ford Focus Electric Car

The Ford electric vehicle plan offers real choice with new focus electric. The company transformed the existing Ford Focus Hatchback model into an electric one. Built on the same assembly line as the gasoline Focus in Michigan. This will give Ford the option of increasing or decreasing its production depending on demand, Hybridcars.com reported.

Priced at $39,200, the newly designed electric car is nearly out of the average Americans new car price range, but after the $7,500 government tax credit, it drops down to a much more appealing $31,700. It has fuel efficiency ratings of 110 MPGe city/99 MPGe highway, and 105 MPGe combined, according to the Epa.gov. MPGe is a formula developed by the EPA to distinguish an electric vehicle’s miles per gallon equivalent.

With 76 miles of range and a charging time of just four hours from a 240-volt outlet, the 2013 Focus Electric won’t easily take you on a road trip across America until more charging stations exist. But, it will get you to and from work everyday, and save you a pretty penny at the same time.

2012 Nissan Leaf

Sold everywhere from Vancouver to Miami to Peoria car dealerships, the 2012 Nissan Leaf has an MSRP of $35,200 for the SV model and $37,250 for the SL model. After a federal tax credit is factored in — for those who are eligible — the two prices can drop to $27,700 and $29,750, respectively. Not bad at all for someone looking to spend a little more upfront to save tons at the fuel pump (by never visiting a gas station again).

The Nissan Leaf spotlighted in 2011 as “the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car,” according to its maker. It’s powered by a 24 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, Hybridcars.com reported, and has an EPA-approved 73 miles of electric driving range. Falling just slightly behind the Ford Focus Electric, the Nissan Leaf has an MPGe rating of 106 city/92 highway and 99 combined.

In less time than the average night’s rest, the Nissan Leaf can be fully recharged and ready to go using a 240-volt charging station. Installed professionally in your home, the unit cost about $1,000, according to Hybridcars.com. It can also be charged using a standard 120-volt household current, but it can take up to 21 hours to do so from an empty battery.

2013 Chevy Volt

Classified as a plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt spends more time as an electric car than you may think. According to data read from Chevrolet.com, 116,360,294 (and counting) electric vehicle miles have been driven out of the 188,321,060 (and counting) total miles driven. This green car gets 38 electric miles before switching to its gas engine. It has a 16.5 kWh battery, according to Greencarreports.com, and gets about 62 EPA-approved MPGe.

Starting at $39,145, but dropping down to $31,645 after the federal tax credit, the Volt is a reasonable choice for those wanting to go green and save at the pump, but prefer a longer driving range.

Donnie Washington A freelance writer and consultant for SMB’s, Donnie says the future for data recovery is all about cloud computing and backup solutions.