Related topics: electric cars , car , lithium ion battery
Electric vehicle
hideAn electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, is a vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. Depending on the type of vehicle, motion may be provided by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors. Electric vehicles can include electric cars, electric trains, electric airplanes, electric boats, electric motorcycles and scooters, and electric spacecraft.
Electric vehicles first came into existence in the mid-19th 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. At one time the internal combustion engine (ICE) had completely replaced the electric drive as a propulsion method for automobiles, but electric power has remained commonplace in other vehicle types, such as trains and smaller vehicles of all types.
Electric vehicles are distinct from fossil fuel-powered vehicles in that they can receive their power from a number of sources, including fossil fuels themselves, nuclear power, and renewable sources such as tidal power, solar power, and wind power. This energy is then transmitted to the vehicle through use of overhead lines, wireless energy transfer, or a direct connection through an electrical cable. The electricity may then be stored onboard the vehicle using a battery, flywheel, supercapacitor, or fuel cell. Vehicles making use of engines working on the principle of combustion can usually only derive their energy from a single or a few sources, usually non-renewable fossil fuels.
At the beginning of the 21st century, increased concern over the environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation infrastructure, along with the spectre of peak oil, led to renewed interest in an electric transportation infrastructure. As such, vehicles which can potentially be powered by renewable energy sources, such as hybrid electric vehicles or pure electric vehicles, are becoming more popular.
For more information about Electric vehicle, read the full article at
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News tagged with electric vehicles
STEM gets greener: Promoting critical thinking using renewable energy technology
Dec 17, 2009 |
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Can building model cars really help create the next generation of electric vehicle designers and engineers? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so. Through a recent grant, they will develop a curriculum that ...
Electric cars rolling out
Dec 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Electric vehicles are far from new, but we are still a long way from electric cars being the norm. Now two new electric cars may bring that goal a step closer.
Seattle Charges Up for Electric Cars
Dec 15, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Over the next two years, 2,500 charging stations for electric vehicles will be built in the Seattle area as part of a partnership between Nissan North America and the Electric Transportation Engineering ...
Researchers customizing electric cars for cost-effective urban commuting
Nov 16, 2009 |
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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, ...
Car That Runs on Compressed Air Questioned by Critics (w/ Video)
Nov 03, 2009 |
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(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 |
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(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 ...
Costs of plug-in cars key to broad consumer acceptance
Oct 21, 2009 |
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A University of Michigan survey released today shows widespread consumer interest in buying plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). But the cost of the cars is much more influential than environmental and other non-economic ...
Electric cars take on hybrids at Tokyo show
Oct 21, 2009 |
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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 firm plans zero-emission ferry
Oct 15, 2009 |
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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.
Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team unveils its new set of wheels
Oct 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Penn State engineering students recently took delivery of a 2009 Saturn Vue that will be used in an advanced vehicle technology engineering contest sponsored by the Department of Energy and General ...
Toyota unveils 'green' sports car
Oct 06, 2009 |
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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.
Panasonic Develops High Energy Lithium-ion Battery Module with High Reliability
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Panasonic Corp. has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module from 18650-type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells, which are widely used in laptop computers, to provide energy storage ...
France aims for two million electric cars by 2020: minister
Oct 01, 2009 |
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France plans to invest 1.5 billion euros (2.2 billion dollars) on infrastructure for the two million electric and hybrid cars it wants on its roads by 2020, the ecology minister said Thursday.
Clemson researchers study energy savings with electric cars and IntelliDrive technology
Sep 28, 2009 |
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Clemson University researchers have been awarded a $470,000 National Science Foundation grant to study making plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) more efficient to reduce fossil fuel use.
300 mph: New Land Speed Record for a Hydrogen Powered Vehicle
Sep 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the complaints that many have with regard to vehicles powered by alternative energy is the fact that they don't really have a lot of speed. However, this does not necessarily have to ...
