Electric cars Blog

March 4th, 2009 by admin

Buying a new car is big and expensive decision for most people, and with the ever rising oil price it is becoming a more and more expensive affair to own your own car too. With an oil price that works in a way so that a rain in north America raises the price people in Finland pays for gasoline from Russia, it is not strange that the market is eager to be offered more economical cars.

As if that were not enough, we are today well aware that the large scale use of fossil fuel like oil is very bad for the environment. Getting rid of all gasoline powered engines would be great for the environment.

All of the above has resulted in a new breed of cars being rapidly developed. These cars combine the best features of the electric cars with that of conventional, gasoline powered cars. These type of cars are called hybrid cars, and you are likely to hear a lot about them in the very near future.

An electric car with a twist

The electric car first sounded like a great idea, since it has no emissions while it runs. However, this is only partially true as the total emissions depends on how the electricity for the electric car is produced - if it comes from a coal plant for example, it isn’t very clean at all.

Furthermore, the storage of large amounts of electricity is problematic at best and in practise turns electric cars to pure bread city cars. At least with the ways we currently store electricity.

Hybrid cars combine an electric engine with a gasoline powered one, which means the use of gasoline isn’t totally out of the picture but it can be greatly reduced. The dual engines also allow for smaller engines to be used, and they take advantage of things like regenerative breaking.

Naturally the hybrid cars are also extremely lightweight and aerodynamically well designed, all to reduce the energy needed to run them. In slow city traffic the conventional engine is automatically shut of completely, producing no emissions whatsoever. When more speed and power is needed, the conventional engine is allowed to seamlessly kick in partially or fully.

Hybrid cars are here NOW

Like much of the car market today, it is the Japanese who have been fastest to develop attractive looking hybrid vehicles, such as the hybrid powered Honda Accord and Toyota Prius. Contrary to what one might believe, these cars have also fared very well on the market.

The idea of saving on gas is obviously appealing to a lot of people.

Most well established North American manufacturers are also expected to jump on the bandwagon of this lucrative market very soon. Many of them, including Acura cars, Aero cars, Audi cars, Bentley cars, BMW cars, Cadillac cars, Chevrolet cars, Chrysler cars, Daewoo cars, Dodge cars, Ford cars, Honda cars, Hummer cars, Jaguar cars, Land Rover cars, Lexus cars have in fact already launched hybrid powered version of some of their models.

As this is a quickly expanding market, you can expect to see many of these cars appearing more commonly at local car dealers. As this is considered cutting edge technology, one can expect the initial prices to be rather high though. But then again, a hybrid car will mean considerable savings on buying gas. As the competition will no doubt be stiff, it will be interesting to see how the pricing of these cars develop during the next few years.

February 23rd, 2009 by admin

When people think of Hybrids they think of a new idea to fight against pollution and the rising gas prices, but actually hybrids are as old as cars themselves. First Patented by an American engineer H. Piper for a gasoline electric-engine motor , a hybrid November 23, 1905. Unlike modern times his hybrid design wasn’t to increase a vehicle’s fuel mileage and lower its emissions. According to his patent application, an electric motor would supplement a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in a sizzling 10 seconds, three times faster then the standard cars of that time. Today, the sudden rise of Hybrids is due to the huge gas cost and people are tired of paying huge cash for gas that will barely last them a week. What is a Hybrid? Any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power that can directly or indirectly provide propulsion power is a hybrid. Most hybrid on the street now are ran by electric and fuel. Other kinds of Hybrids include diesel-electric, and nuclear-electric.

How does a Hybrid work you wonder? What is under the hood to give you 20 or 30 more miles per gallon than the common automobile? Opposite to what some people think, these hybrid cars do not need to be plugged in to charge up the batteries. The on-board batteries in hybrid cars are recharged by capturing the kinetic energy created when using the brakes (also known as regenerative braking.) Some use combustion engines by spinning electrical to recharge or feed power to electric motors.
Why buy a hybrid? Hybrids use two motors. The reason for two motors is in the strengths and weaknesses of both types.

Electric cars are better for stop and go traffic since it doesn’t idle it just turns off and use less gas then standard cars going at slower speeds. It also produces no emissions of smog. Likewise, gas motors do better at high speeds and can deliver more power for a given weight. Hybrids are the most gasoline efficient of all cars. They are said to get around 48 to 60 miles per gallon. Most of the fuel efficiency comes from improvements in aero dynamics, weight reduction and, the biggest change: a smaller, less powerful gas engine. Yet, being more expensive then standard gas cars, Hybrids will soon pay off themselves with the smaller amount of money you have to spend on gas.

While the US has just started producing hybrids, the Japanese are the recognized leaders. Two Japanese brands Toyota and Honda are the leading manufacturers with the Insight and Primus. Analysts say US hybrids are just token models that the US will not stay in the business. Yet, Ford has made a hybrid of its popular Explorer.

February 17th, 2009 by admin

The homemade electric car has become the alternative solution to the conventional car due to the pollution and possible harm it could cause mother nature. It has been known that the so-called EV or Electric Vehicle, alternative energy was reanimated because of this threat. Apparently, for those technical persons gifted with innovative hearts and minds, they still consider electric cars established models. Despite the problem they encountered as a negative effect of the electric car innovation, they remained pursuant of the endeavor. Challenged by these negative results, these innovators, particularly, the automakers, came up with the decision to design cars with inward inflammable engines using fossil fuel, which is known to be a limited energy source.

The good thing about this electric car innovation is that even your old model cars and trucks can still be modified and be made even more useful. Aside from the fact that you were able to make use of your soon-to-be junks, you also save more from it. Save your old resources; save on petroleum products, and most importantly, save more money. Though, you may consider the issue of not being so knowledgeable about engine mechanics. What if you do not know how to do this science project? Well, in that case, you need to take a look around and find someone who knows how.

Lots of people around are becoming so interested in how engines work. There are lots of machine enthusiasts who have acquired the knowledge and are capable of innovating homemade versions of electric cars. You are always free to seek assistance from these people. Of course, you do need to pay a one-time charge for the effort but at least the output is worth your money. If you are an enthusiastic beginner who loves to become part of these innovative automakers, take time to learn the basics on how engines work.

The fact that making a hybrid car is just bundling it with 12 volts of batteries for cars; you also have to find ways on how to power them up using smaller types of engines - enough to keep your car on the go. Analyzing diagrams and wirings is already important for you to know the “how’s” and “where’s” of hybrid car structures. Online websites also offer relevant articles to help you. If you hesitate to do it with your own self-study method, then you can avail of a kit for building electric cars available in the market. With this, you can follow the given instructions and procedures as your guide and then convert your car into an innovative electric car! These kits, if followed properly, will give you very satisfying outputs with your own and original homemade electric car.

December 4th, 2008 by admin

Electric cars like electric Pontiac cars, electric Porsche cars, electric Mitsubishi cars, electric Volvo cars etc are environment friendly modes of transportation. Unlike a normal vehicle, an electric car runs on battery-operated parts and an electric motor. Because of the uniqueness of its engine, an electric car needs double the maintenance. Follow these guidelines to buy quality parts for your electric car.

1. Determine which parts you need and determine the estimated cost. Gather relevant information about the car such as the make, model and engine size.

2. Get a NiMH battery from an authorized electric car dealer if the battery needs to be replaced. This type of battery is costly but runs much longer than ordinary electric car batteries. For motor and transmission problems, contact the manufacturer to inquire about prices and any special buyer discounts.

3. Purchase electric car parts online from a licensed dealer. Read the product description, including customer reviews, and compare prices from various dealers before buying the parts online.

4. Browse through the auto section of your local newspaper and look for electric car parts that are on sale. Avoid buying used electric car parts as they don’t come with any guarantee.

5. Buy parts that have a clear return or exchange policy in case you are not satisfied with the part. If possible, take an electric car mechanic with you to ensure you buy the right parts.

November 26th, 2008 by admin

When people think luxury, they think of the Porsche. With its cars’ high price tags, powerful engines, and smooth, sleek lines, there’s no question that Porsche is one of the most prestigious automakers in the world.

The genius behind the company was a man named Ferdinand Porsche. Born in what is now the Czech Republic in 1875, he demonstrated astonishing mechanical aptitude at a young age. He was the third of five children. His father, a plumber, expected Ferdinand to take over the family business-but Ferdinand had other dreams. At eighteen, after completing an apprenticeship with his father, he took a job in Vienna with the firm Bela Egger & Co.

At the company, Ferdinand demonstrated impressive skill for his age. He built an electric wheel-hub motor, and was soon attracted across the street to rival Jakob Lohner & Co. This company was actively developing electric cars for sale, and Ferdinand felt his skills could be better used there. And they were-three years after joining the company, electric Porsche car was built.

This historic car, the Lohner-Porsche, was innovative in several ways. The two wheel-hub motors on the front wheels had an output of 2.5 horsepower, generated an astonishing 120-rpm, and were completely silent. The battery could travel 50 kilometers between recharges. The car could travel up to 50 kilometers per hour.

But this was only the beginning. Porsche began experimenting with internal-combustion motors, and his next car, the System Mixt, had internal-combustion wheel hub motors. Porsche went on to win several speed records and widespread acclaim-his name was now well-known not just in engineering circles, but also to the general public. In 1905, he won the coveted Poetting Prize as Austria’s most outstanding engineer.

In 1906, Austro-Daimler offered to make Porsche its chief designer. Porsche accepted the job, and in 1910 he designed an 85-horsepower car for the Prince Henry Trial, an international competition named in honor of Prince Henry of Prussia. Porsche’s designs won the top three places at the trial.

Dr. Porsche had competed in rallies and speed competitions since he became interested in building cars. He believed that by building race cars, he could improve the performance of all his vehicles. As a result, he developed an interest in building small, light, high-performance cars.

Porsche as a company has always been closely tied to Volkswagen; many of the components of the early Porsche cars came from the Volkswagen Beetle. Porsche’s Volkswagens were popular, affordable cars that survived after the collapse of the Third Reich. Porsche and his son, and later his grandson, went on to design such ground-breaking cars as the 911, the Boxster, the Spyder, the Roadster, the Carrera, and many others.

Porsche survived the Great Depression, the Third Reich, and dramatic corporate restructuring to keep its place at the forefront of the automotive industry. No matter the country, everyone knows that Porsche cars stand for luxury, power, and performance.

November 24th, 2008 by admin

One of the major concerns with automobiles has been the pollutants they emit into the atmosphere. Carbon emission from cars is known to be one of the major destructive substances for the ozone layer. For this reason environmentalists have been very concerned about internal combustion engines that must necessarily smoke in order to make the cars work.

The advent of the electric car has been a great relief to many. The biggest benefit for this type of car has been the cost of ownership but in a global perspective, it is an environmentally friendly car. Electric cars for sale do not have any emissions at all. They do not smoke because they don’t have internal combustion engines that use gasoline to provide energy. All the energy they use is obtained from the battery pack in the car.

Evs are going to be the answer to the world’s quest for a green vehicle. The absence of smoke means cities would have clear skyline and no more will smog be characteristic of urban dwellings.

You may want to know that the reduced components of the electric car means there will be little or no lubricants. Lubricants are also known to cause pollution to the earth’s atmosphere. Mostly made of hydrocarbons, they are also a depleting substance for the ozone layer.

Electric motor cars do not have the kind of engine to produce smoke so they run clean. You will not find an exhaust pipe on these kinds of cars at all. By operating on batteries, they are able to leave the skies clear and clean at all times.

November 24th, 2008 by admin

So you’re thinking of getting an electric car? Well, one of the first things you need to do before getting one is to learn a few basic things about these vehicles — especially with regards to how they run and where they get their power. And like all things electric, an electric car relies on an independent power source — the battery.

A normal car only needs the battery to start the engine as well as run the air conditioning system and the car stereo. That isn’t the case with electric cars. In fact, the battery used in electric cars runs about everything. When electric motor cars were first introduced, the primary concern was (and still is) the quality and reliability of the electric car battery, i.e. how long can the battery last before it needs to be recharged. Fortunately, the last few decades has produced significant improvements on how electric car batteries are made. Now we already have nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lead-acid and lithium-ion (Li-ion) types that are rechargeable and readily available in the market.

Compared to normal car batteries, how do electric car batteries fare? Here’s a look at the benefits:

Cost-effectiveness : For five bucks worth of electricity, your electric car can run for more than 300 kilometers. Now if you do the math and compare that with your current gas costs and equivalent mileage, you’ll see that going electric can be quite economic in the long run.

Cleaner & Greener : Although you still need to burn fossil fuels in order to generate the electricity needed to recharge electric car batteries, the pollution produced is very minimal compared to the pollution caused by internal combustion engines. Plus, with better power generation sources like nuclear plants, the level of carbon emissions in the process of recharging becomes even lesser.

Re-usability : Electric car batteries can be reused and recycled. So you don’t need to worry about how you can dispose of your battery pack.

However, like any new technology, electric car batteries are not perfect. Here are the drawbacks:

They’re heavy : Because electric car batteries are designed to provide more power, they need to be connected to battery packs to ensure heavy duty performance. And these battery packs are not light. A battery pack can weigh as much as half a metric ton. But don’t worry, there’s hope — manufacturers  like Ford, Volvo, Pontiac, Porsche, Mitsubishi etc are designing electric cars with lighter body frames to offset the battery’s weight.

Recharging time : Unfortunately, there’s no technology available yet for quicker and easier recharging. You still need several hours of downtime before your electric car can run again.

Maintenance : Electric car batteries are still uncommon, which means the number of service stations which can do repairs is still fairly limited, too. And since they’re quite fewer, maintenance costs might be a bit higher, too.

No doubt, electric car batteries are still a work in progress. It has its own set of limitations but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. But in a few years, the new generation of batteries will be lighter, more economical and most importantly, more powerful. That’s certainly a comforting thought.

November 21st, 2008 by admin

Batteries are used to run electric cars might be electric Pontiac cars, electric Saab cars, electric Nissan cars, electric Mitsubishi cars etc, they are stored beneath the hood and maybe 12 to 24 in numbers. When it is time to replace them they are all there. These batteries are similar to those used on cell phones and toy cars children love to drive around in the backyard. Thus, it is not very difficult to get new batteries when we need them.

Actually, electric batteries do not need to be replaced often so replacement of batteries does not happen too frequently. They cost around $2000 to $5000, depending on the model and make of your car. You must be careful about the amount of electricity in the battery before charging it.

Sometimes the batteries have an in built “memory” , and if the battery is not run completely before charging it may lose some of it’s potency. In this situation you may have to spend on a new battery before it is due.There is a lot of research and development underway in the electric cars industry.

New battery technology is being worked on to ensure that your vehicle can get charged faster and hold more power for a longer time. It will not be long before you can drive your car longer without the need for a battery charge. This is really some great news for those who patronise electric cars. At present the cars can run up to 100 miles per charge. There is a strong possibility that by 2010 the car will be able to run 200 miles on new batteries. Recycling of the batteries can be done when it is time to replace the batteries.

Electric car batteries are recyclable up to 95 percent. Only those who are concerned about the environment and want to protect their wallets against the gasoline price hike will opt for an electric car, since you have, you are sure to be one of them. So, if you can recycle your electric car battery, before buying a new one you have given yourself a new source of power along with peace of mind.

It is advisable to choose the best type of batteries, for the best price, for your car and be assured that you have done the best for yourself and for the environment.

November 20th, 2008 by admin

The conventional car has a very simple pricing system - you pay according to the horsepower, size, furnishing, and axle load, year of model or auxiliary fittings. The electric car follows a similar pricing structure but in a different way. With the EV, your price will depend on mainly the type of motor in use or the set of batteries the car is running on.

Typically, a factory made EV will cost about $35,000 but many of the electric cars we see around are home made conversions. These are cars that once used gasoline and have been converted to electric.

The price you pay for the electric car might be electric Pontiac car, electric Porsche car, electric Saab car, electric Volvo car etc will depend on how you are going about the conversion. If you are buying a kit, then you may have to spend about $2200. This cost excludes other petty fittings that you may need to make the conversion complete. Some people would rather want to buy individual components and then fix them one by one. This approach would cost about $6000 but in the end you get exactly what will fit your car so there may be no extra cost.

Choosing one motor type over the other can cause about 50% difference in your electric vehicle cost. AC conversions tend to be much expensive over their DC counterparts. The fact is AC motors provide better acceleration and higher power.

The kind of car used for the conversion will also determine how much your cost will be. Some cars require small modifications to get the conversion done, others elaborate changes. The more changes you need, the more expensive the conversion becomes.

November 19th, 2008 by admin

With fuel prices soaring and no end in sight, it only makes sense to look for alternatives. Face it, you need to travel for work, school, or shopping and without a car, these tasks are almost impossible. Not all communities and areas provide public transportation, so what do you do? Converting your car or buying an electric car makes perfect sense.

An electric car is a car that uses electric motors instead of an internal combustion engine. In essence, these cars are rechargeable. They have battery packs that are charged, thus powering the vehicle. You can even convert your already owned car to an electric. There are also cars that utilize both battery power and fuel power. These are known as hybrids and are widely available.

Electric cars are not a new concept. Some of the first cars were electric. The improvement of battery storage helped the electric car to flourish. Many early electric cars hold speed and distance records. Don’t worry about electric cars for sale being slow. They are not, this was proved on the popular show Mythbusters. Some of these vehicles can achieve speeds of up to 135 mph, and on a single charge can reach the fuel equivalent of 135 mpg U.S.

The use of Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries makes electric cars capable of distances of up to 245 miles. This is a great improvement from early batteries that could get up to 100 miles on a single charge.

There are several advantages to driving an electric car. It can save you thousands on fuel cost, and with our economy in the shape it’s in, this is reason enough. Electric cars are also cleaner, helping the environment. It costs about $1 to charge your electric car and gives you about 100 miles. Driving an electric car might be electric Pontiac car, electric Saab car, electric Porsche car, electric Volvo car etc also makes you eligible for tax credits from the federal government for driving a car that hosts clean fuel.

It’s not an expensive process to convert your car to electric. This can be achieved for about $300.00. With the process being cheap and all the money that you will save, an electric car is perfect for everyone. There are several resources available that tell you what types of tools you’ll need, along with easy to follow instructions on how to convert your car to electric.

Among some of the first vehicles produced, electric cars are an economical solution to combat rising fuel costs. They are clean fueled vehicles which are good for the environment. You can get tax credits from the federal government for driving a clean fueled vehicle, and they save you money on rising fuel costs. They are not slow, and make perfect since when searching for an alternative!