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
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 car makers out to electrify Tokyo show
Oct 19, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (17) |
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.
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.
Increasing Electric Car Battery Performance
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Sep 23, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (20) |
10
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have found that by replacing conventional graphite electrodes with silicon nanotube electrodes, lithium-ion batteries can store 10 times more charge.
Introducing the Brabus High Voltage Car
Sep 23, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (21) |
20
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Ultimate High Voltage Concept electric car has been unveiled by Brabus at the Frankfurt Motor show in Germany. The sporty little car is a new model incorporating the Brabus Smart ED (Electric ...
New findings could help hybrid, electric cars keep their cool
Sep 22, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
0
Understanding precisely how fluid boils in tiny "microchannels" has led to formulas and models that will help engineers design systems to cool high-power electronics in electric and hybrid cars, aircraft, ...
Solar Roadways Awarded DOT Contract to Pave Roads with Solar Cells
Sep 07, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (52) |
68
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a first step toward turning highways into energy-generating solar panels, the Sagle, Idaho-based startup Solar Roadways has recently received a $100,000 grant from the US Department of ...
Big Blue dreams of a big green battery
Aug 28, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (17) |
11
Spike Narayan watched a Tesla electric sports car rocket from zero to 60 mph (100 kph) in less than four seconds and knew batteries would be the next big thing.
Germany wants a million electric cars by 2020
Aug 19, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (8) |
1
The German government unveiled plans Wednesday to get one million electric cars zipping around the country by 2020, offering sweeteners to jump-start national giants like BMW and Volkswagen into action.
Agreement reached on common 'plug' for electric cars: firm
Apr 19, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (17) |
28
Leading automotive and energy companies have reached agreement on a common "plug" to recharge electric cars, a spokeswoman for German energy company RWE said Sunday.
Chicago Installs Solar Powered Charging Station for Electric Vehicles
Apr 10, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (60) |
30
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the biggest arguments that some have made against plug-in electric vehicles is that they still promote the use of fossil fuels. When you have to plug in a car for a charge, the electricity ...
Tesla unveils groundbreaking electric car
Mar 26, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (35) |
25
US automaker Tesla Motors unveiled Thursday its state-of-the-art five-seat sedan, billed as the world's first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car.
Tesla to unveil electric 5-seat sedan next week
Mar 19, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (14) |
3
US electric automaker Tesla Motors, which launched a breakthrough gas-free sports car last year, announced Thursday it will unveil in coming days a five-seat sedan, to roll off assembly lines by 2011.
New battery material could lead to rapid recharging of many devices
Mar 11, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (21) |
9
(PhysOrg.com) -- MIT engineers have created a kind of beltway that allows for the rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material, an advance that could usher in smaller, lighter batteries ...
