An electric car is quite simply, an automobile that is powered by electricity. An electric car has an electric motor and a controller for energising the motor. The energy is stored in its rechargeable batteries, which are re-energized by household electricity. That the electric car is 170 years old may sound surprising, but electric cars predate automobiles with a combustion engine. At first, the electric car was the more popular, but at the time a battery did not exist that would allow a car to move with much speed or over a long distance. However the electric car today still faces the same - fundamental - problems. Electric cars are once again started coming to the top of the media talk and this time the technology is better and batteries are improving. Electric car models, I am sure, will eventually serve as a viable option to conventional combustion-powered vehicles in the near future. Quite how close that "near future" is still open for discussion. Whilst electric car technology has vastly improved over the last two decades there are still two major sticking points preventing the wider use of electric cars:
1. attery technology, particularly the capacity and recharging regime.
2. Cost of purchase.
By the way, after a stagnancy for nearly a century, electric cars are now ready to enter a new era. Washington Post reported that first-generation electric cars will go to the showroom in the United States next month.Every big company car maker now plans to offer several types of electric cars or "plug in Hybrid" in the next few years. Competition of this technology reminds the early days of automotive.
General Motors in last November will begun delivery of the Chevrolet Volt which exploits a gasoline engine to generate electricity when the batteries run out.
The car would be available for the California market from last December. At the same time, Nissan Motor would launch Leaf enlivened only by the battery. Ford will release a mini version of the Ford Focus sedan electricity this year.
"Electric vehicles finally become a reality and not just R & D projects," said Mark Sogomian, a partner at Ernst & Young.
Many new generation of electric cars was on display at the Los Angeles Aouto Show lasted until last weekend. Another alternative was on display that was the Honda FCX Clarity used hydrogen power.
Enter new car technology is coming a century after the existence of gasoline engine vehicles.
More than a century ago, at the beginning of the automotive industry, automobile used a variety of fuel and strange mechanisms: a car with a big driving force of the play, Peugeuot who burn something similar to camphor, steam-powered vehicles, electricity and various petroleum products .
Fossil fuels eventually won the race because gasoline contains the energy and it is comfort to be taken and stored.
But, the inventor of the automotive sector remains curious to make electric cars, especially when fuel prices soar. On the other hand, the vehicles they created was never mass produced because the battery technology limited the vehicle cruising.
Now, improvements in battery technology, awareness of pollution and fears of rising gasoline prices has given new impetus to an alternative vehicle fuel.
In the coming months, customers make choices no longer be a sedan or SUV. They must choose which type of power the car, meaning there will be a new question: whether a cheaper per kilometers, fuel or electricity? how far can cars drive once the filling? how much more money must be spent to buy a green car?
"The game changed, all have a chance like 100 years ago," said Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive museum in Los Angeles.
Barbara Ozda, for example, a graphic designer from West Los Angeles, making the transition from gasoline to electricity. He bought a Black Leaf Nissan car worth 20 thousand dollars that was sent in January 2011.
The price of the battery charger and installation wrapper, along with a portable power supply unit for charging a faster, draining the pocket of 3700 dollars. However, various government programs and incentives for environmentally friendly cars will make the price to be paid only about a thousand dollars.
"I waited a long time until people develop electric vehicles that can be used by ordinary people, every day as a commuter car," said Ozda.
He was conscious of driving Leaf will bring a lot of challenges than the previous vehicle, the Volvo C30.
"We exit the freeway, there are a lot of POM gasoline. You do not need to carefully calculate the travel plans for electric car infrastructure did not exist."
Because the car was just relying on battery power, Leaf has a number of limitations, such as reaching 100 miles (could be further if you do not use AC).
On the other hand, the Chevrolet Volt can go even further, mainly because the car was technically a hybrid car rather than a purely electric-powered vehicles.
The car can run about 40 miles a single battery charge. when gas driven, four-cylinder gasoline engine works as a generator and power from the electric power boost, increasing the reach of the car up to about 300 miles.
Volt will be sold in the range of 41 thousand dollars. Petrol car of its size, the Chevrolet Cruze LTZ, it costs only 26 thousand dollars.
Nissan Leaf Hactback price ranges from 32,780 dollars. "Twin" the gasoline engine, the Versa Hactback, is less than 17 thousand dollars.
"Later, there was a time when electric cars or alternative fuel cars become mainstream and you drive at this time will enter the museum," said former Al Unser Jr., car racer. who now works at the Zap electric car company in Santa Rosa California.
