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The idea of a car powered by electricity is not a new one. The first electric direct current motor was
invented in 1830 by Joseph Henry, and this piqued the curiosity of engineers who became interested in creating
an electric vehicle that would be a reliable source of transportation. We have come a long way since then, and
are now closer than ever to achieving an affordable, efficient, mass-produced electric vehicle.
One of the biggest reasons to switch to electric vehicles is the positive environmental impact. Why is this true? Gasoline powered automobiles each have their own little power generator. Just imagine, millions of little power plants scattered throughout the country, some in bad condition, spewing out exhaust. Although the electricity that powers electric vehicles still has to be created in a power plant of some kind (to be used on a large scale), the centralization of power production allows for more efficiency and greater regulation. Additionally, electricity can be harnessed from the sun, wind, and rivers, allowing for less overall pollution. History (taken from http://library.thinkquest.org/20463/history.html) Even though the development of electric vehicles began in the early 1800's, the process was not perfected until much later, after the creation of rechargeable batteries by the French engineer, Gaston Plante, in 1859. After this invention, the electric car industry quickly expanded to reach over 50 companies in 1912 and produce over 34,000 electric cars. At this point in time, gas-powered cars were still very unreliable and required the driver to "crank" the vehicle before driving. Despite the fact that EVs were quieter, more reliable, and more efficient than gas-powered cars, their limited range led to a decrease in their popularity. With the invention of the electric starter for gas-powered cars, a dramatic increase in their reliability, and the cheap price of gasoline, gas-powered cars took over the market and the EV industry vanished. With the oil crisis of the 1970's, electric cars began to reemerge. Many carmakers, such as Sebring/Vanguard, General Motors (GM) and Ford developed several electric vehicle models. Unfortunately, the high cost of EVs made them very difficult to sell, and most of the carmakers could not afford to make electric cars or could not make a profit, and they abandoned EVs. As gas and oil prices dropped in the 1980's and gas-powered cars became more efficient, got better gas mileage, and were now being equipped with anti-pollution devices, it seemed like the EV industry would never come back. Fortunately for the EV industry, the pollution caused by gas-powered cars was beginning to get out of hand and the government and carmakers sought ways to improve the air quality. EVs seemed like the perfect solution, but carmakers were not willing to risk entering that industry. As a result, the only EVs on the road were those converted from gas-powered cars by hobbyists. The 1990's brought around a significant change. New types of batteries were being developed; batteries that would greatly extend the range of EVs. Carmakers began to find ways to increase the efficiency of their vehicles. This increase in efficiency gave EVs the increase in performance and range that they needed. Electric vehicles were once again becoming a viable alternative to gas-powered cars. The high price of the batteries kept car makers from bringing EVs to the average consumer, but companies that needed fleets of vehicles to travel short distances at a time for deliveries and such were quick to buy a vehicle that was quiet, could be refueled for practically nothing, and was nearly maintenance free. States like California and New York realized how much of an effect EVs could have on the pollution level and began legislation to force carmakers to sell EVs. Realizing that they could possibly be forced to sell EVs, many car companies began researching. Most of the car companies gave little funding to this research however, and most have simply converted one of their gas-powered models into an electric version. GM, however, spent several years researching and built an electric car from scratch. The result was an efficient, powerful, and state-of-the-art vehicle that blew away the competition. About two years ago, California and New York declared mandates stating that 2% of all vehicles sold in 1998 had to be electric cars. Carmakers spent more money fighting these mandates than they did researching. They finally succeeded in New York, and were successful in appealing the mandate. The California mandate still stands, however, and in fact, that figure jumps up to 10% in 2003. Although most car companies have created simple conversions to meet the mandate, a few, like GM, have spent some time researching and building quality EVs. Widescale use and Roadblocks (taken from http://www.rqriley.com/ev-tech.html) The roadblocks to widescale use of EVs include technical, economic, and perceptual disadvantages, at least from the perspective of today's technology and consumer mindset. Technical problems have traditionally centered on the limitations of the storage battery, which is responsible for today's emphasis on hybrid systems. However, HEVs also have intrinsic disadvantages - primarily greater vehicle mass and higher manufacturing costs, which are natural by-products of their inherently greater mechanical and electrical complexity. This, in combination with the economic and technical success of CVs, makes a poor case, at least on a business and marketing level, for a widescale switch to electric cars. Although environmental and energy projections point to calamitous economic results at some point in the future, corporate decisions are based on near term marketing and economic goals. It would be unrealistic to expect traditional corporate priorities to somehow lead to the rapid development of electric cars, at least without outside influence. Today, the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), and mandates by several states modeled after California's 2003 deadline for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), have created an environment in which automakers are willing to invest in bold new development efforts. The PNGV program combines government and industry resources to develop a prototype design for an affordable production-ready 35 km/l (83-mpg) family sedan by year 2004. Although PNGV is not specifically oriented to EV technologies, many of the technologies on which EVs depend are included within the program. Also, program goals center on year-2004 manufacturable technologies, rather than basic research that may have long-term payoffs. Figure 1 provides an overview of candidate technologies and the milestones along the path to a production prototype. PNGV goals must be achieved without sacrificing key vehicle performance, safety, emissions, size, and economic criteria. The primary requirements for the PNGV vehicle are as follows (in abbreviated form):
Pros and Cons of electric vehicles: Pros:
Cons:
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