Electric Vehicles: Driving Our Future
Jul 29, 2009 More Saving
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In the next year or so electric cars, or zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as they are often known, will be an everyday sight on roads right across the world. The stuff of science fiction novels will have have become science fact.
Basic electric vehicles are already available to motorists in many countries and are due to become significantly more sophisticated and widespread in the coming years.
The concept of an electric vehicle is nothing new, it has been around for a number of years. That said, the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions in the fight to slow global warming has quickened the development of this next generation of road transport.
Affordable electric cars and ZEVs are already being built and will soon be widely available in car dealers around the globe. We are already familiar with hybrid cars, which have been in existence for a number of years. These cars use both electric and gasoline propulsion to aid in the reduction of emissions. Electric vehicles take eco-friendly motoring to the next level, in that they have no emissions whatsoever - they don’t even have a tail pipe. The advantages of this are likely to be dramatic, particularly in polluted urban areas, as electric cars and ZEVs become commonplace.
So how does the electric car work? Electric vehicles use electric motors and motor controllers rather than the traditional internal combustion engine. Rather than the usual gasoline, these vehicles are propelled by electricity from batteries, although modern methods of energy storage are being developed that will probably replace batteries in the near future. As we speak, special filling stations for the electric vehicle revolution are springing up on roadsides around the globe where car owners can stop and refuel their electric cars, just like at a normal filling station.
That said, for a lot of people, the transition from the usual gasoline car that we all know and love to electric vehicles and ZEVs will require a huge leap of faith. However, electric vehicles have so many advantages that the transition should be a pretty painless one.
Running costs - The fact that electric vehicles are cheaper to run and cost less to keep on the road will likely win over their most steadfast opponents. Motorists will get far more miles for their money and the cost of maintaining these vehicles will be much cheaper than servicing a normal car.
The environment - As electric cars proliferate, the benefits to the environment will be huge. This is particularly the case in large urban areas where smog and poor air quality at street level presents a serious health hazard to people.
Some concerns do remain over electric vehicles, such as the length of time it takes to recharge batteries, the top speeds and acceleration of the vehicles, and issues such as handling and performance. That said, as car producers invest more and more cash into fine tuning these vehicles, these issues are likely to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
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