When you hear someone talking about hybrid cars, they are actually talking about a car that runs on a combination of gas and electricity (in technological terms, cars with gasoline-electric powertrains).

The batteries are recharged when the car is running on gas or when braking (using something called regenerative braking, which transfers the energy generated while braking back into the batteries, rather than dissipating it as heat as occurs in regular vehicles). Some hybrids also come with a plug-in-to-recharge option.

When going slowly, such as around town, these hybrid electric vehicles actually run solely on the electricity in their batteries, making for far more fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

However, in addition to hybrids, there are true “electric cars” – the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). These vehicles also work on electricity but, in this case, the sole power source is electric batteries. There is no other engine.

BEVs are considered zero emission vehicles because they give off no emissions when they run. They are quiet and have many fewer parts than either hybrids or gas-powered cars. Examples of current BEV cars are the Indian REVA and Tesla Roadster.

There are other types of electric powered vehicles as well, including what are called neighborhood electric vehicles. A golf cart is a prime example of a neighborhood electric vehicle, and golf carts are often used as transportation in over-55 communities.

There are, of course, downsides, to electric vehicles. Electric cars go much less far on a “full tank” of electricity than do cars on a tank of gas or other popular alternative fuels, sometimes less than 50 miles on a charge, and finding a place to “fill up” can be hard. While plugging in at night at home is easy, finding a place to plug on your car while away from home may not be. Not only that, but charging the car can take several hours.

In addition, replacing the battery packs for an electric vehicle is much more expensive than buying a new battery for your gasoline-driven car.

On the other hand fuels costs are extremely low as it costs much less to run a car on electricity than gasoline. Electric cars often average the equivalent of 20 miles per gallon and cost about 3 cents a mile to run. Not only that, but you won’t be spending money on tuneups, oil changes, new mufflers, and the like when you use an environmentally-friendly electric-powered vehicle.

Take Care,

Steve Longoria

Next, click here to discover how EarthShips can mean sustainable living for all!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_H._Longoria

I am sure that if you are like me you at least dreamed about such an animal sitting in your garage. It does however, seem like those “things”, electric powered vehicles, are about the ugliest, smallest, most inconvenient, looking car a guy or gal could be caught in. To say that, all electric cars, are in this category though, would also be an inaccurate statement. Certainly, electric car manufacturers, have a thought on this, and could change the looks of their electric powered vehicles to something that we could all be proud to own. I am sure they will in the next few years.

Then there is the price to consider on these new cars. For most of us, they are priced way out of our range. The $35,000 to $50,000 ones are just to much, especially in these times. There are a few coming down below that now, around $15,000.

If that price is still out of range for you and you still want to join the electric car club, you could consider your very own homemade electric car. You would need some time, you would need some knowledge or expertise, you would need some type of shop with basic tools, but most of all, as with anything worth getting, you would need some desire, and as always, you would need some of the green stuff (money) to go green, however much less than a new electric car. We call these the 5 “you would need some’s” to end up with your home built electric car.

Lets start with “you would need some” time. First you will need to decide which car or pickup you want to convert to electric. By the way, out here in Kansas we call a pickup, a pickup, not a pickup truck. A pickup by my definition is a small less than 1 ton rated vehicle for light hauling purposes. A truck is used for hauling heavy payloads that require more suspension and capacity. I hope that is not confusing for you. Anyway, all electric cars have a certain amount of weight to carry in the batteries and electric motor, and other components. The more batteries equals more distance between charges. That is why small pickups work the best for, electric conversions. If you shop around, you can find a small, used pickup with a “bad” engine and replace the engine with the electric motor. This will definitely save you lots of money.

Have you ever heard this before? “We can have that engine out in 1 hour”. I have heard it, but never said it. Because, it just never seems to work that way. 4 hours later the engine is hanging from the shop hoist dripping oil, antifreeze, and greasy dirt. Yep, it is out though.

Now, you have to find and mount an electric car motor to the drive train of the vehicle. Next, we have to come up with the electric parts, where to get them and how to install them correctly. Also, how to install and wire the batteries into the electric system so that they are working properly. Also, where to locate and buy batteries, new or used. How heavy the wire needs to be from battery to working component and many other parts that need hooked up and mounted in and on your homemade electric car.

For me to say this do it yourself project will take a certain amount of hours, would not be fair. I will say this though. With proper guidance and educating yourself, you and a friend with average mechanical skills working for 2 weekends and doing some phone calling and chasing electric car parts during the week, would most likely be driving up and down the neighborhood streets, in your very own home built electric car, in a couple of weeks.

I am writing about all of this so that you will know the truth, about our friend “how much time” involved to do electric conversions as best as I can tell you, from my own experiences of doing things myself. I want to encourage you to look at the possibility of you doing this for yourself and your family. In the future you may be one of these guys or gals joining the electric car club. Who knows this could even turn into your very own business, if you find that you enjoy doing this type of work. Doing a project, like a homemade electric car or pickup, could be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience for you.

Look for part 2 in this series of 5 articles, titled, you will need some, written to help you decide if building your own homemade electric car would be a benefit to you or your family.

The author of this article has a passion to help people become educated and aware of methods and products that have or do work to improve someones use of energy. Ron feels that alternative energy must be more seriously considered and applied to our everyday lifestyles and living. He feels that education and just to let people know, that there is another way to turn the wheels of society, and get things done.

http://www.allaboutalternatives.com

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

When you hear someone talking about hybrid cars, they are actually talking about a car that runs on a combination of gas and electricity (in technological terms, cars with gasoline-electric powertrains).

The batteries are recharged when the car is running on gas or when braking (using something called regenerative braking, which transfers the energy generated while braking back into the batteries, rather than dissipating it as heat as occurs in regular vehicles). Some hybrids also come with a plug-in-to-recharge option.

When going slowly, such as around town, these hybrid electric vehicles actually run solely on the electricity in their batteries, making for far more fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

However, in addition to hybrids, there are true “electric cars” – the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). These vehicles also work on electricity but, in this case, the sole power source is electric batteries. There is no other engine.

BEVs are considered zero emission vehicles because they give off no emissions when they run. They are quiet and have many fewer parts than either hybrids or gas-powered cars. Examples of current BEV cars are the Indian REVA and Tesla Roadster.

There are other types of electric powered vehicles as well, including what are called neighborhood electric vehicles. A golf cart is a prime example of a neighborhood electric vehicle, and golf carts are often used as transportation in over-55 communities.

There are, of course, downsides, to electric vehicles. Electric cars go much less far on a “full tank” of electricity than do cars on a tank of gas or other popular alternative fuels, sometimes less than 50 miles on a charge, and finding a place to “fill up” can be hard. While plugging in at night at home is easy, finding a place to plug on your car while away from home may not be. Not only that, but charging the car can take several hours.

In addition, replacing the battery packs for an electric vehicle is much more expensive than buying a new battery for your gasoline-driven car.

On the other hand fuels costs are extremely low as it costs much less to run a car on electricity than gasoline. Electric cars often average the equivalent of 20 miles per gallon and cost about 3 cents a mile to run. Not only that, but you won’t be spending money on tuneups, oil changes, new mufflers, and the like when you use an environmentally-friendly electric-powered vehicle.

Take Care,

Steve Longoria

Next, click here to discover how EarthShips can mean sustainable living for all!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_H._Longoria

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