Electric cars Blog

December 1st, 2008 by admin

With the future catching up to us quickly, it is likely that we will see the gasoline driven vehicle disappear. Replacing them is a new species of transportation. Hybrid cars and electric cars like electric Saab car, electric Pontiac car, electric Volvo car, electric Nissan car etc are hitting the streets in every neighborhood and town. These new aged electric breed are not only saving money in the tanks, but they are being given all new futuristic designs and tastes. Hopefully in the near future, there will be talks of cars that you can just plug in when you get home and they will be all charged up the next time you’re ready to go.

GM is hard at work at just such a project. The new Chevy Volt should be coming out of the factory with all sorts of top of the line gadgetry. From the new Flex Fuel System to the range extending onboard fuel system. The new Volt should be able to accommodate just about anyone’s needs for it. Whether it is just your grocery getter or your everything car. This car will run purely off the sole power of a lithium battery for at least 40 miles, and has E85 ethanol to recharge it when needed. With one swift motion the car can also run from the gasoline to extend your mileage. That sounds like a sweet ride! Having a battery that recharges itself and gasoline would protect you from many of those moments when you ‘run out of gas’.

Dodge is also catching up the new electric car technology trend. With aggressive and impressive styling, Dodge is throwing out the new ZEO, which stands for Zero Emissions. This car not only looks good but should get an impressive 250 miles a charge, and take the breath out of anyone who sees you driving it.

Even in the United Kingdom they are raving about new electric car technology. From new Lexus’s that do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds to Acura’s that are sleek and designed for the future that is now. Nobody is going to get left behind on this new age venture.

New electric car technology is popping up in conversations everywhere. Talks of the changes in the car market, rises in the stock market, questions about what the oil companies will do and what the public will think. Variants of electric cars are coming out of dealership as we speak. Flex Cars, hybrid cars, solar cars, and more. In designs and trim packages that could never have been expected. They are the next generation in personal transportation.

November 12th, 2008 by admin

It seems that not so long ago, electric cars were a very distant possibility. However, in today’s world, electric cars are becoming extremely popular and may very well be a large part of our not so distant future. Electric cars for sale have been produced, tried, and tested by many manufacturers and consumers are excited about the prospect. Let us take a look at the many positives that can go with the future of electric cars and why we should consider it as a possibility in our own future.

Electric cars are all together cleaner and safer for our environment. By driving electric cars might be electric Nissan cars, electric Porsche cars, electric Mitsubishi cars, electric Pontiac cars, electric Volvo cars etc, our generation will virtually eliminate air pollution and make the air cleaner for future generations. Cleaner air to breathe is a necessity and electric cars can work to provide that.

Electric cars are more affordable than fuel powered cars. Studies on electric cars have shown that for a passenger vehicle it will cost less to run the electric cars, than filling your car up every week with gas. In fact, for about $30, electric cars can operate for one full month. With the price of fuel on the rise at a consistent speed, electric cars would offer our finances a nice break. Maintenance is more affordable as well; you will not have to worry about changing the oil, submitting your car for a smog check, or having a tune up performed on electric cars.

Noise pollution is something we all complain about, especially within the bigger cities. Electric cars provide a quieter environment for everyone concerned. The future of electric cars mean no more 3 AM wake up calls by our neighbor’s loud cars. Furthermore, those that live close to busy streets and highways will sleep and live easier without the extra noises from the cars driving down the streets.

One problem about electric cars is at the present time it cannot travel extremely far without needing a charge. 25 to 60 miles on one charge is about all you can expect at this point in time. However, some areas offer “charging stations”, for example those in California can stop at a charging station and charge their electric cars for longer trips. It takes about three hours to fully charge the electric cars before you are ready to go again. The technology of electric cars is still being manufactured and research; we can expect great things in the markets in the future.

In the end, we all live here on earth and are all responsible for its preservation. Everyone needs to do their part, however seemingly small that may be. Use of electric cars is only one possibility to consider in preserving quality of life on earth for ours and future generations.

November 10th, 2008 by admin

When one thinks of electric car or hybrid, speed may probably be the last thing that comes to his mind. But this may be the thing of the past. Nowadays, eco-friendly cars could make enthusiasts forget about sacrifice and enjoy more mileage, more power and also more credit for saving the pathetic earth.

Green cars are now engineered to bring out an all-new level of power and performance. The first speeding ticket in the United States could be traced back in 1904 when a hybrid vehicle with a gasoline engine and a battery pack was introduced to the industry. The early proof of blending high performance and environment friendliness was delivered by Harry Myers of Dayton, Ohio, who was ticketed for going 12 mph. Critics concur to the fact that both features need not be forever exclusive like they were centuries ago. They could be blended pretty fine.

Over 700,000 hybrid, diesel and ethanol vehicles were sold in the first half of the previous year. And most of the vehicles do not have that jaw-breaking performance for those who crave the rugged kind of speed. Moreover, the demand for high-performing eco-cars grows more intense than before.

Green supercars are now easy to acquire. Though the waiting lists are lengthy, prices soaring and the chance of having one is elusive and they are still easy to own than supercars in the past. The present day supercars are close to handcrafted but not even close to just equipping them with good GMC cold air intake, engine, brakes and suspension.

For propulsion, most of the eco-supercars use electricity. Battery life remains the biggest hurdle in developing electric cars, just as it is for laptops and cell phones. Few people are willing to drive a performance car that can rarely exceed a range of 250 miles on the latest lithium ion batteries.

There’s always the expectation of a breakthrough in battery technology. Electric cars like electric Saab cars, electric Pontiac cars, electric Volvo cars, electric Nissan cars etc are still too expensive for even limited mass production, largely because of their batteries. The current challenge is how to make electric vehicles affordable.“You can’t make a cheap electric car, but you can make a wonderful electric car.”

November 6th, 2008 by admin

The ever increasing gasoline burden is making people think afresh about alternative sources of energy and with the alarming effects of the greenhouse effect the need for gas and electric cars has become more pronounced. These vehicles are known as hybrid vehicles and a number of different types are available using alternative sources of energy. The mo-ped is a good example and will surely have been used by many Americans at some time or the other.

A standard benchmark for an electric car or even the gas powered car is that it should have a driving range of at least 300 miles, can easily be refueled and also not be a traffic burden in that it should keep up with other vehicles on the road. The higher price tag on gas and electric cars is more than offset by the reduced operating costs of these cars because of the better mileage that is obtained through use of gas and electric cars.

Driving a hybrid car like the gas and electric car like electric Mitsubishi car, electric Pontiac Car, electric Porsche car, electric Nissan car etc is not as simple as there is the constant urge to own a fancier gasoline driven vehicle because you may want a certain sense of pride and make heads turn when you drive by. But, compromising on these vanities and settling for the more mundane and easier to operate vehicles has its own advantages. Firstly, there is the problem of driving slow which is far more difficult in the gasoline driven cars than in the gas and electric car. And, driving slow is not only safer but also more economical.

Probably the greatest advantage for the gas and electric cars for sale is the lower fuel bills because there are simply lesser visits to the fuel station. The lower operating costs tilt the balance in favor of the gas and electric cars. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has announced that it will be launching its hybrid cars in the US and will call the vehicle as Honda Insight and due to its innovative design and sleek manufacturing should be able to give 70 miles to the gallon average mileage consumption. This, while meeting the Ultra-Low-Emission-Vehicle standards.

November 4th, 2008 by admin

An electric car is, quite simply, an automobile that is powered by electricity. These cars usually look just like their gasoline-guzzling counterparts, at least on the outside. This is especially true of gasoline-powered cars that are converted into electric cars. However, there is one thing that may serve to make identifying an electric car easier, even before taking a look under the hood. Sound can help in identification, as electric cars are practically silent.

If you look under the hood of an electric car, you’ll see some major differences from what you could expect to see under the hood of a gasoline-powered car. An electric car has an electric motor and a controller for powering the motor. Rechargeable batteries are used to provide power to the controller. In comparison to traditional cars, electric cars have more wires. Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, have an abundance of hoses, pipes, and fuel lines.

Many people think the electric car is a new invention. This is a misconception, as they’ve been around for many years. In fact, electric cars were among the first automobiles and dominated the market at one point in time. In the early years of the twentieth century, electric cars held records for both speed and distance over land.

The electric car is gaining in popularity once more as people search for ways to cut transportation costs and reduce pollution. However, electric cars tend to be pricey in comparison to traditional gas-powered vehicles. Many predict that costs will eventually decrease in response to higher production volumes and improvements in the manufacturing process.

If you’re interested in purchasing an electric car might be an electric Nissan car, electric volvo car, electric Pontiac car, electric Volkswagen car etc, you might choose to buy one that has been converted from a gas-powered vehicle. There are companies that specialize in converting cars, as well as businesses that sell electric car conversion kits. However, an individual should do research before buying such a kit to ensure that the converted vehicle meets federal crash safety standards.

The new or used electric car for sale offers many benefits. Top among these is the fact that a car powered by electricity does not require the purchase of high-priced gasoline. Instead, an individual owning an electric car need only pay to recharge the vehicle’s batteries.

October 21st, 2008 by admin

Toyota, which owns a significant share in Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s owner, has for the first time confirmed plans for its own battery-powered-only car to be released in the early 2010s. Meanwhile, Subaru is slightly ahead having announced fleet sales of a four-seat electric car starting next year.

The reason behind the push? Both companies are getting worried that Nissan electric cars and Mitsubishi electric cars will become the leaders in the next generation of electric-cars, which many view as the only sustainable future of automobiles.

Speaking of Nissan, the company has previously made clear plans to launch an electric vehicle in the US by 2010. Mitsubishi is not far behind with plans of a 2010 launch ofits electric iMiEV in Japan, followed by Europe and the US.

Nonetheless, Toyota is still concerned about the performance of electric-only cars. The company has previously stated that an electric car is limited by battery performance and the company’s R&D chief Masatami Takimoto said the electric vehicle’s range would be limited by the performance of today’s batteries.

Subaru will be basing next year’s electric car on the ‘Stella’, a tiny 660cc minicar currently only sold in Japan. The design will not change much on the outside, still seating four, but the car will now run on lithium-ion batteries.

The car’s battery can be recharged in eight hours through a regular household socket. Not feeling very inspired? Think of it this way, if you used your car to get to and from work on a daily basis, would you really cover more than 80km? We would like to know how many Ks you drive on a daily basis and whether an 80km-a-day limit would suffice if it meant no trips to the pump.

October 10th, 2008 by admin

Here’s an idea: Let’s put a battery in a car and skip all that business with gasoline. We plug it in, charge it at home at night and run it all day. Has anyone thought of this?

New or used electric cars for sale have been around in some form for about a century. They have a little problem, however. There is no special battery found which is powerful enough to push 3,000 pounds far enough to make the electric vehicle worth $30,000. Battery-operated motors work in golf carts, in factory forklifts and in some buses that have room for lots of batteries under the floor and that never stray very far from recharging plugs at their base stations. They do not work in all-purpose passenger vehicles.

Fans of electric cars argue that people drive on average only 20 to 40 miles a day and that we can build one that will run that far, enough to take you to work and back. But we don’t pay $30,000 just to go to work and back. We buy cars because they are versatile tools. They will take us to work and also from New York to California. They will carry 1,000 pounds of people inside and 500 pounds of stuff in the trunk or cargo area. They will run across the Mojave Desert, and, as I have said here before, when your kid turns blue at 2 a.m. on the coldest morning of the year, that car will start and get you to the hospital. That’s why it is worth $30,000.

When you begin subtracting what that car can do, it loses value. If a car’s only utility is “it will get you to work and back,” then it’s not worth much at all, because any junker can do that.

Ignoring where the plug-in electricity would come from, electric cars would be wonderful if they could get that oil monkey off our back and end tailpipe pollution forever. Despite some progress on the technology, they are not coming all that soon.

Auto companies are betting on lithium ion batteries. These will push a car 40 miles or 200 miles, depending on who is bragging. Renault/Nissan has committed to building an electric car in volume for Israel, with charging stations across the country. The company also says it will sell a few in the U.S. and Japan by 2010 and be in serious production two years later.

The trouble is that no one has yet demonstrated that lithium ion systems are viable in a real world, mass market automobile. These batteries still produce too much heat and are costly. Israel’s small size finesses the range limitation of electric vehicles. Nissan (nasdaq: NSANY - news - people ) hopes to fix the problem with how long it takes to recharge the batteries with a removable battery pack that an attendant could swap out at an electric fueling station. The car owner never owns the battery power pack but pays a monthly charge.

Still, Nissan, which has talked of an electric car range of 124 miles, now says it is thinking of “range extender auxiliary engines.” That sounds as if the company is backing off pure electrics and into the direction of plug-in hybrids. The Nissan idea of removable battery packs is interesting, but get serious. How long will it take the Israeli station jockey to put down his cellphone and get to the job? In this country, fuel stations are usually self-service.

General Motors also aims to have its plug-in hybrid electric car, the Chevy Volt, ready in 2010, or near that date. A lithium-ion battery pack runs the vehicle 40 miles or so, and when it runs out of stored electricity a small gasoline engine goes on and powers a generator that creates electricity that powers the wheels. Drivers can recharge the batteries at home at night.

Existing hybrid electric cars for sale, such as the Toyota Prius, have electric motors and small batteries but really run on their gasoline engines for the most part. Their aim is not powering the car off the electric grid but rather reclaiming the energy wasted in stoplight idling and braking. To help prolong battery life, these Toyota cars never fully discharge or recharge the battery. Toyota, however, promises a plug-in hybrid that will recharge at night too.

Problems: Lithium battery packs probably will cost $5,000 or more, and range numbers are all over the lot. Rumor has the Chevy Volt, not in production yet, costing $40,000. Remember, too, cars must run perfectly. Rebooting at 60 miles per hour could mean crashing into a highway post.

You probably have read of other electric cars from small companies. Most are like big golf carts, but there is a real car here and there. The best known is from Tesla Motors, which boasts that its $109,000 two-seat sports car will have a range of 220 miles. A car-magazine tester drove a Tesla for 90 miles. That is not bad, but battery people question the system’s reliability. I recall honest efforts by true believers from Preston Tucker to William Lear (the Lear (nyse: LEA - news - people ) Jet), who tried to build a steam car. There is so much that can go wrong.

Electric cars just are not here yet. Range, reliability and cost are still problems. Few readers of this column will ever own one. But maybe, someday, these cars will make sense.