Most commuters are going less than 30 miles round-trip, with only themselves to carry and a briefcase or some groceries. If that hatchback is also sufficient to carry at least one child-seat, then it will do for the majority and can be parked anywhere a desk would fit. Owing to the plain fact that a 'burb house requires all who live there over 18 to own and operate a car to maintain a 'burb household, this seems pretty practical. If it catches on, the relative price will go down. The cost of a full charge should be well under that of similar amounts of gas and, again parking would be cheaper, since you can share a parking space or stick it on a porch.

Looks cute to me and I could see a crazy paint job being fun on that vertical space.