The hype for electric cars is overwhelming! It seems that in the near future most cars would run on plugin cord instead of going to the nearest gasoline station. In the end News for Catalytic Converter will be heard that no cars is using it coz every vehicle in the road will run on electricity.
Also in recent news was an article about Volts catching fire, although it sounds like this problem occurs during storage of damaged vehicles after an accident, and could be avoided by proper drainage of the battery fluids prior to storage/repair. I assume this is an issue that will be resolved pretty quickly.
If the requirements for infrastucture upgrades and electric demand are acurate, I would guess that electricity costs would go up significantly as electric car technology is adopted (based on increased operating costs coupled with increased demands).
To reduce the electric bills and to have more efficient way to have an edge than gasoline vechicles is to charge the EVs using solar energy in the day time. We can not say this is a promising idea as there are few states can use of day time sun light energy and it is also a cost effective to set up solar panels. As per the information provided by charging EV with electric power still profitable than gasoline vechicles.
I've wanted an electric car for some time. I have 90 mile daily commute and want something better than my current 45 MPG with zero net CO2 emissions. Your article gave me some answers and some questions.
Efficiency:
"My last 110 miles in the Chevy Volt consumed 24.7kW".
If you consumed 24.7kW you would have had to have added a lot more electricity than that to the battery because the battery is very inefficient at converting its energy into electricity to power your car. That inefficiency occurs when you charge and again when you discharge.
Please put a data logging power meter on that charger and tell us how much electricity it really takes to go 110 miles (or calculate it if you can).
Environmental:
Scientific American has shown us that electric cars and plug-in hybrids cause more CO2 emissions than hybrids in many parts of the United States. And are only slightly better than hybrids in the rest of the country.
Solar Cells (for some fellow posters):
Solar cells that would power your car while you drive would be the size of a parking lot, not the size of the roof on your car - check the math.
Here's a solar panel, on sale, from a retail discounter:
Lets assume no losses, 110 miles with 24.7 kW is about 13.5 kWH at 60 mph. So you'll need 13.5 kW of solar panels. Each of the panel kits above is 45 Watts with full sun. So you will need about 300 kits or an array that's three feet wide and 11,106 feet long. I think you'll have trouble making turns with a panel that long on your car!
Yes, Bolaji, the history of the electric car began in the mid-19th century. It was the high cost and low speed compared to internal combustion vehicles that led to a worldwide decline in their practical use.
Recently, the new advancements in technology have gone back to the roots of the electric car, giving birth to a new hope. The environmental issues have also taken a more predominant role this time. I believe this time electric cars are here to stay.
Tvotapka, A bit of history that demonstrates we've known about the possibility of electric vehicles for a long time yet they don't seem to have reached their potentials. I have a suspicion electric vehicles would have spread worldwide today had we not discovered so much oil. Once the easily recoverable oil is all gone, we will be putting more efforts into making electric vehicles work even better but that day could be a long time coming.
How fitting this post on EVs comes out this week. Just today I pulled in an interesting piece of historical trivia from NPR's "The Writer's Almanac."
The first American automobile race took place on this date in 1895. It was put on by the Chicago Times-Herald, and it was open to cars with at least three wheels that could carry two or more people (the driver and a judge). The race, 54 miles in all, ran from Chicago's Jackson Park out to Evanston, Illinois, and back.
It was Thanksgiving Day, and it had snowed the night before. None of the automobiles had roofs, and none of the roads were paved, so conditions for a race weren't optimal. Out of the original 89 entrants, only six were at the starting line on race day. Two of them were American-made electric cars; the other four — one of them American and three built by German manufacturer Karl Benz — were gasoline-powered. Four of the cars eventually dropped out due to the poor conditions, and it came down to American Frank Duryea and one of the Benz machines. Duryea prevailed, reaching a top speed of 7.5 miles per hour, and crossing the finish line after several breakdowns and a little over 10 hours. The German car limped home two hours later, driven by the referee; its driver had collapsed, exhausted. Duryea used his $2,000 winnings to start the Duryea Motor Wagon Company.
The Benz name we know well. Duryea, on the other hand, may not be as famous though there is a Long Island street named after him just off a the main drag where many distributors once hung their hats.
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.
To save this item to your list of favorite EBN content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
