CleanCarTalk » electric cars

Nissan LEAF at San Diego Alternative Fuels Education Day 2009

Cuong Huynh — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:29:03 +0000

Come join the fun and check out the Nissan LEAF this Saturday. Here are the details. The event is hosted by the San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition. See you there!

San Diego Town And Country Convention Center (across from Fashion Valley Shopping Mall)
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 291-7131
Saturday November 21, 2009
10 am to 3 pm

Enjoy A Fun-Packed Family Day

Learn benefits of fuel reduction for future vehicles
See leading edge alternative fuel vehicles on display
Learn how to take advantage of rebate programs
Join in fun kids’ & educational programs

Vehicles on display include:

Nissan LEAF
GM Chevy Volt
Tesla Roadster
Mitsubishi i MiEV
Honda Civic GX
Plug-in Hybrids
Plus Chargers
IMPCO
And more…

See the full event flyer. (PDF 616 KB)

See the full Nissan LEAF tour schedule.

And give us your opinions in this poll:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Nissan LEAF at San Diego Alternative Fuels Education Day 2009 is a post from: CleanCarTalk

OPEC Number One Enemy of Hybrid Cars and Electric Cars

Cuong Huynh — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:33:43 +0000

It’s great to talk about all these great things hybrid cars and electric cars can do for us. Being independent from foreign oil, cleaning up the environment, reducing global warming effects, creating more green jobs, etc. Here’s why I think hybrid cars and electric cars may never become mainstream in many lifetimes to come: OPEC is hybrid cars’ and electric cars’ number one enemy. Not technology challenges, not infrastructure challenges, not political challenges.

Yes that OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. I’m talking specifically OPEC’s livelihood. No I don’t care for OPEC’s livelihood, and I’m sure they don’t care much for you and me. But I know OPEC countries do care about keeping us dependent on their oil. OPEC declares on OPEC’s website, “OPEC’s mission is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry.”

Now, you and I understand livelihood. Livelihood is something you can’t mess around with. It is the lifeblood of our existence. It is the source of life. Without livelihood, a means of supporting and sustaining our lives, we are in deep trouble. “Steady income” and “fair return on capital” are OPEC’s livelihood, and they will protect it with all their powers like any business would protect its livelihood.

So how is OPEC keeping hybrid cars and electric cars from replacing fossil fuel cars? Well beside the fact that these cars still depend on petroleum products (think lubricants, plus the cars’ production and transportation,) OPEC can always adjust oil prices to levels that will just make owning a hybrid car and electric car uneconomical. No matter what most of us say in surveys, we’ll always vote with our wallets when it comes to purchasing consumer products.

I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. Or maybe not.

What’s your opinion on this?

OPEC Number One Enemy of Hybrid Cars and Electric Cars is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Nissan LEAF Makes U.S. Appearance Beginning With Los Angeles Nov. 13

Cuong Huynh — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:30:35 +0000

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Oct. 22, 2009) – Nissan North America announced that the Nissan LEAF zero-emission, all-electric car will make its North American debut in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. The Los Angeles showing will be the first time people in the United States will be able to see the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car, which is embarking on a nationwide tour.

The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour will make stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.

Look for the Nissan LEAF to make public appearances in the following areas during these times:

Southern California
Los Angeles: Nov. 13-17
Orange County: Nov. 18
San Diego: Nov. 19-21

Northern California
Berkeley/Walnut Creek: Nov. 23-24
San Francisco: Nov. 25-29
Santa Rosa: Dec. 1
Sacramento: Dec. 1
San Jose: Dec. 3-6

Pacific Northwest
Seattle: Dec. 8-12
Vancouver, Canada: Dec. 14-15
Portland, Ore.: Dec. 17-23

Southwest
Phoenix/Tucson: Dec. 30-Jan. 5
Las Vegas: Jan. 6

Midwest/East Coast
Detroit: Jan. 11-13
Knoxville/Chattanooga, Tenn.: Jan. 16
Middle Tennessee: Jan. 19-21
Washington, D.C.: Jan. 26-28
Raleigh, N.C.: Jan. 29
Orlando: Feb. 1-2

Texas
Houston: Feb. 5-6

New York
New York City: Feb. 9-14

Nissan is the only automaker committed to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass market on a global scale. Through the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, Nissan will be showcasing the electric vehicle and battery technology as well as the company’s zero-emission mobility objectives. Nissan already has partnered on the development of an electric-vehicle infrastructure through partnerships in the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Washington D.C., Seattle, Raleigh, and Vancouver. Additional partnerships will be announced in the near future.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recyclin

Follow the tour, get updates on the final schedule and specific showings, and sign up for more information, at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car.

Photos courtesy Nissan-zeroemission.com.

Nissan LEAF Makes U.S. Appearance Beginning With Los Angeles Nov. 13 is a post from: CleanCarTalk

REVA NXR and REVA NXG All-Electric Cars Available For Europe Reservation

Cuong Huynh — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:30:49 +0000

The 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) on September 16, 2009 saw the world launch of the REVA NXR (NeXt Reva), a new lithium-ion powered electric car from REVA Electric Car Company (REVA), which is scheduled to go into production early 2010. Also unveiled for the first time was REVA’s showcar, the REVA NXG (NeXt Generation), which is the company’s 2011 model.

REVA NXR is an M1 category three-door, four-seater hatchback family car that is suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph (65 mph) with a range of 160 kms (100 miles) per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km (25 mile) range.

The REVA NXR has keyless entry and operation, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a range of telematics. These include SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to- full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, a monthly eco-drive check by email, service and insurance alerts, remote diagnostics and healing and REVive remote emergency charge. REVive is exclusive to REVA and acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank and addresses “range anxiety.” If a customer runs out of charge, they can telephone or SMS REVA’s customer support center. The advanced telematics will assess the car’s batteries remotely and activate a reserve amount of energy while protecting the battery life. Within minutes, a few extra miles of range are made available via the telematics and the driver can continue home or to a place where the NXR can be charged.

REVA NXR

Prices of the NXR will vary across Europe depending on taxes and subsidies. Customers will be offered the option of purchasing the car and batteries separately, or at an all-inclusive price. If bought separately, the benefit will be a lower purchase price, with the batteries paid for on a monthly basis – just like gasoline – as part of a monthly mobility fee, which could also include electricity, telematics and other services. Average prices in Europe, excluding batteries, will be around 14,995 euros (US$ 21,820) for the lithium-ion NXR Intercity version. The REVA NXR City, with lead acid batteries that has an 80 km (50 mile) range and a speed of 80 kph (50 mph) is also available from 9,995 euros (US$ 14,545) and a small monthly mobility fee.

Chetan Maini, deputy chairman and chief technology officer of REVA said during the Frankfurt show: “The NXR is a stylish city car packed full of user-friendly technology. You can order one from today and production will start early next year, so you can be one of the first to own the latest generation of electric cars.” Styled by Dilip Chhabria, the REVA NXG is a M1 category, two-door, two-seater car with a targa top. The REVA NXG has a range of 200km (125 miles) per charge and a top speed of 130 kph (80 miles per hour). It features the same telematics as the REVA NXR, including REVive and, using the fast charge, it has an effective range of 400 kms (250 miles) a day. This showcar, the REVA NXG, is REVA’s 2011 model and its first showing is at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) between Sep. 17 – 27, 2009. Pricing in Europe excluding batteries is from 23,000 euros (US$ 33,470) plus a monthly mobility fee.

REVA NXG

REVA is committed to mitigating climate change with the creation of ultra low carbon cars – it has only ever made EVs. Every REVA NXR and REVA NXG will be Born Green, meaning they will have one of the lowest dust-to-dirt carbon footprints of any car in mass production. The REVA NXR has been designed to use approximately 80% fewer parts than a conventional or hybrid car and will be assembled in REVA’s new ultra low-carbon assembly plant in Bangalore powered by solar energy and using natural light and ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Preparations have begun to create a ‘second life’ for the lithium batteries to optimize energy efficiency and reduce the cost to consumers via the creation of guaranteed residual values. From 2010 REVA will publish the carbon emissions for the assembly and lifetime operation of both these new cars and by this environmental disclosure, customers can make an informed buying decision.

REVA’s new website, www.revaglobal.com, launched the same time as the new cars and customers can register their interest in either vehicle on the online priority list today by paying a refundable 500 euro (US$ 727) fee. While Indian-made cars have sold in Europe and elsewhere, cars made in India have not targeted the U.S. market, and it is not expected that the REVA will be brought here either.

REVA NXR and REVA NXG All-Electric Cars Available For Europe Reservation is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Renault Electric Cars Showing at Frankfurt Auto Show

Cuong Huynh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:20:14 +0000

Renault had some interesting and cool displays at the recent Frankfurt Auto Show. Not all will see the light of the market, but they are all part of Renault’s long term electric vehicle global strategy.

2011 will see Renault begin the marketing of affordable production electric vehicles. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is targeting to be the leader in the sale of mass market zero-emission vehicles. The four electric concept cars on show in Frankfurt provide a preview of Renault’s range of vehicles due to be released from 2011. They are

TWIZY Z.E. Concept: 100% ELECTRIC, 100% PRACTICAL AND 100% INNOVATIVE. Twizy Z.E. Concept is an innovative response to the challenge of urban mobility. With its four-wheel chassis, Twizy Z.E. Concept offers the driver and passenger – seated one behind the other – an all-electric means of transport which produces no CO2 emissions. Twizy Z.E. Concept is compact, nimble and practical – everything you need in city traffic. The wraparound bodywork creates a safe, reassuring cocoon which offers first class protection for both the driver and the passenger. Power comes from a 15kW electric motor which develops 70Nm of torque, making Twizy Z.E. Concept versatile and easy to drive. The acceleration performance of Twizy Z.E. Concept in urban and suburban traffic is comparable to that of a 125cc motorbike.A new type of urban vehicle close to Twizy Z.E. Concept, with a passenger seat behind the driver, will be available in the 2nd-half of 2012.
ZOE Z.E. Concept: ZERO EMISSIONS AND A PERFECTLY REASSURING RIDE. Zoe Z.E. Concept is evidence that an all-electric zero-emission vehicle can also boast smart, appealing looks. Zoe Z.E. Concept’s special roof optimizes the management of the climate control system to ensure extended range, while the ambience inside the cabin can be customized. Over and above its traditional role, the climate control system breaks new ground thanks to its hydrating, ‘detox’ and active scent functions which combine to enhance the travelling experience. Zoe Z.E. Concept is a compact, versatile daily driver which represents a new way of experiencing mobility thanks to a choice of three battery-charging techniques.A full-electric city car (close to Zoe Z.E. Concept) measuring less than four meters (13 feet) long and with five seats, ideal for commuting, will be available by mid 2012.
FLUENCE Z.E. Concept: AN ATTRACTIVE, SPACIOUS ELECTRIC FAMILY CAR. Fluence Z.E. Concept is a statement of Renault’s intention to produce a range of zero-emission vehicles that meet the needs of all types of customer. Fluence Z.E. Concept is a genuine family car which demonstrates that attractive styling, comfort and space can go hand in hand with respect for the environment. Fluence Z.E. Concept is an all-electric car with a range of 160km. The battery can be charged using one of three methods: a standard charge (between four and eight hours), a quick charge (20 minutes) or an immediate solution (three minutes) which takes the form of the exclusive ‘Quickdrop’ rapid battery exchange system. Fluence Z.E. Concept previews the forthcoming electric version of Fluence, and represents a solution to zero-emission motoring in the world of tomorrow.Fluence Z.E. will be launched first in Israel (1st semester 2011) and then in other countries.
KANGOO Z.E. Concept. Kangoo Z.E. Concept is based on Renault Kangoo and brings zero-emission mobility to the business road-user. Kangoo Z.E. Concept is powered by a 70kW electric motor which delivers 226Nm of torque, in conjunction with a lithium-ion battery. Energy consumption is minimized thanks not only to the careful attention that has been paid to its overall design but also to energy optimization solutions, without the necessary high standard of comfort suffering in any way. Kangoo Z.E. Concept’s many information functions make it a particularly user-friendly, efficient and interactive vehicle.A light commercial vehicle and designed for professionals, Kangoo Z.E. will be available the 1st semester of 2011.

Details on Renault’s all-electric zero-emission vehicles.
Read Renault’s electric vehicle global strategy.

Renault Electric Cars Showing at Frankfurt Auto Show is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Nissan Adds Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safer to Pedestrians

Cuong Huynh — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:12:27 +0000

An interesting post on Nissan adding “noise” to electric cars was posted on Bloomberg.com. If you remember a recent post on “Hybrid Cars Too Quiet? Japan May Require Adding Noise?,” there are efforts to add noises back into quiet hybrid and electric cars. Seems like we’re going backward, but there are some legitimate concerns for the vision-impaired, older citizens, and children crossing the streets not hearing cars coming.

I know, I know. Some may say that this is not the problem of the quiet cars. Of course, everyone should take responsibility: drivers must pay attention, and pedestrians must pay attention as well. But there is this thing called “accident” and the more ways we have to prevent it the better.

Now Nissan becomes the first to add noise back into a car. What noise, you ask? According to Mr. Toshiyuki Tabata, a Nissan engineer who spent the last 30 years trying to make gasoline-powered cars quieter, he chose to make it “beautiful and futuristic”. À la Blade Runner flying car beautiful and futuristic, to be precise.

The sound system would turn on when the car starts and be automatically turned off when the car reaches 20 km/hr or a little more than 12 mph.

Noisemakers are not too far behind. According to the Bloomberg.com piece, car electronics manufacturers also developed noisemakers. Tokyo-based Datasystem Co. makes a device selling for 12,800 yen ($140) that emits 16 different sounds including a cat’s meow, a cartoon-like “boing” and a human voice saying, “Excuse me.”

Can you say “Downloadable car noises”? We may be reducing automobile pollution, but get ready for strange and artificial car noise pollution the next time you walk the streets.

Read the complete “Nissan Adds ‘Beautiful’ Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe” article.

Nissan Adds Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safer to Pedestrians is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Battery Pack Balancing – The Key to Maintain Top Hybrid and Electric Car Performance

Cuong Huynh — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:00:24 +0000

As the automobile industry moves toward alternative energy vehicles, near-term solutions include the already popular hybrid cars and the upcoming electric cars. Ironically, the single common performance killer among these new breeds of cars turns out to be their energy storage or battery packs that help them achieve their high mileage. Batteries tend to be unreliable and greatly affect the performance of any hybrid or electric car. Reliability of hybrid or electric cars can be improved with proper battery pack balancing.

Why is Battery Pack Balancing Needed?

Battery pack balancing is the maintenance of each battery cell, which centers on preventing the cells from reaching the minimum and maximum limits with every full charge and discharge cycle. Balancing the battery pack’s SOC, or state of charge, and making sure that the battery stays at an optimal level between full charge and full depletion can help your battery stay in great condition and can considerably lengthen the life of a single battery pack.

The full depletion of a battery pack is not advised since the extreme ends of a battery’s charge can sometimes cause changes to the electrode surfaces of the batteries. This sometimes happen due to SOC deposits that affect the original composition of the batteries. This may then lead to battery problems and possibly cell damage. To keep the battery pack balanced, the recommended operation is in the mid 30% to 50% of the SOC.

The Challenge of Battery Pack Balancing

Battery pack balancing is not a straightforward exercise. One of the most commonly advised practices is to charge each battery cell individually using separate low-voltage chargers instead of charging them together using a high-voltage charger. This will help prevent imbalance, though it could be a bit taxing and time-consuming to have to use multiple chargers. It is also advisable to shuffle the charges from high to low SOC, though this would require complex circuits and may be faced with certain limitations.

Battery pack designers also recommend the use of shunt clamps while charging. By shunting the current from one battery to the next each time a battery pack reaches the necessary clamp voltage, every battery will remain in the same maximum starting voltage. Aside from that, the use of a passive network may also be helpful. A passive network is an affordable and a manageable way of equalizing the voltage, but make sure to avoid deep discharges as this may affect the life span of the battery pack.

Battery Pack Monitoring

In order to ensure that the battery pack is optimally balanced, monitoring the pack closely is critical. Failing batteries should be identified and replaced when necessary. If a failing battery is not determined in a timely manner and left to continue to function within the pack, it can weaken the battery and its pack, and adversely affect the performance of your hybrid or electric car.

Battery pack monitoring is thus a significant function for proper battery pack balancing. Read more on “Design Considerations for Keeping Your Battery Pack in Top Performance: Balancing and Equalization vs. Pack Monitoring.”

Battery Pack Balancing – The Key to Maintain Top Hybrid and Electric Car Performance is a post from: CleanCarTalk

China’s BYD Aggressive on Lithium Battery and Hybrid Bus Production

Cuong Huynh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:26:51 +0000

Lithium Batteries

Chinese battery and electric automaker BYD Co. has set up a plant to mass produce lithium batteries for its electric cars in Huizhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, according to the China Securities Journal.

BYD, partly owned by Warren Buffet, has injected around five billion yuan (about 731.5 million U.S. dollars) into the operation of the Huizhou plant, which produces rechargeable batteries, automobile parts and handset components, the newspaper Xinhua reported.

Facilities for the production of batteries for the company’s electric cars are almost ready now, since construction began in September last year.

The Shenzhen-based company’s F3DM, China’s first plug-in hybrid, made its debut last December.

The Huizhou plant, the first eligible for mass production of lithium-ion batteries that are core technologies of BYD’s electric cars, is seen as a key step in the company’s electric car manufacturing. Source: xinhuanet.com

Hybrid Bus

In related news, on July 24, 2009, Shenzhen BYD Auto Company Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BYD Company Limited, signed the Equity Transfer Agreement as transferee with Foshan Weishang to acquire the entire equity interests of Hunan Midea Coach for 60 million Yuan (US$ 8.8 million.)

Hunan Midea Coach, with its headquarters located in Hunan Environmental Protection Industrial Park, used to be a company engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of buses and coaches. After this acquisition, Shenzhen BYD Auto Company Limited will hold all the shares of Hunan Midea Coach and BYD Company Limited will be granted the permission by the government to manufacture buses and coaches.

BYD envisions entering into the new energy (hybrid and electric) bus field through this acquisition and plans to produce new energy buses in 2010. Furthermore, BYD will manufacture passenger vehicles in Hunan and plans to produce car models C3, C6, F2 and others.

This acquisition contributes to BYD’s new energy bus manufacturing and marketing and further enhances its automobile production capacity.

China’s BYD Aggressive on Lithium Battery and Hybrid Bus Production is a post from: CleanCarTalk

One More Challenge For the Electric Car – Charging Station Permit and Installation

Cuong Huynh — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:10:14 +0000

My friend John Addison is reporting from the Plug-in 2009 Conference in Long Beach California this week. John just wrote an article on electric vehicle charging issues faced by both the public and the car manufacturers. You’d think the main challenges with electric cars consist of technical issues, like battery charging, safety, reliability problems, range, speed, or financial issues like purchase price and battery pack replacement cost. Stuff like that, right? Not really. Actually one of the major hurdles have been bureaucracy, according to some industry experts.

Here’s what John wrote:

Given the potential for energy security, a climate solution, and lowering monthly fuel costs, who would want to stop this? Who could? A terrorist needing oil money? An oil executive? A conspiring auto maker? None of the above. The biggest concern is that the number one “speed bump” will be bureaucracy. Enid Joffe with Clean Fuel Connection was in the middle of the first wave of installing 7,500 chargers and in the current challenges of installing chargers from BMW’s MiniE.

Her customers have been caught in the catch-22 of the utility not approving charger installation without a city permit and the city refusing a permit without utility approval. A process that should take a few days and cost a few hundred dollars can take 45 days and cost thousands.

The process involves essentially the following simple steps to have charging capability installed:

Car owner applies for license to City (in person in some locations, online in others)
Car owner provides proof of insurance
City issues City Permit to install charger
Utility company reviews installation contract
Electrician installs charger adapter
Utility company returns to install separate meter.

Sounds simple enough. But guess what? Because electric cars are still too new of a product in the market, we’re still trying to work out the proper procedures and processes. I’m sure over time this whole permit thing will be resolved and streamlined. Nobody says we’ll switch to electric cars overnight.

Read John Addison’s “Electric Vehicle Charging Passes Inspection” article.

One More Challenge For the Electric Car – Charging Station Permit and Installation is a post from: CleanCarTalk

History of the Electric Car

Cuong Huynh — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:03:28 +0000

Amidst all this excitement about bailout money, new clean diesel, hybrid and electric cars announcements, joint ventures and collaborations, and battery development progress, I though we’d take a brief look at the history of the electric car. We may learn something from it.

An electric car is a vehicle that uses electric motors for propulsion. It needs electricity to operate instead of an internal combustion engine, or ICE, that runs on fossil fuel such as diesel or gasoline. Despite its long history, electric cars never took off in popularity. Fossil fuels have always been cheap enough so there was no reason to look at alternatives. While the electric car (or its concept) has always been a part of the transportation landscape all along, recent momentum for more efficient energy use and better environmental impact has allow the electric car to quickly become prominent as the search for alternative fuel vehicles plays a more dominant role in the car industry.

Electricity that powers an electric car comes mainly from onboard sources such as a rechargeable energy storage system or battery packs. The energy storage system

can be charged externally by plugging the vehicle into a power source when not in operation, or
it can be charged while the car is in operation via a small engine.

The former is thus called the electric car, or plug-in electric car (among other variations,) and the latter is what we know today as the gasoline-hybrid, diesel-hybrid, or fuel-cell hybrid depending on the fuel source of the ICE. Collectively they are just called hybrid cars or hybrids for convenience.

Electric Cars – the Early Years

Electric cars have been around since the 1830s, dating back to a time even before diesel and gasoline engines were created. Although the exact year is not known, records show that the first electric carriage was created between 1832 and 1839 by Robert Anderson, a Scottish businessman. In 1835, the first electric car was created by Professor Sibrandus Stratingh from the Netherlands. When the 1840s rolled along, two significant contributors, Thomas Davenport and Robert Davidson, invented more advanced electric vehicles using non-rechargeable electric cells.

It took quite some time for this development to be followed. It was only in 1865 that Frenchman Gaston Plante came up with a better storage technology for electric energy. The technology that Plante pioneered made a significant contribution to the flourishing of electric cars. By 1867, a two-wheel cycle created by Franz Kravogl from Austria that used this specific technology was displayed at a Paris World Exhibition showcase. This technology was later on refined by another Frenchman, Camille Faure, several years later in 1881.

In the same year, Gustave Trouve, a French inventor, also revealed a three-wheeled car that ran on electricity at the International Exhibition of Electricity in Paris. Thanks to the support of France and Great Britain, widespread development of electric cars became possible. It was only later on, around 1891, that the Americans paid attention to the electric cars following the creation of an electric wagon that can hold six people by William Morrison and A. L. Ryker.

The Growth of Electric Cars

During their heyday, electric cars performed rather well in terms of speed, distance, and overall performance. In fact, in 1899, Camille Jenatzy was able to go up to 62 miles per hour (mph) or 100 km/h in an electric car called Jamais Contente, which can even go as fast as 66 mph (105.88 km/h) at maximum speed. Due to the great potential of electric cars in the market, the vehicles increased in number steadily through the early 1900s. By 1897, electric taxis were roaming the New York City streets.

Even with the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in the picture, the electric cars progressed continuously. For a time, the electric cars sold more than the gas-based cars. The electric cars were warmly embraced by the upper class market and mostly in urban areas where light city driving is the norm. The easy to use nature of these vehicles also made them highly ideal for women drivers. However, due to the various limitations of the early electric cars, especially the limited speed, the electric cars could not prove its usefulness as driver demands continued.

Overall, the automotive industry was very much alive, and soon there came steam- and gasoline-powered vehicles in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Electric cars were found to be greatly advantageous over the other types of vehicles in the market because they produced no vibration, no noise, and no smell. They were also easy to use and to maintain unlike gas-powered cars that required gear shifting and steam cars that required longer start-up time and had less range. But since the electric cars were mostly sold to the upper classes, some of the vehicles featured luxurious and ornate carriages and very extravagant materials. All the way until the 1920s, the electric cars enjoyed great popularity.

Early 20th Century Decline of Electric Cars

The electric cars soon met their downfall, brought about by several factors. As more roads were developed, long distance travel became widespread, and the electric cars, which had limited range, could not match up to the needs of the new age. At around the same time, the Texas crude oil was discovered, and gasoline prices significantly fell, making gas-powered vehicles easily within reach of regular consumers. The gas-powered vehicles also received several various improvements (including the invention of the electric starter for automobile by Charles Kettering in 1912) that made them almost as easy to use as the electric cars. Gone were the days of hand-cranking the engine just to be able to drive somewhere.

Soon enough, the demand for ICE, or internal combustion engine, vehicles rose at such a rate that car companies started mass-producing the vehicles to answer to this growing demand. Led by Henry Ford, consumers welcomed several ICE vehicles into the market, and these vehicles were just more affordable and practical than the electric cars.

Despite its fate, the electric cars did not fade into oblivion. They were still used in special cases where the range is expectedly limited. However, when the 1930s came, the electric cars have all but disappeared and cease to be a viable commercial product.

Modern Revival of Electric Cars

It wasn’t until 1966 that U.S. Congress introduced a bill recommending electric cars as solutions to reduce air pollution What followed were a period of hits and misses that included various congressional laws and mandates, car industry attempts at making electric cars viable for consumers, and fleet operators trying out several electric car options in test programs. None proved successful enough as electric cars struggled against yet-ready electric drive technologies, fossil-fuel conglomerates including fuel producers and unwilling car manufacturers, and the general political environment that did not see strong values in electric cars.

In the early 1990s, California passed its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate that required two percent of the state’s vehicles to have no emissions by 1998 and 10 percent by 2003. But the law did not hold its mandate and became weaker over the years with lower and lower number of ZEVs it required.

During this time frame, a few thousand electric cars were made available from various manufacturers. There were the Chrysler TEVan, the GM EV1, the GM S10 EV, the Honda EV Plus hatchback car, the Ford Ranger EV, the Toyota Rav4 EV, and the Nissan Altra EV. The Toyota Prius sold nearly 18,000 units during its first production year in 1997. Despite this, the car makers did not strongly market the electric cars. The mandate was eventually revoked, faced by the protests of major oil companies, and most electric cars released were recalled and destroyed except for some Toyota Rav4 EV models that still circulated in the used market.

This brings us to the present day.

The Prius is now in its third generation after 12 years on the market; undeniably a great achievement! The Prius now has a true and serious competitor in the Honda Insight 2010. Other hybrid, electric and clean diesel cars by both new and existing carmakers have been announced to hit the market in the next several years. We may now have the perfect environmental, financial, political and technical conditions to truly foster an explosive growth of electric cars.

Sources:

PBS.org “NOW”: Timeline: Life & Death of the Electric Car
Wikipedia “Electric car“
About.com: Inventors “The History of Electric Vehicles“

History of the Electric Car is a post from: CleanCarTalk

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