Do Electric Cars Save Money?

With the economy in a state and fuel prices rising, many people are turning towards purchasing an electric car. The real question is whether electric cars can actually save you money. Unfortunately, the answer really depends on the individual car owner.

Let’s start by discussing the technology involved. When individuals say “Electric Car,” they’re referring to one of two things. The first is a completely electric car. Instead of a traditional gasoline powered engine, these cars run wholly on batteries. We’ll discuss these in just a moment.

When most people talk about an “electric car,” though, they’re talking about a hybrid – a gas/electric vehicle designed to function just as typical gasoline powered engines do. Wondering if these will save you money? Let’s take a look.

When purchasing a hybrid car, you will quickly find that the sticker price of the car is much higher than the gas-guzzling counterparts. The reason for this is simple – supply and demand. Of course, the technology in an electric car is also much higher than a typical gas vehicle, so the cost increases again. However, even with the higher price of the vehicle, do the monetary savings at the gas pumps close the gap? Actually, no.

Even with gas as expensive as it is and an economy in turmoil, the gap between the cost of an electric car and the gas savings is not closed -meaning that you’re spending more for your electric car than you would a traditional vehicle.

Another major issue with electric cars is depreciation. According to Consumer Reports’ analysis, electric cars lose two to three per cent more in value after five years of ownership when compared to identical gas vehicles.

However, there seem to be two electric hybrid vehicles that would save money over five years – the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid save a little over $300 in five years. The only reason these vehicles would save owners that money is do to the US federal tax incentives for hybrid vehicles – otherwise, the cost of ownership rises to $2,700 out of pocket. Other hybrid vehicles cost their owners thousands of dollars more than the non-hybrid versions in five years of ownership, even after the tax credits.

When you’re talking about savings, though, there is an argument that we can’t put a price on the environment. This is true, and perhaps there is a payment due for trying to fix what has been broken. This seems to be coming onto the backs of vehicle owners today, in the cost of “green” vehicles that will help to reduce emissions and the use of fossil fuels.

There are technologies for full electric vehicles, such as the ZENN vehicle that is made in Canada. The ZENN (which stands for zero emissions, no noise) is a full electric vehicle – running on a battery you plug in to your home electrical socket. While the technology might not be all the way there yet, these types of full electric vehicles may save more money in the long run, as they do not use non-renewable resources at all, but rather electricity which can be man-made and generated through renewable resources such as wind and water.

Many people are looking to save at the gas pumps, especially with the rise in gas prices in the recent years. Gas prices will continue to rise as wars erupt overseas and the demand for gasoline increases. With this, eventually, if gas gets expensive enough, electric hybrid vehicles will be cheaper to run, however gas needs to be almost $10 a gallon before the savings will be worth it.

Electric Car Conversion Kits – Useful Tips On Dealing With Them

An electric car conversion kit will allow an individual to make a gasoline propelled vehicle into an electric vehicle. If you are interested in electric car conversion kits, they are available from vendors to use in a do-it-yourself form. You should research the best types of cars suited for the electric car conversion kit as well as the type of car to meet your needs. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind before converting to a “green” car.

A Few Things To Consider

The majority of electric cars can only be driven between 30 and 100 miles, this is affected by driving conditions and the weight of theautomobile. For those who have a daily commute in this range, an electric car conversion kit makes perfect sense. For a two car family, where one vehicle is used only for short trips, an electric car is a good alternative. It will save a great deal on the costs of gasoline annually. If your daily commute is more than 30 miles one way and/or in rough or hilly conditions, an electric car may not be the best alternative for you. However, if the daily commute is only 20 miles each way, and the road conditions are normal it may be ideal.

An electric vehicle needs to be recharged overnight. This requires a garage or carport that has electrical outlets. Most electric car conversion kits allow your car to travel up to 25 miles “per gallon” ratio, top speeds are comparable to gas-powered vehicles, and can carry up to four passengers. The cost is usually less than $10,000, but batteries need to be purchased about once a year. These cost about $300 each; that is another expense that should be considered.

Individuals who are interested in learning more about electric car kit conversions can attend various schools with courses on the subject. These courses show the proper way to perform the elements of the conversion process, reducing mistakes and errors that can affect the end result. There are also various workshops available in communities with instructors who are qualified to give you the basic information for working with an electric car kit. They can also assist you with devising a time frame and budget that works to get the project done. For those who aren’t confident in their mechanical abilities, a mechanic with experience in this type of installation may be the best option. Companies which specialize in converting vehicles are springing up rapidly. Many are available via the Internet, and there are also websites which direct the user to conversion specialists near their areas.

Having considered all the ramifications and limitations of converting your vehicle, and if you decide that its right for you and your family, there are many ways of going about the process. Once completed, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part toward protecting the environment, and saving yourself money, too.

Build Your Own Electric Car

The Basics Of How You Can Build Your Own Electric Car

With the cost of gas these days, some consumers have decided that having and operating an electric vehicle will be more effective and cheaper in the long run. If you decide to build your own electric vehicle, there are whole lot of resources available to assist you understand and work through the process of changing a gas vehicle to an electric vehicle.

If you have a long commute everyday, an electric vehicle might not be your best choice, since on average, electric vehicles can run from 30-70 miles each day. This is totally dependant on the driving conditions, the weight of the vehicle and the battery quality. Also consider how you will be recharging the batteries. If you live in an apartment complex with no garage, it may be impossible to charge the car’s batteries every night.

Important Considerations

First you have to decide what type of car you want to use to build your own electric vehicle. Smaller cars will usually be ideal, but larger vehicles can be used as well. You will most likely want to use a car that has a manual four or five speed transmission, since manuals are more efficient. Interestingly, since electric motors are so efficient, shifting up and down constantly won’t happen as much as it does in a gas fueled engine.

When you build your own electric vehicle, the additional systems can add anywhere from 200 to 500 extra pounds to the total weight of the car. So, when choosing the car you want to work with, make sure that the total weight of the car with the modifications isn’t completely ridiculous and is within reason.

A few things that are optional and not used often when you build your own electric vehicle are power steering and air conditioning. The power steering would require another motor to make the power steering pump work. Air conditioning drags on the batteries, but you can hook up air conditioning using a special magnet system to work the compressor.

If you want to build your own electric vehicle, there are plenty of resources out there to help you do the job right. As time passes, electric vehicles and hybrids will become more and more popular simply because the price of gas seems like it is going to stay fairly high and for many people, gas is almost not affordable. Take a look and decide if you want to build your own electric vehicle; you might be surprised at how fairly easy it is to convert your gas guzzler into an electric vehicle.

Electric Car Conversions – How To Turn Your Gas Guzzler Into a Green Machine

Odds are, you probably own a gasoline or diesel powered vehicle. If you are considering making the switch to an electric car, there are some things you should consider before getting started.

Should I Buy a New Vehicle?

If you are in the market for an electric car, the easiest option is to simply go new car shopping. There are a few production electric cars out there right now. Be aware that while an electric car is more expensive up front, if it suits your commuting needs you can save a lot of money in the long run on fuel costs. Most production electric cars have more limited range than a gasoline vehicle, but as long as you don’t drive more than 50 miles on a daily basis, they will be just fine. Along with the electric car, you will usually receive a power station for your home, where you plug your car in to recharge overnight. Remember, power isn’t free, and has to come from somewhere. You can expect a rise in your electricity bill, but usually you are still saving money over a gasoline vehicle. And check the laws in the state you live in! California, for instance, offers some very nice incentives to owners of green alternative fuel vehicles. This includes electrically powered vehicles.

Converting Your Existing Vehicle

If you just don’t want to give up your gas guzzlers style or storage capacity, it is possible to convert your vehicle to run on electricity. Just be aware from the get go that this is an expensive project that is definitely not a do-it-yourself deal. Pretty much every active component of your vehicle will have to be replaced with versions designed for electric vehicles. But the costs will probably not be much more than purchasing an electric vehicle, and you may like the results much better.

Get in touch with some companies that specialize in alternative energy sources, such as solar power or fuel cells. Even if they can’t help you with your specific project, they can probably point you towards someone that can. The company that you finally settle on will have quite a few issues to discuss with you, such as the battery types, or whether to go pure electric, or hybrid. Electricity-generating fuel cells are another option, but can be expensive to maintain. There are many different ways to go when talking electric car conversions, and many need to be worked out with someone who knows what is what.

It’s All Worth It

But once you actually perform the conversion, you will be amazed at the difference. Electric vehicles are nearly silent, and you’ll never have to pump gas again. They have a very futuristic feel about them, with computerized systems and displays as finishing touches. And they produce no emissions whatsoever, so you are doing a major favor to the environment. Imagine how much less smog there would be in your city if everyone drove zero emission electric cars.

Electric Cars and Rising Gasoline Prices

Rising gasoline prices may just make other forms of alternative means of transportation become more attractive. One of the ways not to be affected by the rising prices of gas is to have an alternative means of travel. Of course, saving up on gasoline use may help in some way, but such actions may still leave one affected with the rising prices of gas. A better way would be trying to use a mode of transportation aside from one that makes use of fuel aside from gasoline. One such example is the use of an electric car.

An electric car is one type of an alternative vehicle. It makes use of electricity as its primary power source. Instead of an internal combustion engine, the electric car, also commonly called as an EV or electric vehicle, has an electric motor to make the vehicle move. It is an alternative fuel vehicle that does not use refined fossil oil for fuel.

Electric cars get electricity for power by means of electric battery packs built on board. One of the advantages of using electric vehicles or EV’s is that they are environmentally friendly. Unlike fossil fuel that emits a number of pollutants into the air when being used, the use of electricity for power does not do so, except that the power plants that may produce them do. But with using electric cars, the emission of harmful pollutants may be reduced substantially. Less cars using fossils fuel and gasoline would help make this possible. And someday, when more electric power is sourced from nuclear, solar, wind and hydro-electric power plants, pollutant emissions will even be reduced more.

Performance-wise, electric cars offer smoother and noiseless operation that cars relying on gasoline. Electric cars provide stronger acceleration and the electric motor requires lesser maintenance than the internal combustion engines of cars using gasoline and other fossil fuels. By using electricity through batteries, energy conversion is more efficient. Electric motors makes use of 75 percent of the chemical energy converted into electricity to run the car. Internal combustion engines or ICE’s only are able to make use about 20 percent of the energy stored in gasoline to power the vehicle.

If most think that the electric car is a recent invention, then they are mistaken. The electric vehicle is in fact one of the earliest vehicles known to exist. Small electric powered vehicles even predate the development of the diesel and gasoline engines. The earliest electric carriage was built between 1832 and 1839. The development of other electric cars also increased for some time during the 1860’s along with the improvement of the storage battery. It was even the electric cars that held many of the speed and distance records during this time. But unfortunately, the advent of the internal combustion engines came during the early 1900’s, which led to the decrease in the use of electric cars.

With the appearance of the more powerful and affordable diesel and gasoline powered cars starting in the early 1900’s, the market for electric cars slowly disappeared. Although there were still electric cars being made, those that do exist were being produced for specialized applications. One of the most common use for the electric vehicle today may be found in the golf carts as a primary mode of compact transport in golf courses. But because of the rising gasoline prices as well as the worsening pollution, there has been an renewed demand for the less polluting alternative electric vehicles in recent years.

 NOVYAR