I wonder if carrying a spare battery that will be easily changeable by the owner might give electric cars like the leaf some extra range. I guess that depends on the size and cost of the battery.
You use a leaf, does it come with a massive battery?
FLYINGSCOT - here are the quick pros and cons that come to mind;
LEAF pros: Quieter, smoother (no shifting, no fumes), less stressful to drive, less expensive, re-fueling is clean and odorless and done at home, I don't HAVE to go to petro/gas stations, no petroleum-based liquids required, no belts, no emissions testing, a tremendous amount of maintenance is not attached to ownership.
LEAF cons: Battery capacity limits range by 75% compared to my old car. Refueling points are scarce, making long-range trips difficult.
Widely available electric vehicles in the United States is long overdue. Was this a mandate that came out of the GM bailout? Maybe this is one thing we can credit the Obama administration for.
I absolutely agree with you, making the charging points' infrastructure widely available will increase confidence in electric cars.
The UK government through the department of transport has recently approved funds to the tune of £30 million pounds to run a pilot programme that would see the installation of up to 8500 charging points for electric cars. This might seem small when looking at a big country like the USA, but for a compact country like the UK it is a big leap by the government and a laudable one at that.
I definitely agree that electric vehicles are the cars of the near future, giving both savings on costs and the additional environmnental gains from almost zero carbon emissions. However, I am choosing to comment on statement about the how it saves the reliance on foreign oil companies.
The fact is that the electricity generated which is then used to charge an electrical is to a large extent derived from fosssil fuels combustion, which means that eventhough you do not go to the gas station to fill up your car with gasoline, you still use electricity made from petroleum. Until, world electricity is fully decarbonised and derived from renewable energy then we cannot get the maximum gains from electric vehicles...
@gotmyleaf........Glad to hear from a real Nissan Leaf driver. If you forget costs what are the pros and cons of owning the Leaf versus your previous conventional car.
Renewable energies are the future of energy sources. We cannot rely to the traditional ways of electricity production because; such resources are not reliable always. So I think some R &D has to happens about using renewable energies in vehicles.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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