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What are the advantages of electric cars? Electric cars are currently the most efficient cars. This is because the electric motor converts electricity to motion with about 85% to 95% efficiency. The electricity output of a battery is typically 60% of the electricity that went into it. That efficiency is many times higher than hydrogen or compressed air. Hydrogen fuel cells typically output 25% of the energy that was used to charge them. Compressed air vehicles can't do any better. The electric battery is very old technology. It is old technologies that are the most refined and robust. Lithium Ion batteries have been in production since about 1990. These batteries, although quite new, have high energy density. Compared the lead acid and metal hydride batteries of old, the lithium ion batteries are more costly and relatively short lived (limited several hundred recharge cycles before replacement). However the Lithium Ion batteries are much friendlier to the environment. And the high energy density makes them ideal for things like cars and laptop computers. Because battery technology is so diverse right now, there is no single right way to care for all batteries. It is important to know how to care for the specific battery in an electric car because the batteries are expensive. Batteries may cost $5,000 to $30,000 depending on the vehicle. The battery of an electric car will typically contain the energy found in one gallon of gasoline. Hopefully, this capacity will increase in the next few years. This means that the battery is the equivalent of a $10,000 one-gallon gas tank. Just keep in mind that the electric motor does many times the work with that energy than an equivalent gasoline engine. Battery weight is a problem. The batteries can be very heavy. Keeping the battery weight under 2,000 lbs is a challenge. If the battery is too small and light, the vehicle won't go very far and the battery will be short lived. If a large battery is used, much of the battery's energy will be spent towing around its own weight. Batteries don't get any lighter as they approach empty. To compensate for the heavy weight of the battery, the chassis of an electric car must be as lightweight as possible. Electric cars will likely be made of plastic, fiberglass composites, aluminum, titanium, and magnesium. There are several all-electric cars on the market. And there are even better all-electric cars that will be available in a year or two. I'm not mentioning neighborhood electric cars. I think it's just another term for golf cart.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars Plug-in Hybrid electric cars are electric cars with a gasoline generator. This system may be the ideal transportation technology for a peak oil civilization where gasoline is subject to price hikes and supply interruptions. A "plug-in hybrid electric car" is different from a "hybrid electric car." The plug-in hybrid electric car (Chevy Volt) is primarily electric. There is only one motor that powers the wheels; and that motor is electric. The gasoline engine in the plug-in hybrid electric car is used to charge the battery when it gets low while driving. A hybrid electric vehicle (Prius) uses the gasoline and electric motor to directly power the wheels. The hybrid electric car does not usually plug in to a wall, but instead gets all of its energy from gasoline. The plug-in Prius will break the trend. It will have the electric motor and gas engine drive the wheels while having extra batteries to support electric-only driving. This requires a complex transmission and complex power management system. The big advantage with the plug-in hybrid electric car is that the vehicle may fill up from a wall socket or gas station. The multi-fuel capability means that the vehicle can survive on one diet should the other not be available. Think of the plug-in hybrid electric car as an omnivore. The big electric powered car on the horizon is the Chevy Volt. This will be manufactured in large, accessible quantities and at affordable prices. I'm sure prices will also be subsidized by the government (tax credits etc) to promote the technology. Hopefully, the final consumer price will be under $30,000 out the door. The Chevy Volt will look and behave like a conventional car. It will be priced and sold like a conventional car. The Volt will contain a 1.4L gas engine borrowed from the new Chevy Cruz. This gas engine will be used to extend the range of the vehicle once the batteries run out of juice after 40 miles.
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