Electric Vehicles | Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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Electric Vehicles | Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles:

With the current rise in gasoline prices and deeper concern about our environment and global warming, electric vehicles along with hydrid vehicles that run on electricity sources are being released into the marketplace. At the beginning of the automobile age, gasoline was the up-and-coming "alternative fuel" that competed with electric batteries and steam power. Gasoline, therefore has powered most vehicles in the past century. Now, ironically, we are slowly switching to electric batteries and more environmentally friendly energy sources. Electric vehicles offer greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions if charged from coal-fired electrical generation and none if charged by wind power, hydropower, or solar power.

Electric vehicles are vehicles with one or more electric motors for propulsion. These are also referred to as electric drive vehicles or EVs. The motion may be provided either by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors .Unlike an internal combustion engine that is tuned to specifically operate with a particular fuel such as gasoline or diesel, an electric drive vehicle needs electricity, which comes from sources such as batteries, fuel cells or a generator. This flexibility allows the drive train of the vehicle to remain the same, while the fuel source can be changed. In addition to cars, electric vehicles include trucks, bikes, ATVs, scooters and more.

According to recent studies,in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, electric vehicles generate a fraction of the emissions that are expelled by a normal gasoline engine car. For every gallon of gasoline burned, approximately 22 pounds of CO2, a significant global warming gas, are created. If a vehicle gets 25 miles per gallon it will emit 22 pounds of carbon dioxide over that distance, as well as other pollutants. By comparison, an electric car may travel the same distance consuming 5 kilowatt hours of electric power. Assuming the local grid is 100% coal-fired, approximately 5 pounds of coal would be consumed to create that power. Depending on the grade and carbon content of the coal, one kilowatt hour creates approximately 1.4 pounds of CO2. That's 7 pounds of CO2 compared to the 22 pounds to travel the same distance.

Electric vehicle technology has come a long way in recent years and upcoming new battery technologies extend the range to distances nearly equal to a current tank of gas, and charge faster than in the past. Electirc cars are one way to break our dependance on domestic and foreign oil and to provide a greener future for ourselves and children.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

A hybrid electric vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle. The hybrid vehicle usually achieves greater fuel economy and lower emissions than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles resulting in fewer emissions being generated. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are a fairly new technology that combines the internal combustion engine of a conventional vehicle with the battery and electric motor of an electric vehicle. The result is a vehicle that dramatically reduces fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and smog. Hybrid vehicles are particularly efficient for city traffic where there are frequent stops, coasting and idling periods.

Hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles are part of the new breed of environmentally-friendly vehicles that accelerate the transition from complete dependency on oil-based fuels to advanced EV technology. Skyrocketing oil prices combined with concerns over tailpipe emissions increase the demand of hybrid or electric vehicles and electric batteries to power them. Plug-in hybrids differ from the current hybrid vehicles in that they can be recharged externally from an ordinary power outlet. In a conventional hybrid the battery is recharged from power generated by its wheels.

Hybrid cars blend the best of the conventional car with the best of electric cars for a winning combination. Uniting the cleaner energy of the electric motor with the long-range power of the gasoline engine yields a hybrid automobile with lower toxic emissions with better fuel economy-sometimes up to 30 miles a gallon or more than conventional cars. These hybrid electric vehicles also perform as well if not better than non-hybrids and are as safe, reliable and comfortable as any traditional car, and they are usually competitively priced.

Electric Vehicle Companies | Electric Hybrid Companies:

There are various companies and types of electric and electric hybrid vehicles. There are some companies that make pure electric cars and others that make various types of hybrid vehicles. Manufacturers in various parts of the world manufacture green vehicles to meet consumer demand and government regulations in specific regions. As well, government grants influence decisions made on a corporate level and a consumer perspective in regards to manufacturing and the purchase of greener vehicles.

ZENN, a Canadian based company recently launched the Zeen, the zero emission, no noise, fully featured electric vehicle that requires no gasoline. Although the company is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, and the car manufactured in the province of Quebec, this electric car was first introduced in the United States. Transport Canada regulations set up for public road use excluded the ZENN and other battery electric vehicles from Canadian roads. In 2008, the Quebec goevernment amended legislation which will allow residents of Quebec to drive ZENN in Canada.

ZAP is a global leader in electric vehicle technologies. ZAP, a California based company is a leading distributor of fuel-efficient alternative energy vehicles in the United States, and has already established a network of licensed automotive dealers throughout the country. Since 1994 ZAP has been a world leader for electric and advanced technology vehicles, delivering more than 100,000 electric and solar-electric hybrid vehicles in more than 75 countries.

Tesla's high-performance electric vehicle is the Roadster. Tesla is one of the most-publicized, most-hyped electric car companies around. A Canadian based company known as Dynasty Electric Car Corp sells five similar models that are pure electric. Phoenix Motorcars manufactures all electric trucks and SUVs. Venture One e50 /Q100 are electric vehicles that resemble a glorified scooter. There are many styles for electric vehicles but they are compact for the most part to achieve better road performance. There are other manufacturers as well coming out with versions of electric and hybrid vehicles and the list will continue to grow as we move into a new age of greener vehicles.

The Chevrolet Volt is a hybrid vehicle by GM, with production expected to begin in 2010. The Chevy Volt is an electric vehicle with an innovative rechargeable electric drive system that runs on electricity, gasoline, E85 or biodiesel. The lithium-ion batteries to be used in General Motors' Chevrolet Volt electric car will soon be installed and tested in specially equipped versions of the Chevrolet Malibu as well. Ford Motors has manufactured the Escape hybrid. It is a full hybrid electric system, meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power, or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together

Honda has manufactured a new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car. The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. As well Honda has a few hybrid vehicles to chose from including the Hybrid Civic and Hybrid Accord. Toyota has a hybrid electic vehicle known as the Prius. Toyota is also planning to develop a new hybrid-electric car specifically for its Lexus division as well as another new hybrid. Nissan is moving full speed ahead with plans to introduce a pure electric car in 2010 for fleet customers in Japan and the United States. After testing its vehicle with fleet customers, Nissan will market the electric car worldwide in 2012 to retail customers. Lithium ion batteries developed in Nissan's joint venture with NEC CORP will power the car. These are a few examples of the choices being offered to consumers as the demand for greener technologies increases.

Electric Vehicles Disadvantages:

One of the major disadvantages of electric vehicles is the lack of existing infrastructure for them. Pure electric vehicles offer only a limited range they can travel before needing to be recharged, so the lack of locations to charge them is a concern. This leads to another issue with electric cars, the fact that people may tend to recharge the batteries during the day and not during off-peak periods mean that the electric grid can get even more strained at certain times.

Batteries remain one of the biggest obstacles producers are facing at the moment, because of their low capacity, high production costs, wear out time and overheating. Batteries used in electric cars are lithium-ion, which are expensive. Also, the battery packs will need to be replaced eventually, as they have a life of approximately 3 to 4 years. On top of this, along with the electric motor, they occupy space and make a vehicle weigh more, which impacts its performance.

Limits on driving distance and a limit on power are a major concern for anyone that wishes to purchase and electric car. If you drive long distances and drive on express highways they may not perform as well as a regular gasoline powered car. You may want to consider a hybrid electric car that can fall back on a conventional internal combustion engine powered by gasoline for long hauls. Electric cars have come a long way in recent years but still have to overcome a few more obstacles before becoming widely accepted as a solution for many consumers.

Electric Vehicles Advantages:

Despite disadvantages electric vehicles have many great advantages. Electric cars are emission-free, having no polluting byproducts and no engine or exhaust noise, and therefore they are cleaner than regular gasoline or even hybrid automobiles. They secure their power from batteries, the sun, or hydrogen fuel cells. Battery-powered electric cars, besides being cleaner, are more fuel-efficient, get better mileage and have less moving parts to wear out. Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells are emission-free, lightweight, compact, three times as efficient as gas engines, have excellent ranges, easy refueling and are totally safe. Therefore the primary advantages of electric cars over other cars are their lower emissions and higher efficiency.

Gasoline prices have skyrocketed over 40-percent from the past year and there is no end in sight to rising gas prices. By consuming less gasoline as the hybrid vehicles and pure electric vehicles do, we lessen our dependence on foreign oil. There are a lot of hybrid models on the market these days, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions. Also there are government grants and incentives in many countries to encourage the consumer to purchase electric or hybrid vehicles.

The future of Green Vehicles:

Hybrid power trains are used for diesel-electric or turbo-electric railway locomotives, buses, heavy goods vehicles, mobile hydraulic machinery, and ships. Hybrid cars may have been the first on the market, but the market has expanded to include other hybrid vehicles as well. Hybrid SUVs, trucks, minivans, buses and motorcycles are all either in development or on the market as we speak.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cells hold the promise as a clean source of power for electric motors, without the limitations of batteries. In a fuel cell, hydrogen is burned in a pollution-free chemical reaction where the fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water and waste heat. Since hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it seems like the best replacement for more limited resources like oil. However, due to production costs and refueling limitations, manufacturers estimate that road-ready hydrogen-powered vehicles are at least a decade away. In addition to hydrogen fuel cells, engineers continue to experiment with alternative fuels such as biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol, methanol and propane-as well as fuel made from corn, soybeans, grass and sugar beets. Concept vehicles are being tested and some are even being used in commercial situations, like buses and other commercial vehicles that run on biodiesel. These fuels may represent a new breed of hybrid beyond the still gas-polluting engines. We owe it to future generations to phase out gasoline vehicles and switch to green vehicles. This will lead to a healthier environment and combat global warming

Over the next decade, products are likely to emerge on the market that are both more efficient and more environmentally friendly than their predecessors. The century-long reign of internal-combustion engines will almost certainly be challenged by pure or hybrid electric powered cars and buses that are quiet and clean, and use energy far more efficiently than today's vehicles.

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