MADISON, Wis. -- Madison's Common Council will decide Tuesday whether Neighborhood Electric Vehicles should be allowed on the city's streets.

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NEVs are one of the newer "green" options for transportation, and some area communities have already made them legal on the street.

The reason there's even a question is because the NEVs are small, often look like golf carts and only go 25 mph. But a number of communities in the area have approved them for travel in town, including Stoughton, where an NEV dealership has opened, WISC-TV reported.

The cars run solely on battery power, no gasoline is needed, and cost about 1 cent a mile to drive. People aren't allowed use them to travel out of town, and can only drive on streets with less than a 35-mph speed limit, but some said it's a great green option to get around.

"There's more than just one benefit. I mean, you're reducing our carbon footprint on the Earth and obviously helping with the air quality," said Mike Zweep, a partner in Ozee Cars.

It isn't just a green way for residents to get around their city or town. Government organizations are saying it makes sense for them too. Stoughton Utilities decided to cut back on its fuel use by using an NEV.

"In the wintertime we put winter tires on it, so it ran throughout the year. We have a heater that works, so there's nothing really negative about it," said Bob Kardasz, director of Stoughton Utilities. "We're saving gasoline and that's the important thing, and we're setting an example."

The cars cost anywhere from $9,000 to $18,000, but manufacturers claim drivers can save $1,500 a year compared to a regular car, figuring that drivers travel about 175 miles a week.

The drawback is NEV drivers can't travel on all streets, even in town. Some municipalities that allow them have designed maps showing where people can drive because they aren't supposed to cross streets with a higher speed limit than 35 mph. If Madison's ordinance were to pass, the ordinance would create a map as well.