What's your opinion about the electric car?

Question

I was thinking about it today, and I find it to be a real shame that the US hasn't really adopted the electric car yet. What scares me most, is that the US is pushing for the hydrogen car, even though the technology for the electric car is much more promising...

So, would you buy one if it cost the exact same price as a normal car, assuming that it can only go 60 miles on a single charge, takes 8 hours to charge, and let's say it has tires that never need to be changed?

Answer 1

60 miles on a single charge would not be acceptable.

Particularity if you consider that is without AC/heating so your really talking about 40.

I if the car was 150-200 miles and was the same price I would jump on it. Even with the 8 hour charge.

If I needed to go on a long trip I would simply rent a car.

Answer 2

Quiet, smooth, smell free,, refuel at home or work, low maintenance,

yes I have bought one (an old fashioned conversion) http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/

Moden batteries will give a range of 200 miles http://www.teslamotors.com and out perform a ferrari

and can be recharged in 10 minutes http://www.phonixmotorcars.com

and the batteries will last 20 years and are fully recyclable (unlike most of an infernal combustion engine)

And even if you don't have your own home generator, well to wheel electric is stilll more efficient & less polluting because large generators using unrefined fuel, close to source, constantly monitored & maintained , running at optimm load & temperature, & distributed via a 90% efficient grid, then electric motors give max torque from 0rpm from cold, plus regenerative braking & no consumption when idle.

But driving an electric car is just a much more pleasent, fun & strees free experience than an old clunky infernal combustion fossil.

The tyres still wear out though, and require about 8 gallons of oil to make. (the  higher torque/acceleration could even mean that you could wear them out faster if you want to drive fast) see the drag bike burn outs at http://www.killacycle.com

Answer 3

If I lived in California I would love one, I just think they might be hard to run in snow???? But I checked out a book on how to change your own car into an electric car. Then I was thinking of a hybrid because then you can use electrec then fill up with gas and continue driving to your vacation destination. You should watch the movie who killed the electric car, but it already sounds like you have!!

Besides using mostly electric then if need be some gas, I bet people would make it a point to try and fill up less!

Answer 4

All you are doing with an electric vehicle is moving the point of pollution, unless your power comes from Hydro or solar.

Electric cars have very environmentally unfriendly limited life components, such as the battery.

You would need to do a full analysis to determine if there was any benefit at all, taking into account all manufacturing, use and disposal issues.

Answer 5

In India  we had a car named "Reva" . it was a electric car.... but it was not successful. there should be combination of electric car and solar car... so that it may help to drive longer during daytime...

Answer 6

no way...so u drive 31 miles and cant get home....and most of the electric will come from coal and nukes and more diesel generators...and how can u make tires that never have to b changed..lol

Answer 7

I have a postive opinion of electric vehicles and I have been considering getting or converting to one for years. (I hope soon)

There are a few drawbacks to electric vehicles, but the biggest one is the range. This is truely what is holding back electric vehicles. Other drawbacks include charging time, the size and weight of the batteries required, the short lifespan of most batteries under the punishing usage demanded of them by electric vehicles, cost of battery replacement, and a lack of convenient infrastructure to service and recharge electric vehicles. I can personally live with these drawbacks for a go-to-work vehicle or for light shopping. Now for some of the advantages.....

Electric Vehicles decrease polution - period. Yes, the electric power must come from somewhere and a large portion of that electic power comes from coal, but electric power comes from large centralized power plants where the emissions are closely monitored - i.e. point sources of energy. This means that instead of having millions of different vehicles polluting at different rates - mostly unmonitored, a few well monitored power plants could be generating the power for those same millions of vehicles and the polution would be better monitored and controlled. Additionally, the mix of electric power is beginning to shift toward renewable energy sources which further improves the amount of emissions for the same amount of electric power used.

There are other advantages of electric vehicles:

- Cost of the electric energy is cheaper than gasoline for the same distance traveled

- No tune ups

- No oil changes

- Less noise (generally)

- Can be fueled at home (no stops at the gas station)

- No exhaust system

- No carbon monoxide hazard - for those that have an attached garage

- The drive system including the transmission can be simpler. It doesn't have to consider an idling engine. Fewer gears are necessary because the rpm range is wider on electric motors

- Less dependence upon foreign oil. (Most sources of electric power come from domestic resources and very little comes from foreign oil)

- Lower fire hazard. No gas tank. No combustible/flammable fuel onboard

- No gasoline fumes. Particularly for those with attached garages. (Low levels of benzene and other hydrocarbons will slowly evaporate under ordinary circumstances. This just isn't healthy to have in your house.)

- No engine coolant needed. Don't need to flush the radiator periodically.

- Few or no engine hoses

- No need for emission control equipment and the associated parts that can break and require repair

- Fewer parts. Electric motors are so much simpler than internal combustion engines. There just is less to break overall. Motor replacement is done as an entire unit and weighs much less than an internal combustion engine.

Some may be concerned about the environmental impact of the batteries. While that is a modest concern, the available battery types that are hazardous are already recycled into an existing battery recycling infrastructure. Imagine for a moment the "core charge" you pay when you replace the one battery for your internal combustion engine vehicle. The same concept applies for the batteries in an electric vehicle. These batteries have a value even when dead (core charge) and thus there is an incentive to recycle and reuse the materials thus reducing the environmental impact of the batteries very significantly.

So overall, electric vehicles have a large number of benefits. The general public won't accept them until the one big drawback is overcome though and that is range and cost of battery replacement. I will eventually have one because I am attracted to the advantages including lower energy costs, and I have an interest in the technology and the environmental benefits.

Timothy D.

West Melbourne, FL

Answer 8

OK cleaner than car engines but is needs energy to run coal pretty dirty to make that energy

Answer 9

Actually the battery life is pretty good and so is the efficiency too. Although the electricity may come from coal powered plants its still at one place and better than tailpipe exhaust.

Also in general electric cars use energy much more efficiently than the ICE cars.

If your normal daily commute is around 20-30 miles then electric car is suited for you also if your office can provide a charging port then your range increases.

If you get electricity thru PV then even the electricity comes without exhaust and thus your car comes very close to ZEV.

Answer 10

Let's say you hate electric cars.  What's it hurt to have them available as a second choice.  They have the potential to get up to 150 mpg.  If people want to use them what is the worst that may happen. we use less oil?

If we use less oil then the price of oil is going to go down.

Recharging a battery will cause less pollution then running a combustion engine the same distance the battery took you, even if the battery was charged with a coal plant.

Everyone doesn't need to have one.  After they are used by enough people to prove there value the technology will grow and infrastructure will develop to accommodate it.  

Fact of life: people will use it because it saves them money more than saving the environment.  

This will do both in the future so support it even if your not going to use it now.   You may want to use it later.

Answer 11

NO. 60 mile range is nothing. 8 hours in between uses is a nightmare scenario. Here in America things are more spread out and we need range in our vehicles to get around to run errands and such. Most of us live at least 30-40 miles from works in some cities.

I like a car that has at least a 200 mile range especially for trips like vacations. Keep in mind we need AC/heating because it gets hot here which will also kill off the range on electic cars.

Hyrbrids are the best for now with the current tech but I would not buy one anytime soon.