Electric Car ? Short History

 

People become interested in the electric vehicles since 1830 when Joseph Henry invented the electric DC (direct connect) motor.

Only after the invention of rechargeable batteries in 1859 by Gaston Plante the electric cars were starting to become viable.

In the 1912 were over 34.000 electric vehicles. The EV industry vanished with the invention of the electric starter for gas-powered cars and also because of the cheap price of gasoline.

The oil crisis in the 1970’s mede the EV’s to remerge. General Motors, Ford, Sebring/Vanguard and many others started to experiment in the EV field, but with no success to make profits because of the high cost.

In the 1980’s th e poution cause by gas-powered cars was beginning to get out of control.

The carmakers sought ways to improve the air quality but they were not willing to risk entering th EV industry.

The only electric cars you could see on the roads those days were actually converted from gas-powered cars.

With the development of new type of batteries in the 1990’s, car makers were once again interested in the EV’s.

These new batteries were making EV’s viable by increasing thei range and performance.

But still, because of the high price of the batteries the average consumer couldn’t get one.

The many clients for EV’s were the companies that needed vehicles that would travel short distances at a time.

The best thing at an EV is the fact that it is extremely quiet, it can be recharged for practically nothing compared to gas prices and it is nearly maintenance free, not to mention the very low pollution level.

EVs are coming back, and it looks like this time, they will be here to stay.

 

Coming Soon: Electric Cars For Sale

The question is will it last? Have we finally reached a crisis point in a time when the world’s automobile manufacturers realize we need an alternative to gas powered vehicles? That the only way to avoid the fate of the dinosaur is to drive better gas mileage into their cars and trucks while continuing research on other alternatives? Consumers are buying electric car kits, spending money on electric car conversions, and trying to find out exactly what electric cars are and how they work. But if gas sees sub two dollars a gallon, will we forget about the pain of $5 a gallon gas?

Most people say no. Most people realize we have gone down this road before and they are not willing to get caught behind the eight ball again. Problem is no one tells the car makers. All of the majors are working on alternative fuel sources for the next few model years banking on the fact that the world’s drivers have had enough. Problem is if gas is cheap again, consumers will pick up right where they left off and drive up demand for SUV’s and other gas guzzlers which will force automobile manufactures to retool to release pent up demand and sideline their “green” programs yet again.

Going Green Does Have Problems

There is a huge outcry against the E85 or Ethanol based fuel program. For one the energy savings created by using ethanol is negated by the fact that it burns less efficiently than gas. Also, with the price of food skyrocketing, people have a problem with turning that food into fuel. Not to mention logistics, there are only 1500 service stations out of a total of 176,000 that offer E85 ethanol, and the vehicle in question has to be converted to take the 85/15 ethanol gas blend. In other words, this will be another boondoggle that gets us no were fast.

There Are Other Solutions

The electric car is seen as the next best technology and will hit the market in full force over the next few model years. Toyota is considering a Prius with solar panels to power the air conditioning unit. General Motors is planning on launching the sleek and sexy Volt in 2010, and BMW is working on a hydrogen powered engine they say will be ready in less than ten years. There are rumors that Mercedes-Benz plans on eliminating gas powered engines from its entire fleet by 2015. That is a pretty bold effort, but one that is surely needed.

But if any of these fantastic technological breakthroughs are going to be successful people are going to have to buy them. No one is going to confuse you for a secret agent while tooling around town in your Prius, and you are certainly going to get stares in your SMART car from Mercedes, but for all the wrong reasons. But not to worry all of you fashonistas out there waiting for the right car to accessorize your dog-wallet-purse-girlfriend-job with, the Volt is a nice looking vehicle and if you happen to have a hundred grand laying around, you could always pony up for a Tesla and be green and sexy all at the same time!