Another reason electric cars are popular is because electric cars are environmentally friendly since they produce less pollution than the regular gasoline-powered cars. And one more explanation about the hype is because of the stories about the hybrid electric cars that are largely owned by celebrities that promotes the ‘Green Movement’.

Most of the time, electric cars are not bought brand new by car owners rather a conversion of their previous regular car. In plain site you will somewhat have a difficult time to spot if the car is an electric one or not. One way to point out if the car is a converted electric car is the sound of it. Regular gasoline-powered cars are a little loud and electric cars are almost silent. However, you can easily distinguish the make of the car once the hood is popped-up. If a regular gasoline-powered car is converted to an electric car then you will notice that the following:

1. The gasoline engine is traded for an electric motor,
2. The controller obtains it power from the selection of rechargeable batteries and
3. The electric motor gains its power through the controller.

Electric cars can be defined as a refined wiring project. Contrariwise, because of its fuel lines, colorant hoses, exhaust pipes and entry manifolds, a regular gasoline-powered car is defined as a rough plumbing project.

So why choose an electric car against regular car? Another reason is because electric cars offer a distinct experience in driving. Most of electric vehicles, because of their low center of gravity, provide outstanding handling along with swift initial increase of velocity. Even at lower pace or speed, electric motor presents nearly incessant rotating force that allows the car to do things that normal or traditional petroleum based vehicles can not do. One great case of point of this is when you’re driving a regular gasoline-powered car and you’re steering up to a curb in a street. With the regular car there’s still a need for you to stop, aim to climb the curb and kick-start the motor to reach your goal. But with an electric car, it will be a breeze for you to climb the curb.

Converting regular gasoline-powered cars to electric cars have so many other benefits as well. And naturally, it also has its share of drawbacks. To fully understand how to convert one yourself or comprehend what your mechanic is doing to your car then you can hit the web to search for details in regards to building an electric car. With the various websites the features this phenomenon then it will also be a breeze for you to learn the guidelines and fine points of converting an electric car.

Ken Stevens knows how to turn YOUR vehicle into an electric car. Visit his electric car conversion website right now to find out exactly how to convert your car into an electric. Go there now –> Click Here To Get Your Own DIY Electric Car

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Stevens

Petroleum prices have jumped during the last year and everybody is feeling the pain at the pump. Not a single soul is concerned about filling up the batteries of his next electric car with electricity. After all, you just plug the car into the next receptacle and there seem to be no appreciable costs.

Joe owns a Corvette, a high performance car manufactured by General Motors, which according to the car manufacturer drives 25 miles per gallon.

Joe’s monthly commute is 1000 miles, he drives very carefully, and actually achieves 25 MPG on his daily trip going to work and running errands. At $4.00 per gallon at the pump he is paying $160 for gasoline every month.

Joe is thinking about buying the Tesla, an electric sports car. He tried to find the cost of electricity for driving this car. He could not find any data anywhere. Joe knows that he must explain to his wife why he needs to save energy and money before buying the Tesla, a new, very fast electric sports car.

The Tesla will accelerate faster than his Corvette. There is no doubt that an electric vehicle can have a faster acceleration than a gasoline car. Electric motors and liquid fuel engines are just two different devices converting electric energy or petroleum fuel energy into mechanical energy. Electric motors can generate much higher torque at the wheels at much lower turning speeds.

In comparison, electric motors will have several shortcomings, too. They certainly will emit more pollutants and more carbon dioxide as long as coal is used for producing electric power. Overall energy efficiency of the electric car, from power plant to the road, is still worse than that of a modern automobile propelled by an advanced combustion engine.

The biggest drawback of electric cars is the small number of miles they can drive after a complete recharge. Additionally, the charging of an empty electric battery will take forever, high performance batteries are expensive, and will only have a limited life expectancy.

What about energy costs for driving an electric car compared to a gasoline powered car? Both vehicles will have to store energy. The electric car stores electric energy in its battery, the combustion engine powered car stores energy in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel in its fuel tank.

Now let us take a comparative look at the cost of storing and paying for enough electric energy or liquid fuel energy to drive 100 miles. Let us assume that both cars will have the same power requirements to drive 100 miles. In this respect the match-up between Tesla and Corvette is perfect. But how do we compare prices at the gas station with utility costs at the receptacle?

Energy contained in gasoline can be converted into mechanical energy only at the limited energy conversion efficiency of a typical heat engine. The Corvette engine will have an energy conversion efficiency of about 35%. (Fuel fired engines may eventually reach 50% peak energy conversion efficiency after decades of future advancements). Conversion efficiency of electric power from the receptacle into stored energy first and into mechanical energy later is much higher at about 85%.

The energy content of gasoline is 131 MJ/gallon (megajoule per gallon). For driving 100 miles the Corvette will burn four gallons of gasoline or 524 MJ/100 miles. Only 35% of the energy in gasoline or 183 MJ will be used to propel the Corvette. This is the mechanical energy transmitted to the rear wheels of the Corvette. Virtually the same amount of energy must be transferred to the wheels of the electric car, the Tesla. Both cars are very similar in size and driving characteristics.

However, the Tesla has to take a little more energy from the receptacle because the charging, storing, and discharging of electricity in the battery experiences energy losses. These losses are about 15% of the electric energy taken from the receptacle and will not be available at the wheels. The Tesla owner will, therefore, pay 1.15 times as much to get the same energy to the wheels as the Corvette or 211 MJ per 100 miles. Electric energy is priced in the form of dollar per kilowatt hour or $/kWh. The average price of electricity in the US is $0.09/kWh. The factor for converting energy measured in MJ to energy measured in kWh is 0.2778 kWh/MJ.

To drive 100 miles, the Tesla will consume 58.6 kWh of electricity at a cost of $5.28. The Corvette will consume 4 gallons of gasoline at a cost of $16. Now we know that the Tesla will save about $10 per 100 miles or $10,000 over 100,000 miles.

The Tesla will cost $100,000. The Corvette is priced from $50,000 to $75,000. Guess who gets the square deal with the roar of the engine as a free bonus.

Dr. Hemsath recently published the book: CLIMATE CHANGE – GOLD RUSH OR DISASTER? For 50 years he has worked as scientist, process engineer, Corporate Vice President of R&D, Company President, CEO, and Inventor. He holds more than 60 US Patents. He is working on a new book: “THE SOLUTION FOR ENDING GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE”. Go to http://www.thermalexpert.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Klaus_H_Hemsath

First thing in your list should be to research everything you need to find out about electric cars and how to build them. Sites specially made for electric car lovers do have some downloadable guidelines for you to follow in building your own electric car. Look for not just one but various electrical sites in the net. That way you can have a real picture on how to do it and how to implement your visions about it.

Most do-it-yourself sites have some electronic pages. And those pages often cater steps to follow in building electric cars. On the other hand, some sites sell guideline eBooks that contains the direction on how to build an electric vehicle with additional illustrations to help you out. And if you’re thorough enough, you can find some sites where you can download software on how to build electric cars for free. Once you’ve downloaded the guidelines you install them in your computer. You can either have your laptop near you when you build the electric car to follow the step by steps procedures or print the guidelines.

And since you’re already in the search for guidelines online for building electric cars then you take some time as well to check forums that discusses electric cars. Read the forums even if the discussions are not specifically about building electric cars. History of electric vehicles, the best type of electric cars and the comparison of the regular cars to electric ones are sample topics where you can learn a lot of information about electric vehicles. It’s nice to know these things not only because you want to have one yourself but also because some information you previously don’t know might help you convince a friend or a family member to convert from a regular car to an electric car.

You can also maximize the power of the World Wide Web by posting questions about building electric cars that you may have online. With all the forums and threads about electric vehicles, for sure, whatever query you might have will be answered by electric car owners or even mechanics. If you want to clarify some directions you may do so online where an expert on electric cars can explain or further elaborate it for you. You can also ask for comparison and assessments on the materials needed to build a good electric car like where to buy a particular material or how much does it costs. With this inquiry, there’s a bigger possibility for you to be directed by the experts about the materials in building an electric car. Others can also inform you where to get a less expensive but as effective equipments to use.

Building an electric car can be tricky especially if you’re not that proficient on mechanics. But online how-to sites and guidelines can help your dream becomes reality.

Ken Stevens knows how to turn YOUR vehicle into an electric car. Visit his electric car conversion website right now to find out exactly how to convert your car into an electric. Go there now –> Click Here To Get Your Own DIY Electric Car

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Stevens

But when I started to look closer there seemed to be all sorts of things going against electric cars. Like…there are lots of great looking sports cars… but they’re so unbelievably expensive for what they give – and you’ll have to queue up! OR… you could get another one that’s PLUG UGLY – but hopefully you’ll feel better knowing your saving the environment! OR… oh wait! Here’s a car that can give you everything you need… do you want one? Sorry, they’re not out for another 12 years when we get around to making it!AND… this one is REALLY CHEAP… but it won’t do anything fancy like.. GO UP A HILL and you’ll usually need to recharge it about 10 times a day! So where are the facts in all this science fiction and promises? Well this is some of the “Truth” I found out about electric powered cars after all my research. What really is an Electric Car? There are a few different types of Electric cars:

- Neighbourhood Electric Vehicles

(NEVs) or Low Speed Electric Vehicles (LSVs) are electric cars with a relatively small range (about 40 miles) and a limited speed (legally 25mph in the USA). These kind of cars would be used in towns or cities where you wouldn’t be travelling far like in London where cars like the Reva G-wiz has flourished. Or it is used in resorts and neighbourhoods where they usually look like a done up golf cart like the GEM e-series electric cars. There are electric cars like the Tesla Roadster or the Tango electric car which are designed to be able to keep up with a normal petrol/diesel car. These cars can go on motorways and can usually travel fairly long distances (100-200 miles). There are also plug-in hybrids out there which aren’t fully electric but come close enough. They can be charged from a plug as well as by the engine and can travel solely on electricity until their (usually small) battery range runs out.

- What promises do Electric Cars make?Well first of all – a greener, petrol-free tomorrow! They can be run on clean electricity (not from a coal fired plant) and can run emission free if you want. Sounds pretty good to me!

So what promises can’t they make at the moment? Unfortunately there is quite a few right now:

- Cheap and reliable batteries
- A goodinfrastructure of recharging spots and a quick recharge time.
- Lots of different makes of cars available now.
- Lots of good value cars that could travel long distances (they can mostly still only get 50-100 miles range).
- That the company making or selling them won’t disappear at any time as they’re mostly distributed by smaller companies.
- A competitive price – they’re always much more costly than normal cars. The good thing though is that all these things are constantly improving and there is set to be big changes in the coming few years.

- So how do they work? Well the all-electric cars both work in a similar way. The petrol/diesel tank is replaced by lots of batteries which provide the electric “fuel”. There are three types of batteries lead-acid, nimh and li-ion, with li-ion batteries storing the most energy in the least amount of space.

A regulator then makes sure the energy coming from the batteries is nice and steady. The engine is then replaced by a motor which is usually put as close as possible to the wheels, and in some cases in the wheels themselves. There are a few types of motors available but I won’t go into that right now. A potentiometer then measures how much you’re pressing down on the accelerator and tells the motor. This happens smoothly and gives a huge amount of torque instantly. Most electric cars have unbelievable acceleration!

- How are Electric Cars designed? Well there are a few things that come first in all electric car designs. Air Resistance and weight are two huge issues. Because the batteries add so much weight to the car it needs to be designed as light as possible, which is why a lot of the cars are so small. The batteries also are usually put at the bottom of the car to keep the weight low and stop it from toppling. All that weight at the bottom means even if the biggest SUV side swipes you, you’re not going anywhere! Lower air resistance also helps with the range as the car won’t have to use energy trying to fight the air.

- How about the future of electric cars? The future is looking pretty good for the electric car. Most major manufacturers have an electric car planned for around 2010 or 2011 which shows how mainstream it’s becoming and there are even some great cars on the way from some of the smaller companies.Future technology also looks bright as there are plenty of breakthroughs coming regularly nowadays.

- Are there Solar Electric Cars out there?There certainly are! They are a long way from becoming mainstream though as they don’t come cheap and range and speed are an issue but they are on their way. There are plenty of big races all over the world for solar electric cars that attract a lot of attention from colleges and big companies and all that attention can only be good for their development. There are even options of putting solar panels on many electric cars to help with charging too so the technology is definitely creeping in.

Well I think that’s enough for now on Electric Powered Cars but if you want to know more on any of the topics I talked about there is a lot more detail on everything on my website all-electric vehicles which is all about my search for the perfect electric transport.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evan_Collins

What do I need to consider before deciding to connect my vehicle to the grid?

* Firstly you have to have an electric car which can be charged by a standard electricity outlet.
* The second thing you will want to do is determine some basic driving habits – i.e. if you drive almost your entire vehicle range to work and back every day, then there is unlikely to be much energy left over to swap between your battery and the grid, which makes setting up V2G a little redundant
* Having decided that V2G connectivity is possible and feasible, you will need to look at the right products on the market to help you achieve this. I.e. which inverter should be used and which electricity trading contract will suit your needs the best?
* If you decide suddenly that V2G is not good for you, how can you get out of an otherwise more expensive contract?

Once these basic items have been checked off the list, it is time to call up your utility and start the process of applying for V2G. You can then purchase a suitable inverter which allows you to feed back into the grid (this will be similar if not identical to the type of inverters used on solar PV grid connected power supplies). Of course you will have to decide what sized inverter to go for.

For example, a 5kW inverter may cost $1000 and a 2kW inverter may cost $600. Therefore you have to be sure that you can recover the $400 over being able to sell a higher rate of electricity in peak times. Some simple maths will help you work out the optimal solution, but just be aware of the various pay offs for each option.

Why is Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Good?
Vehicle to Grid applications have a number of benefits for all sorts of businesses and stakeholders. Vehicle to Grid (V2G):

* Empowers the home consumer to make sensible choices about when they use their electricity through smart metering
* saves the consumer money in the long run through effective electricity management
* is green! Every time you supply the grid with electricity during the yearly peak energy demand, you are reducing the need to upgrade the electricity network with more transmission lines and generators
* You are helping to bring electric vehicles (EV’s) onto the market
* You are reducing your carbon footprint! This is a big ones these days
* The electricity company can save money and reduce their unit electricity prices, or reduce the need to increase them
* reduce the amount of electricity transmission line needed. I.e. the car transports the electricity to where it is needed.
*
* Cuts down on the amount of fuel stations required
* Reduces our addiction to foreign oil through the accelerated introduction of electric vehicles and ability to replace fossil fuel generation with renewable energy generation.
* Allows more sustainable energy and renewable energy to be introduced onto the electricity grid, as electric vehicle batteries can now act as a buffer to intermittent generation.

The last point is an important one. Traditional transmission networks are struggling to cope with large percentages of intermittent renewable and sustainable energy generation, as electricity generation from these sources is largely dependent on the elements. Therefore to have the ability to store electricity somewhere is important. In many countries power utilities are approaching this by pumping water up a hill and regenerating during peak times (~60% efficiency) or storing hydrogen formed by electrolysis underground ready for re generation (~40% efficiency). Storing electricity in batteries is a much higher efficiency (60% – 90%) however is a little costly.

Japan uses large battery sheds to store small amounts of energy, however vehicle to grid systems also work very well as storage mechanisms and are likely to play this role in the future as more electric vehicles hit the market. How soon we will see such networks will largely rely on the countries commitment to renewable and sustainable energy sources, as well as the abundance of wind, sun and wave energy. Although many companies claim to have a green lining, short term economics of such projects still remains the number one driver for the introduction of such technology.

The advantage to the end consumer who is running a vehicle to grid system is the savings in electricity for essentially hiring out the storage space in their electric car battery. So as we can see, it is a win win for many as it not only reduces the stress on our electricity transmission and generation networks, allows more sustainable energy to be placed on the system with lower carbon emissions, but also saves the end user money whilst making electric vehicles more affordable. It also weans us off our foreign oil addiction through the cost effective introduction of electric vehicles, a topical issue as we approach peak oil status around the world.

For more information you may want to consult your electricity network to find out about their smart metering tariffs. You will also want to look into the purchase of an electric vehicle, or an electric vehicle conversion in able to make use of the vehicle-2-grid (V2G) technology. I guess we can all look forward to a cleaner, greener, cheaper carbon restrained future, and V2G is going to help us get there in a big way!

More information on Vehicle to Grid (V2G) at http://www.v2g.com.au.

http://www.sustainableenergy.com.au has plenty of information on solar PV, solar thermal, wind energy, geothermal generation, biomass and biofuel energy, peak oil, electric vehicles and other renewable and sustainable energy alternatives.

I look forward to seeing sustainable energy, electric vehicles and effective energy management bring us into the next era. Richard Watson http://www.richardwatson.me

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_G_Watson

As gas prices continue to rise throughout the nation, rumors of oil conspired wars loom in the Middle East, and the lingering threat of human-induced harmful global warming becomes a reality; it is clear that an alternative form of energy must be implemented soon to replace the nation’s addiction to oil. While oil is used for many different forms of energy, vehicles used for transportation are responsible for a large portion of the oil consumption in the United States. Therefore, the need to convert our gas-guzzling autos to run off of alternative forms of energy is the first step to wining our nation off of oil usage.

Over the past decade, there have been several attempts to produce alternative forms of energy which can be converted to power by our every day drivers. These attempts have encompassed everything from solar to alcohol powered vehicles; however, due to lack of technology most of these non-greenhouse emitting vehicles have remained as nothing more than a dream. However, electric vehicles proves to be the exception as it has already been mass produced in 1996 by one of the Nations leading auto manufactures.

The first initial push that drove automobile producers to create an electric car came from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The CARB mandated that 2% of the cars sold in California by 1998 must be considered “Zero Emission Vehicles”(ZEVs). After the 1998 dead line, new requirements were made by the CARB, mandating that by 2003, 10% of all automobiles sold in California must be ZEVs (Motavalli, 1997).

General Motors was one of the first companies to meet the CARB’s new mandates for the first zero emission vehicle. They did this with the release of the first electric vehicle known as the EV1 (Electric Vehicle 1). Conversely, soon after General Motors started, they abandoned the popular project joining the Federal Government in successfully suing the State of California to remove the CARB zero emissions requirements.

Hence, despite the large need, want and availability of the mass production of electric vehicles—they are still not being produced due to the overwhelming influence of oil driven industries and the Federal Government’s lack of intervention.

The Need

Global warming has been the center of environmental debate since 1896 when Swedish chemist, Svante Arrhenius, hypnotized that the build up of carbon dioxide, produced by burning fossil fuels, such as coal, would increase the temperature on the planet (Clemmitt, 2006). Since the establishment of Arrhenisus’ theory on global warming over 100 years ago, scientific advancements, and new technologies have re-enforced his theory. However, the most convincing evidence of global warming is the actual changes that are occurring throughout the globe.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the global temperature has increased by one degree Fahrenheit (Clemmitt, 2006). While one degree may not seem worthy of alarm, a change in one degree can cause a devastating domino effect that can lead to the demise of the entire planet. For example, the one-degree increase in the global temperature has caused many of the worlds glaciers to begin to melt. Glacier melting is currently affecting Montana’s Glacier National Park, where nearly 120 glaciers have melted since 1910. As glaciers, such as those in Montana’s Glacier National Park, melt they cause the sea levels throughout the world to rise in both temperature and depth. Although the negative effects of melting glaciers and rising sea levels may not seem detrimental, the increase temperatures from global warming are responsible for “… providing added fuel to growing storms and hurricanes, making them more intense” (Lener, 2006). The overwhelming deadly aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been directly attributed to global warming. Rising global temperatures are also being blamed for the European heat wave of 2003 that was responsible for killing 25,000 people (Clemmitt 2006). The list of increasing powerful and frequent natural disasters continues to grow as the globe continues to heat up.

The director of Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, James Hurrell, told the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently that, “The climate is changing, and the rate of change as projected exceeds anything seen in nature in the past 10,000 years” (Clemmitt, 2006). With the deadly effects of global warming already unfolding throughout the world, the solution must be implemented immediately.

Currently, green house gasses are the highest they have been in 75,000 years. In addition, human emitted carbon dioxide is at the highest levels it has ever been in the history of man (Clemmitt, 2006). Hence, it is hard to ignore the theory, of human induced-global warming, when green house gas concentrations are parallel to the large amount of human produced carbon dioxide. It is also hard to ignore a panel of nearly 25,000 scientists gathered together in 2001 to form the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The team of scientist reported “That most of the observed warming of the last 50 years is attributable to human activities” (Cooper 2001). They furthered their argument by predicting that the Earth’s overall temperature could climb up to eleven degrees Fahrenheit, under the worst-case conditions, if the amount of green house gases continue to rise (Cooper 2001). If this takes place scientists have projected that “such a rise could inundate many low-lying islands and eventually threaten such areas as the New York City borough of Manhattan and Miami Beach” (Griffin, 1992). The green house gases responsible for current and future disasters are made-up of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are the direct result of the burning of fossil fuels and the source of most of the danger.

As show in Figure 1, nearly 1/3 of the increased levels of carbon dioxide can be contributed to transportation ( Cooper 2001).

Figure 1

Carbon dioxide is one of the byproducts that are produced by the burning of gasoline within the combustible engine found in all cars and trucks on the road today.

In other words, one of the solutions to preventing further global warming is to either stop transportation all together or implement an alternative form of energy, which does not produce carbon dioxide, to power our vehicles. Obviously, the economy and the human way of life would cease to exist if we stopped transportation altogether. However, the obvious decision to use an alternative form of fuel to save the earth is rejected by major oil companies and other related industries to keep Americans addicted to oil in order not to loose their $300 billion dollar a year industry (Motavalli, 1997).

The Kyoto Protocol

Recently, measures have been taken to curb the production of carbon dioxide, not only on a state level with the “Zero-Emissions Law” passed by the California State Legislature, but these efforts are also seen on a global level as well. In 1997, more than 150 countries met in Kyoto Japan to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that required signing countries to reduce green house gasses to 5% below 1990 levels by 2005 through the implementation of taxes and laws. The United States, responsible for emitting the largest amount of green house gases, vowed to cut their share by 7% under the Clinton administration. As the deadline for the Protocol was set for February of 2005, the United States, under the Bush Administration, has since changed their stance stating that there is a lack of scientific evidence to support global warming (Cooper, 2001). Bush was also quoted by saying it [the Kyoto Protocol] shackled the U.S. economy(Cooper, 2005). In addition to the Bush administrations lack of support to the Kyoto Protocol, the U.S. Senate and the House of representatives are also opposed to the treaty (Clemmitt, 2006). One can only speculate that the rejection of the Kyoto Protocol and California’s zero emissions laws are just two examples of a larger picture: the oil and auto industries massive influence on the United States Government.

The Oil Industries Influence in the Government

The WSPA (Western States Petroleum Association) is made up a coalition of oil companies that are located in the western United States including: Mobile, Shell, Chevron and Arco. The WSPA is also one of the top five lobbyist employers in California. Therefore, much of the lobbying done in California is influenced from the major oil companies. Two of the major activist seen in California State’s legislature is know as CAUCA (Californians Against Utility Company Abuse) and CHAT (Californians Against Hidden Taxes). Both of these lobbyists are funded in part by the WSPA (Motavalli, 1997). The executive director of the “Grass Roots” lobby CHAT, Linda Mangels, even said, “I believe most, if not all of our funding comes from WSPA –that’s no secret,” (Motavalli, 1997). With such a powerful influence in the state legislature the WSPA has declined how much money it has invested in the campaign against the electric car mandates such as the Zero Emissions Mandate by the CARB and the CETC. (California Electric Transportation Coalition).

In addition to the massive influence of the WSPA, the coming fourth electric vehicle has also been hit hard by the AAMA (American Automobile Manufactures Association). The AAMA has done its own lobbying campaign against the electric vehicle. In six months, the auto industry spent around $500,000 to campaign against the electric car mandates (Motavalli, 1997). While that number may not seem that impressive, it represents nearly four times the amount of money the California Electric Transportation Coalition has available each year.

In a recent study named the Pollution Politics, done between the years 1991-1995, revealed that nearly $34 million dollars in public policy was spent by oil companies and automakers to influence public opinion against the electric car mandates. Of the $34 million spent, $29 million went towards lobbying and $3.97 million went towards donations to legislative candidates (Motavalli, 1997). The majority of the public relations campaigns done by both the auto and oil companies were aimed at the increase of taxes that it would take to promote the electric car. The public, however, was not informed of the larger amount of money they are currently spending to continue the use of gas-powered vehicles. As the numbers and facts are examined it is clear that the oil industry has used its power and influence, both monetarily and legally, to keep the electric car from being produced.

The Want

As gas prices rise and rumors of oil conspired wars are consistently looming in the Middle East, it comes as no surprise that the general public would prefer an electric powered vehicle over a gas powered vehicle. While a mass produced electric vehicle is not currently available on the market, the electric and gas hybrid is. The hybrid car takes electric technology and combines it with the traditional gas powered engine. The result is a low emissions vehicle that has a high mile per gallon rating, as the car relies on both electric and gas power.

In a resent study done by J.D. Power and Associates, 57% of the consumers in the U.S. who expected to purchase a new vehicle by 2009 are considering a hybrid vehicle (King Flounders, 2007). This attraction to hybrid vehicles offers the most realistic glimpse into the future of the motor vehicle industry. Hence, it seems only logical that if the hybrid vehicle is attracting consumers because of the electric qualities, that a completely electric vehicle would gain an even greater demand.

This demand for an electric car was recently experienced by General Motor Company with the release of the first production electric vehicle, the EV1. The first EV1 concept car was revealed in the Los Angles Auto Show, in 1990. General Motor executives were surprised by the large demand for the concept to become a reality. The demands were not only from the public but also from the California State Legislature as they continued to enforce the Zero-Emissions Law that required General Motors to produce the vehicle. The EV1 was released by General Motors to the general public in the fall of 1996. As the public discovered that the completely electric car was about to hit the market, it became obvious that the demand for the EV1 was still strong.

Even with the limited availability, there was a large waiting list to purchase the new electric cars. Perhaps the large demand for the EV1 spawned from its ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in nine seconds, the standard air bags, anti-lock breaks, cruise control, traction control, electric locks, keyless entry and ignition, liquid free batteries, aluminum frame, or the 90 mile highway range of the batteries (Cook 1996). The car had such a high demand that the Saturn dealerships, where the car was offered for lease, had to screen the potential owners and then select only the most qualified applicants from the list (Cook 1996). Those that qualified were only allowed to lease the EV1 with no option of purchase. Of course the EV1 had its share of critics; however, due to the popular demand, it was apparent that General Motors had taken a step in the right direction.

At the end of the leasing option in 2003, many of the satisfied owners offered to buy the EV1. Instead of taking the buyers offers General Motors had all the EV1 returned, taken to a junk yard in Arizona and crushed (More, 2006). This bizarre decision to suddenly crush the vehicles raised the eyebrows of many EV1 enthusiasts. The decision to crush the EV1 came the same month the State of California lifted the Zero-Emissions mandate to accept lower forms of carbon producing vehicles (Silberg, 2006).

The Means

After the recall of the EV1, General Motors stated that the production costs for the all electric vehicles were too high and the technology did not allow for their production. While this excuse may have been effective over ten years ago, it has become more apparent that the technology is currently available and affordable. The technology to build an electric car has become so affordable that as Bill More, an author of the Mother Earth News, points out, “Anyone who has the time, talent and the resources can convert a conventional automobile to electric drive” (More, 2006). Of course most Americans do not have the ability to convert their daily driver into an electric vehicle, but it does show that the technology is currently available.

Often times many critics of the electric car debate that the car would need re-charging too often in order to allow the user to travel the distances needed throughout the day. Amazingly enough, one of the breakthroughs technologies of the EV1 was the ability to reuse kinetic energy displaced when breaking. This recycled energy could charge the battery up to 30%. Of course advanced breaking methods do not replace the need for recharging the batteries, but there are ways of incorporating charging batteries into our everyday life as seen in Europe.

Electric cars are one of the fastest growing forms of transportation in London; the number of electric cars jumping from 49 to 1,278 in two years. To make up for this increased form of electric transportation London has provided re-charge bays next to most parking meters (Britain: Charging around the city; Electric cars, 2007). It is only a matter of time before all of England is equipped to handle the electric car.

While the mass produced electric car is not currently on the market, smaller simpler electric vehicles are. The electric
scooter [http://www.mycityscooters.com] and electric bike are two forms of electric vehicles that are mass produced and can be bought at the local toy shop or even over the Internet. The electric scooter can be bought in two forms; the classic Vespa style, which appears resemble a motorcycle; or the children style electric scooter that represents a push style scooter. Both types of electric scooters are extremely popular amongst college students and inner-city commuters alike. The electric scooter is powered by batteries that can be re-charged using a conventional AC adaptor. Jerome Byrd, a web publisher, who lives in Philadelphia, has driven to work and throughout Philadelphia on his electric scooter and has gone nearly a total of 30,000 miles (Moore, 2007).

Even more popular is the electric
bike [http://www.mycityscooters.com]. Just like the electric scooter, the electric bike is powered by batteries and can come in two forms: the human assisted (comes with pedals) or the completely electric bike (does not need pedals). While there are many different forms of e-bikes they are all measured in watts and amps. The more watts and amps that you purchase the more powerful the electric bike (and scooter) are. These bikes can reach up to 24 mph and travel up to 15 miles on a single charge. Although, the electric scooter and electric bike are by no means an alternative to a car, their ability to be mass produced commercially is paving the way.

Conclusion

Each year, as the temperature rises and more human lives are lost to the intensified natural disasters due to global warming, we are reminded of the need for a solution to combat global warming. The solution comes in the form of a pollution free electric vehicle. While the mighty oil companies and their minions, the U.S. government and auto manufacturers, have done all they can to stop alternative forms of energy from emerging, the overwhelming need, the undeniable want and the available technologies cannot stop the electric car from once again quietly gliding down a street near you some day soon.

References

Britain: Charging around the city; Electric cars. (2007, June). The Economist, 383(8531), 38. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1280674301).

Clemmitt, M. (2006, January 27). Climate change. CQ Researcher, 16, 73-96. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006012700.

Cook, W. (1996, September 30). Look, mom, no gas. U.S. News & World Report, 121(13), 52. Retrieved July 31, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Cooper, M. (2001, January 26). Global warming treaty. CQ Researcher, 41-64. Retrieved July 31, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001012600. Graphic

Cooper, M. (2005, February 25). Alternative fuels. CQ Researcher, 15, 173-196. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2005022500.

Griffin, R. D. (1992, February 7). Threatened coastlines. CQ Researcher, 2, 97-120. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1992020700.

“Global Warming: The Culprit? Evidence mounts that human activity is helping fuel these monster hurricanes”. (2006). In Brenda Lerner & K. Lerner (Eds.), Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources, (139-142). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved August 07, 2007, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Thomson Gale:
< king j flounders a april tomorrow techs career world retrieved july from academic search premier database moore b drive an ev and never buy gas again mother earth news august research library id:>

Moore, B. (2007, April). Ride Green with Electric Bikes and Scooters. Mother Earth News, Retrieved August 7, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Motavalli, J. (1997, March). The ties that blind. E Magazine: The Environmental Magazine, 8(2), 36. Retrieved August 4, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Silberg, J. (2006, July). Who Killed the Electric Car?: Plinyminor’s New Model for Production and Post. Videography, 31(07), 16. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1094860951).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Koelling

There are numerous companies all over making several kinds of electric bikes. Each bike has its own significance and specialty. Electric bikes fall in different categories of which two are the main. There is a difference as on how the electric power is initiated in different types of electric bikes. Most companies refer to electric bikes in these two main categories: pedal activated and throttle activated. Some companies make the electric bikes attached with electric motor which provides assistance to the rider only when they pedal. These types of bikes help the rider travel quicker applying less energy. Pedal activated electric bikes are great alternatives to a car, buses and subways as the riders can get wherever they need to go faster and cheaper. Moreover, these types of electric bikes play an important role in improving the physical fitness of the riders. It also reduces the workload and build up more stamina and strength.

The other electric bikes do not have pedals at all to turn on the electric power which is supplied by the battery. The rider has just to push button to start the bike and use the throttle to move on and control the speed with the same throttle. The speed in some bikes is controlled by applying brakes fixed with control cable. The Power-on-demand electric bikes come with throttle and gear and these types of powerful electric bikes can easily climb even a steep hill. These types of electric bikes are very useful for those who need to travel a longer distance. At anytime, they can click on the power of the motorised bike and let the electric bike do the rest of the work for them.

The companies make different kinds of models with different brand names, designs, colours and styles in both the above categories of electric bikes. Moreover, the electric bikes are now sold online either directly by the manufacturers or by the dealers. Bernsonev is one of such dealers of Michigan, USA, which sells electric bikes of reputed brands, indifferent styles, designs and features. If you visit their website http://www.bernsonev.com, you would be able to know more about the electric bikes and get an opportunity to select an ideal bike.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Bernson

The electric vehicle has been heralded for many years as the vehicle of the future. This type of electrically powered vehicle is better for the environment and less expensive to run than traditional gasoline powered vehicles, and can be built from existing vehicle parts with a few modifications. With all of the focus on hybrid and electric vehicles in recent years, you might think the time when the electric vehicle was developed was relatively recently, but this is not the case.

So, when was the electric vehicle invented? Historians have recorded that between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first electric powered vehicles. This crude model was not exactly what would be considered a vehicle by today’s standards, but was definitely the forefather of electric vehicles today. Around 1842, more practical and usable electric vehicles were developed in America by Thomas Davenport, and in Scotland by Robert Davidson.

While the evolution of the electric vehicle invented more possibilities, France and Great Britain were the only two countries to really start focusing on the electric vehicle, in the late 1800’s. In 1895, the United States finally got on board with developing electric powered vehicles, after an electric tricycle was built by A.L. Ryker. The first commercial version of an electric vehicle or vehicle was found in 1897, when the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia built a fleet of electric powered taxis for New York City.

The years 1899 and 1900 were the best years in the history of electric vehicles for the United States, as electric vehicles outsold any other type of vehicle in these two years. Production of electric vehicles peaked in the year 1912, and these type of vehicles enjoyed success into the 1920’s, after which there was a marked decline in the demand for electric vehicles. As more and more road systems were developed crossing the US, the need for longer range vehicles became apparent. Coupled with the finding of oil in Texas, which meant gasoline was more affordable for everyday use, combustion engines quickly became the more popular engine for vehicles.

Today, the electric vehicles invented in the last half of the 20th century are seen as the wave of the future for eco-friendly vehicles. The same problems still plague electric vehicles that did so in the 1920’s, including slow speeds and short ranges, but hopefully with new technology, electric vehicles will be able to replace the polluting combustion engine vehicles we drive today.

Rick Chapo is with Solar Companies – information on alternative energy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

It is actually nice to see more and more people doing his or her own share to save the environment, most especially A-list celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mandy Moore and a slew of other environmentally conscious Hollywood stars who have made hybrid cars the “It” car of the moment. Hopefully, they are doing this to show how much they care for the environment and not just to join the save the world bandwagon.

In any case, there is absolutely nothing wrong in trying to help change the world, and if you want another way to help out then why don’t you consider electric car conversion. In spite of being an environmentally friendly car, hybrids will still cost you some serious dough so instead of blowing off all your cash on a brand new hybrid car, why not just build an electric car by yourself? Not only will you get to save a lot of money but you will really get on the nitty gritty about DIY electric car and can easily offer your assistance to your family, friends as well as other people who are interested in electric car conversion, consider this as an added good deed to your list of helping save the environment.

But how do you exactly go about electric car conversion? While there are some books offering tips on electric car conversion or DIY electric car, a nice alternative – and a great means of conserving paper and helping the environment, is to purchase an online guide about electric car conversion instead. These electric car conversion online guides are readily available through the Internet, simply type in the kind of electric car conversion guide that you want on the search engine and just wait for the search results to appear.

So while you are still choosing which online guide for electric car conversion you want to buy, here are some quick tips on DIY electric car:

For DIY electric car or how to build an electric car all on your own, you may want to consult with a car hobbyist to help you or give you more tips when going about your own electric car conversion, he or she may actually offer to do the conversion for you but if you really want to get on the nitty gritty of electric car conversion then just ask him or her for tips and not totally rely on these car hobbyists to do all the work for you.

You may also seek some advice on how to choose the right kit for your electric car conversion, depending on the kind of car that you want to convert into a electric. Take note that small or “light” cars are actually the easiest to convert into an electric, just make sure that the body has enough room for a battery.

Gary A Stevens is a writer for the premium electric car guide. He knows how to convert YOUR car into an electric vehicle, quickly and easily. To do an electric car conversion and save a ton of money on gas, just pick up Gary’s guide right now. Go there now –> http://www.PremiumElectricCar.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_A_Stevens

One of the best ways in which you can help your environment become pollution free is to convert your car to electric. The electric car does not emit harmful gases that cause pollution. You can also get hold of hybrid electric cars that are really cool and make a great style statement while helping the Green Movement.

Rather than investing in a brand new electric car, it is better if you convert your car to electric. In that way, you will be maximizing the use of your old car and saving up on quite a lot of money. There are many benefits of electric cars and noise reduction is one of them. Normal gasoline driven cars make a lot of noise while the electric cars are very silent. Now, at first sight, it is almost impossible to distinguish an electric car from a car that runs on gasoline. However, if you look closely, there are certain differences, apart from the reduced noise, which characterize the electric car. Given below are the features that will help you identify an electric car:

1. Instead of the gasoline engine, you will have an electric motor.

2. All the power is derived from a series of rechargeable batteries.

3. The controller, which gets the power from the batteries, gives power to the electric motor.

These are certain features that help distinguish an electric car from a gasoline car. Thus, if you want to convert your car to electric, you need to keep these things in mind while you make the transformation.

The first step, if you want to convert your car to electric, will be to remove the internal combustion engine and to put an electric motor in there. Apart from that, you have to add a bank of batteries that will help your car run on electricity. The overall cost, when you convert your car to electric, will be around $6000 for the parts and $1000 to $3000 for the batteries and the installation. Although it does look a tad expensive, imagine the benefits that you will get after the conversion. It will be an emission free car that preserves the environment and on top of that, it will cost you just a few cents per mile to run your car. An electric car also requires lesser maintenance and the parts of your car are cleaner and better if it is electric. Another good thing is that electric cars will fetch you quite a sum when you sell them off. An old gasoline car does not have a good resale value but the electric car is way ahead in this aspect. Apart from the batteries, which you need to replace every three or four years, there is no other major expense involved in maintaining electric cars. Thus, keeping all this in mind, it is a very good idea to convert your car to electric.

As for the performance, electric cars can do 50 to 90 miles per hour. And the recharging process takes about six to twelve hours. So keeping all these statistics in mind, go for the conversion and be the proud owner of an environment friendly vehicle.

For further information and a list of the top products available to convert your car to electric power check out:

http://www.Convert-Your-Car.info

Steve Somerton writes informative articles on various subjects including Convert My Car To Electric – How To Convert A Gas Car To Electric? You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Somerton