Tesla Roadster: The Future Of Electric Cars Looks Bright

Through an odd set of coincidences my dream car was eligible for huge tax rebates so I “had” to take a look. The Tesla Roadster is an all electric car produced by a small company in California called Tesla Motors. It is one of the first production scale electric cars available in the U.S. It is expensive by everyone’s standards but so is a Porsche, or any other high-end sports car.

Given that I own two hybrids you would think that I feel pretty good about my carbon footprint concerning transportation but it would be better to have one less car, take the bus more or better yet own some sort of electric car that doesn’t burn gas at all.

I guess nobody ever thought electric cars would materialize or be considered luxury, so when the State of Colorado wrote the rebate tax code they probably didn’t expect people making claims for an electric car in the amount of a ,000 credit!  Add ,500 from the federal government and you could see why I was more than a little interested.

When I went to test-drive the car, the weather was lousy due to the fact that a massive snow storm was on its way, so time was short. With the sales rep in the passenger’s seat I drove the car around the block. It took a while to get used to how the car handled given that it is a true sports car. After a couple of minutes my sales rep copilot suggested that I let the car drop down to 20 MPH and then punch it. It didn’t take much convincing because no matter who you are that is the very first thought that runs through your head when you sit in a car like this. The moment before I took her up on the suggestion I made a pact with myself to play it cool and not make a big fuss when the car accelerated. At least that was the plan; which lasted for less than 2 seconds. I didn’t even get the pedal to the floor when I blurted out “Holy *$ % that’s fast!” Now I have been in some fast cars before but this was almost unnatural. There was zero delay between pushing down the petal and being thrown forward at unbelievable speeds. You have to do some quick planning with a car this fast because you are on top of the car in front of you in no time at all.

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In the end, even with the huge incentives, I decided that saving for my kids’ college was more important, but I did walk away knowing that the future of electric cars looks bright. If you consider acceleration, top speed, travel distance, cost, MPH and fun as some of the major categories people consider when deciding to purchase a car, this one hits 50% of the categories out of the park. Cost and traveling distance are big barriers. The car can go at least a couple hundred of miles on a charge. Its top speed is only 125 MGH, but I am guessing that 125 MPH is fast enough for most people. Remember that nobody thought people would sacrifice music quality for portability yet digital music players have dominated retail over the last couple of years, so a couple of inconveniences will likely be overlooked by those purchasing this car.

Being green with an electric sports car like this one makes you feel kind of guilty because it is so easy. Maybe if more products were as good as this car, making changes to more environmentally-friendly products would be easy.

Is There A Future for The Nissan Leaf Electric Car?

How Profitable Will The Nissan Leaf Electric Car Be?
If on the open market any item for sale does not make a profit over its cost of production then it is deemed to be non-commercial, so where does that leave the Nissan Leaf electric car?
Among the well quoted reasons for producing electric cars are to have less polluting cars on the road by replacing them with alternative fuel cleaner power units, at present the market leader in full time production in the UK  is the Toyota Prius hybrid petrol/electric vehicle with the Nissan Leaf likely to be the first all electric car on the road in the UK.
Since the movement for a cleaner environment via less carbon gas emissions began motor trade engineers have improved their fossil powered units tremendously.
We now not only have much cleaner diesel and petrol engines, which in some cases qualify for a zero rate road tax by emitting below 100g/km of carbon gas emissions, but also achieving 60+mpg which, if every other vehicle matched these figures, it would mean a huge drop in oil imports.
One of the big issues overhanging the electric car market right now is their financial viability. As quoted above, fossil fuelled cars have the mileage range benefit, nationwide refuelling set up for the mass market and a huge advantage in price differential.
Who are the buyers of today’s Nissan Leaf likely to be, possibly public bodies such as councils, if that is the case why should local taxpayers subsidise the development of this niche private sector?
As far as Nissan are concerned the electric car sector will continue to be a niche sector until 2020 and possibly well beyond as their plans are to continue production of petrol and diesel powered cars “for decades” to come; even by 2020 Nissan’s prediction of the electric car market occupying a 10% share of the market is described as “hugely optimistic” by many of its rivals.
Nissan are reputedly in this niche sector for the long game, having invested 2bn Euros over the last 4 years which has been matched by their business partner Renault, making a huge commitment to date which is promised to be an ongoing factor; they are viewing their Nissan Leaf as a trail blazer which is due to be followed by 4 other electric cars over the next couple of years plus at least one from their Infinity range.
With Nissan viewing the profitability of the electric car market over the long term it is understood they are not overly concerned by the single profitability of their Leaf model.
How well does that situation sit with the current position that electric cars cannot be sold viably on the open market without taxpayer subsidies?
With the price of an average UK family car costing £15k compared to a real price of £30k for a Nissan Leaf there is likely to be one showroom the average motorist will not be visiting, that is just too big a differential to go green in these times.
Bill Williams      

Future of Electric cars & dilemma of Car manufacturers

Electric cars, even if they are good, do not make financial sense. Motorists with green tendencies might be attracted to a Electric Car, which is fitted with huge rechargeable batteries.

Nissan is months away from the launch date in US of the world’s first mass-produced electric car, the Leaf. Honda on the other hand last sold a 100 %  Electric car, 10 years ago. Nissan also says it is investing £4 billion to develop and produce Electric cars and batteries.

Nissan’s Leaf Car  will be priced at £28,350. However, the price that customers will have to pay for expensive battery and other major  components that wear out is not being revealed. Hence, there are huge uncertainties surrounding ownership costs.

Nissan’s claim that its new electric car will cost about the same as a comparably equipped Diesel  Car is debatable. The Volkswagen Golf 1.6 has a range of 760 miles and costs about £17,000.The Kia Cee’d 1.6 CRDi costs £12,000 and also has  7-year warranty. The Honda Insight, with a range of 565 miles will cost   £16,000. And BMW is moving forward plans to roll out an Electric-powered city car by 2013.

Honda says it plans to sell Electric cars in the US, but its priority is to improve the fuel efficiency of new models. Nissan’s Leaf makes its European debut in Portugal and the Netherlands, followed by the UK and Ireland. It has a range of 160km on a fully charged battery. However, running the Air-conditioner for long periods  may reduce the range.  BMW is also developing front-wheel drive technology to serve as the basis for the Mini.

Car manufacturers,  forecast  that Electric vehicles will make up 10 %  of the global car market by 2020. It is estimated that there will be 70,000 electric cars on British roads by 2020. However, the uncertainties about battery longevity, limited range and long charging times mean that Electric vehicles are likely to remain a niche product in the near future.

Hybrid Cars – Technology Of The Future Or Passing Fad?

Hybrid cars have been getting a lot of buzz the last three or four years, and now with the soaring cost of oil and gasoline, hybrids are expected to get hotter than ever. Here are some Questions and Answers about hybrids.

1. What is a hybrid car?

A vehicle is a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power. Hybrid cars almost always have a gasoline engine and an auxiliary electric motor system that runs off rechargeable batteries.

We normally assume that the point of hybridization is to save fuel, and that is definitely the case with most of the smaller compacts and sedans. But in fact some of the more upscale hybrid models are more concerned with boosting power and “performance” without the usual loss in fuel efficiency.

2. Do you have to plug your hybrid in at night?

You may assume because a hybrid car runs part of the time off its battery pack, that it is necessary to plug it in at night and recharge the batteries (like a golf cart!). But this is almost never the case. Hybrid cars recharge their batteries “on the fly” by making use of unused energy which is normally wasted during normal driving.

For instance, most have a system that captures some of the energy used while applying the brakes, and converts it to electrical energy to charge the battery. This is called “regenerative braking”.

If hybrids had larger battery packs that you could plug into the electricity grid, they would be able to transfer more of the vehicle’s power requirements over to the electric motor(s), and use even less gasoline. But most auto makers have been unwilling to go this route, arguing that today’s batteries could not take the extra load and more extensive usage.

3. Do you have to replace the batteries?

The short answer is No. Hybrid batteries typically have an 80,000 – 100,000 mile warranty. The U.S. Department of Energy tested them to 160,000 miles and stopped testing because they still performed almost like they were brand new. Some taxi drivers have gone more than 200,000 miles in a Toyota Prius without battery problems.

In any event, since hybrid battery packs have hundreds of cells, individual cells or modules could be replaced if there was a problem.

The best way to keep nickel metal hydride batteries performing at their peak is to keep their charge between 40% and 60% — never fully charged and never fully drained to zero power.

4. How long have hybrids been around?

Alternatives to the ICE (internal combustion engine) in automobiles have been around since at least 1900. The first patent for a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle was filed in 1905. Alternative fuel sources were wiped out as a result of two things. First was the development of the electric self-starter (in 1913) that made gasoline driven cars much easier to start.

The second development was the advent of the age of cheap oil that started around the time of the first World War. This completely removed the economic incentive to look for alternative fuel sources. This is only starting to change now, 80 years later.

5. Are hybrids expensive to purchase?

In January, 2006, there were 10 different hybrid models available from ,000 to ,000. The most popular models — the Insight, Civic, and Prius — are less than ,000. According to auto maker announcements there should be more than 50 models available by 2010. As sales and production increase the prices should not be significantly more than for standard ICE models.

Even with the slightly higher average cost for a hybrid — usually around ,000 — these additional initial costs can be offset by federal and state tax incentives, lower maintenance costs, and exceptionally strong resale values.

6. Are hybrids small and underpowered?

Initial hybrid models emphasized fuel economy, so were much lighter vehicles, and had smaller engines. The objective was to offset the loss of power in the ICE with additional power from the electric motor. This would result in essentially the same level of power while burning less fuel.

But this principle does not have to result in underpowered vehicles. In fact the Lexus Rx400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid both have a 270 horsepower power system. And the Lexus GS 450h hybrid sedan is expected to have more than 300 horsepower and go 0-to-60 in less than six seconds. Taking the quest for hybrid power even further, the Toyota Volta concept venicle has a 408 hp power plant.

7. What is the main reason people buy hybrid vehicles?

Saving money on fuel is the first thing most buyers think of. But, in fact, the amount saved on fuel over the life of the vehicle may not equal the extra purchase cost of the hybrid.

There are obviously other factors at play in the gradually building popularity of hybrids. Some people want to make a “green” statement, others simply want to be the first on the block with a new and promising technology.

8. Will hybrid technology save the environment?

There’s no doubt about it. Hybrids are becoming more popular. In the past five years hybrid sales in the U.S. have grown 2000 percent. Sales in 2000 were 9,500, and by the end of 2005 had grown to over 200,000.

But even this larger number is just 1.2% of the 17 million new cars sold last year. If every hybrid gave double the current fuel economy, from an average of 20 mpg to, say, 40 mpg, that would save roughly 100,000 gallons of gasoline a day. But that amount pales in comparison to the total daily gasoline consumption in the U.S. — 400 million gallons! The savings of 100,000 gallons would bring that number all the way down to … 399,900,000 gallons.

Not very significant. Obviously governments and auto makers will have to start getting very serious about hybrid technology before it will make a significant difference.

9. Does that mean hybrid technology is only a fad?

No it does not. Because the only way towards a sustainable future is to find a combination of fuels that will reduce our almost total dependence on oil. Hydrogen fueled vehicles will be part of that future, as will fuel cells, deisel, and alternative fuels such as ethanol.

But what is almost certain is that every promising solution will involve some kind of hybrid combination of technologies. So today’s hybrid vehicles are an important and necessary step towards a much more promising and sustainable future.

Hybrid and Electric Car Market in the Biggest European Automotive Markets – Trends, Consumer Insights, and Future Outlook

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The report provides the trends observed in the hybrid and electric car market in the Biggest European Automotive Markets (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK), insights from a consumer survey conducted to assess the consumer attitude and behavior about hybrid and electric cars, and the future outlook till 2020.

Features and benefits

* Electric/hybrid car parc and registrations across the top five European automotive markets (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK) from 2005-09
* Insights from a consumer survey conducted to assess the consumer attitude and behavior about hybrid and electric cars
* Electric/hybrid car parc and registrations across the top five European automotive markets (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK) till 2020

Highlights

The brief discusses the dynamics that have shaped/are shaping the electric/hybrid car market across the top five European automotive markets (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK) , talks about the customer attitude and uptake of the electric/hybrid cars, and the industry oulook till 2020.

Your key questions answered

* Trends observed in the hybrid and electric car market in the Biggest European Automotive Markets (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK)
* Insights from a consumer survey conducted to assess the consumer attitude and behavior about electric and hybrid cars
* Industry outlook till 2020 • Executive Summary
• Introduction
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Learn More About Future Hybrid Cars

Maintaining a vehicle is no longer as easy as it used to be. With rising fuel costs more and more car owners are finding it difficult to make ends meet. To meet the challenges posed by ever increasing fuel costs and pollution, car manufacturers are trying hard to come out with effective solutions. Hybrid cars – the new technology cars – offer drivers an efficient, innovative, and feasible option.

What are hybrid vehicles?

Any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power to exact propulsion power is a hybrid. Moped is a type of hybrid vehicle because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider.

Most locomotives are diesel-electric hybrids. Diesel-electric buses which draw electric power from overhead wires and fall back on diesel when away from wires are also hybrid vehicles. Giant mining trucks are often diesel-electric hybrids.

Hybrid cars

A hybrid car is run by a small fuel-efficient gas engine coupled with an electric motor. The motor is powered by batteries that recharge automatically during a drive. Its function is to assist the engine when the engine is accelerating. The motor also helps to slow the car by a method called regenerative braking. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is moving, slowing down or not running at all.

New hybrid cars are also equipped with unique features like periodic engine shut off. This feature enables the engine to shut off for a while when the car is held up in traffic, and restart automatically when you put it back into gear. Logically, the more electricity the car uses, the lesser fuel it consumes.

To help reduce the drag the cars also have latest aerodynamics features and low rolling resistance tires. Also, to enhance its efficiency it is built of lightweight materials. The lighter a vehicle is the less energy it needs to propel itself forward. New hybrid cars are designed in a way to fit snugly into modern lifestyle. To the viewing public they are attractive, stylish and uniquely fashionable.

Most hybrid cars today are based on gasoline-electric power drives. PSA Peugeot Citroen, the French car maker is working on a future hybrid car with a diesel-electric power combination.

Toyota Prius is, today, the best selling hybrid on the market. Hybrid cars of other companies include, Accord and Civic by Honda; GS 450h, LS 600H L, RX 400h SUV by Lexus; Aura Green Line and Vue Green Line by Saturn; Altima by Nissan; Camry, Prius and Highlander SUV by Toyota; Escape SUV by Ford and Mariner SUV by Mercury.

Future Of Electric Cars In India

Future Of Electric Cars In India

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Future Of Electric Cars In India

By: Cardekho2010
Posted: Mar 17, 2010
Views: 309

Carmakers have realised the importance of using alternate fuels to power cars. Lots of R&D is being done in this direction to come up with a technology so advanced that it is efficient and economical both. One of the many solutions that are most likely to influence the future in a big way is the concept of electric cars.

In India the pioneer of popular electric cars has been the Reva Electric Car Company, which is a joint venture between the Maini Group India and AEV California. The company began functioning in 1994 from Bangalore and soon launched the two-seater electric car we all know as Reva i.

Electric cars that can come to India

What Reva started is now being taken forward by the country’s other major carmakers like Tata Motors. The company showcased a Tata Indica Vista Electric model at the Delhi Auto Expo and is right now showcasing the electric version of the Tata Nano at the Geneva Motor Show. General Motors India, in collaboration with Bangalore based Reva Electric Car Company, is also expected to launch Chevrolet E-Spark during the later months of 2010. Rumours of Nissan coming to India with its electric Leaf are also there. Sources claim that even Ford Motors might have two electric cars – Transit Electric van and Focus to offer by 2011, though nothing is final and confirmed about any of these models making to India. Carmaker Renault also showcased its Renault Twizy two-seater concept electric car at the Delhi Auto Expo. However nothing is clear about Renault’s India plans regarding Twizy.

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Major road blocks ahead

The biggest challenge for any electric car company in the country is the lack of infrastructure to support their products. So much so that country’s biggest carmaker Tata Motors is not too keen on bringing Indica and Nano’s electric versions to the country! Prakash Telang, MD, India Operations, was quoted saying, “Infrastructure is a problem and so is the manner in which electricity is produced in India. It’s more about the source of electricity and unless we are assured that we aren’t removing pollution from the roads, only to add those emitted by electric plants, we can’t move into the local market.”

This is not all, high pricing, servicing problems and travel possible only in a limited range are some other key factors that have been hampering the growth of electric cars. However, once these limitations are addressed the future might just belong to these eco-friendly beauties across the world.

Cardekho2010 – About the Author:

Resource box: Keep yourself updated for Chevrolet E-Spark, Reva NXR and all other new cars at CarDekho.com

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/future-of-electric-cars-in-india-2000283.html

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Hydrogen and Its Future As a Transportation Fuel (Pt (Series) (Warrendale, Pa.), 95.)

Hydrogen and Its Future As a Transportation Fuel (Pt (Series) (Warrendale, Pa.), 95.)

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Future Hybrid Cars – New Generation Cars

Now a days we always hear of all things initiating with automobiles getting environment friendly. Hybrid Car is a type of car which runs on the alternative source of energy and gasoline. It is a combination of  two types of engines working together namely a standard gas powered engine and an electric motor supported by  the rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery which is  charged with electricity.

 

A Hybrid car is a perfect solution to the problems like deteriorating environmental conditions and rising oil prices.  The increase in consumption of fossil fuels has resulted in the depletion of these reserves on earth. Thus, using hybrid cars would at least cut down the consumption to a large extent.

 

The future hybrid cars are mostly concentrating on the development of the engine and trying to increase its horsepower up to the maximum level. The future models of the hybrid cars are carefully designed as per the modern requirements.

 

They are mostly trying to develop the cars which are more fuel efficient, powerful, stylish, and better than the conventional sports cars. The models of these cars are remodeled and structured many times before finalizing the structure of the models.

 

The future hybrid cars once completed, it would be very difficult to select the best variety of hybrid cars. It would also lead to an emergence of a new concept in hybrid cars i.e. the car racing which is still at a very primitive stage in terms of hybrid cars.

 

There are various options available online such as Hybrid sports car reviews and mileage counter which can be utilized for selecting the best sports car. Apart from these, there are many varieties of cars available such as the cars that are stylish and give you the satisfaction of driving a sports car. These cars are also available in cool designs, stylish classy looks, and advanced engine.

 

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Are Electric Cars A Part Of Your Future?

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 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, 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 , 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.

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