Electric car
hideAn electric car is an alternative fuel automobile that uses electric motors and motor controllers for propulsion, in place of more common propulsion methods such as the internal combustion engine (ICE). Electric cars are a specifically a variety of electric vehicle intended for use as a road-going automobile. Electric cars are commonly powered by on-board battery packs, and as such are battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Other on-board energy storage methods that are expected to come into use in the future include ultracapacitors, or a spinning flywheel, which stores energy as potential energy.
Electric cars enjoyed popularity between the mid-19th century and early 20th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion, providing a level of comfort and ease of operation that could not be achieved by the gasoline cars of the time. Advanced in ICE technology soon rendered this advantage moot; the greater range of gasoline cars, quicker refueling times, and growing petroleum infrastructure, along with the mass production of gasoline vehicles by companies such Ford, which reduced prices of gasoline cars to nearly 50% of that of equivalent electric cars, effectively killed off the electric car in important markets such as the United States by the 1930s.
In recent years, increased concerns over the environmental impact of gasoline cars, along with reduced consumer ability to pay for fuel for gasoline cars, has brought about renewed interest in electric cars, which are perceived to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to maintain and run, despite high initial costs. Electric cars currently enjoy relative popularity in countries around the world, though they are notably absent from the roads of the United States, where electric cars briefly re-appeared in the late 90s as a response to changing government regulations. The hybrid car has become the most common form of electric car, combining a gasoline powertrain with supplementary electric motors to run the car at idle and low speeds, making use of techniques such as regenerative braking to improve its efficiency over comparable gasoline cars, while not being hampered by the limited range inherent to current battery electric cars. Hybrids are now sold by most major manufacturers, with notable models including the Toyota Prius and the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid which uses a fully electric drivetrain supplemented by a gasoline-powered electric generator to extend its range. As of 2009, the world's most popular battery electric car is the REVAi, which is produced by an Indian company and sold in a number of countries in Europe and Asia.
For more information about Electric car, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with electric cars
Researchers customizing electric cars for cost-effective urban commuting
Nov 16, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (7) |
1
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have converted a 2001 Scion xB into an electric commuter vehicle that will serve as a test bed for a new community-based approach to electric vehicle design, ...
Taiwan, China may develop electric cars together
Nov 16, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Taiwan and China are looking into developing electric cars together and will hold a conference here next week to seek areas where they can cooperate, a Taipei official said Monday.
Electric cars need government support: Nissan-Renault CEO
Nov 12, 2009 |
2.3 / 5 (3) |
1
Electric cars could help China and other countries reduce their dependency on oil but the government must provide incentive to make the shift, Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said Thursday.
Tesla Roadster Goes 313 Miles on a Single Charge
Nov 09, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (14) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tesla is becoming synonymous with high performance electric cars. Indeed, the Tesla car company has been making efforts to create a brand of sports car that runs on electricity, and does so ...
Car That Runs on Compressed Air Questioned by Critics (w/ Video)
Nov 03, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (21) |
38
(PhysOrg.com) -- As electric cars begin breaking into the short-distance vehicle market, one French company thinks that it has an alternative to the electric vehicle: a car that runs on compressed air. Motor ...
Toyota to release solar charger for electric vehicles
Oct 27, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (26) |
10
(PhysOrg.com) -- Toyota is developing a solar charging station for electric cars and plug-in hybrids, making a green technology even greener. It has also designed a battery charger for mounting inside an electric ...
Japanese automakers rev up efforts in hydrogen cars
Oct 25, 2009 |
4 / 5 (8) |
12
Imagine a car that can be refuelled in minutes but emits only water. Sounds like science fiction? In fact it already exists -- Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has one. So does Honda president Takanobu Ito.
Electric cars take on hybrids at Tokyo show
Oct 21, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
1
Futuristic concept cars, plug-in hybrids, zero-emission electric vehicles and even a hydrogen-powered scooter jostled for the limelight as the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off on Wednesday.
Japanese car makers out to electrify Tokyo show
Oct 19, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (16) |
17
Move over hybrids -- the biggest buzz at this year's Tokyo Motor Show looks set to come from electric cars as the dream of affordable zero-emission vehicles moves closer to reality.
Japanese firm plans zero-emission ferry
Oct 15, 2009 |
2 / 5 (2) |
0
A Japanese shipmaker said Thursday it planned to launch the world's first large electric ferry -- the latest innovation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Improved redox flow batteries for electric cars
Oct 13, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (20) |
14
A new type of redox flow battery presents a huge advantage for electric cars. If the rechargeable batteries are low, the discharged electrolyte fluid can simply be exchanged at the gas station for recharged ...
SKorea targets world electric car market
Oct 08, 2009 |
not rated yet |
1
President Lee Myung-Bak Thursday offered full government support to help South Korean firms secure about 10 percent of the global electric car market by 2015.
Where's the next boom? Maybe in 'cleantech'
Oct 06, 2009 |
2.8 / 5 (5) |
0
(AP) -- Our economy sure could use the Next Big Thing. Something on the scale of railroads, automobiles or the Internet - the kind of breakthrough that emerges every so often and builds industries, generates ...
Toyota unveils 'green' sports car
Oct 06, 2009 |
3.1 / 5 (7) |
0
Toyota unveiled Tuesday a new lightweight, sporty concept car inspired by an iconic coupe from the 1980s, saying its vision of the future was both mean and green.
The Audi e-tron concept electric car
Oct 02, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (21) |
5
(PhysOrg.com) -- Audi has unveiled its new electric car concept, the Audi e-tron at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
