What happened to the electric cars and why don't they make them anymore?

Question

I was a child in the 70s when the electric cars came about and it seems like you don't see them any more?

Does anyone know why, other than they would be 30 years old now?

Answer 1

The electric cars were meant for research and test purposes only. They could not compete with the conventional cars. However, the R&D of the electric cars are still contiuing to make it more attractive than their fossil fuel counterparts. It may take a long time before that is made commercially available.

For your information - electric buses are a grand success in China and is widely used. You can see that even in Nepal.

Answer 2

worst idea ever--can you imagine if everyone drove electric there isn't enough to go around now--remember rolling blackouts in Ca. a few years back.......

Answer 3

They DO make them still. From what I've heard, electric cars aren't as popular as they should be because the oil companies are forcing electric cars to not promote themselves as much as they should.

That, and I hear it's a pain in the butt t have to charge one - my mom works for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and they have electric cars they use to drive the employees places - they also have charges set up all around their buildings. It's kind of cool actually.

Answer 4

Well, they needed to be plugged in on a regular basis to recharge.  If your commute took up it's cells, then you had to be able to plug in to recharge in order to go home.  VERY few parking garages have outlets, and regular parking lots never do.  When they cells got low on charge, the power in the car was pathetic and you could easily get stranded.  They were also a royal pain in the butt on long trips.  Finding a place willing to let you plug in your car and run their electric bill up that high was hard, or even impossible.

This made the electric only car very unfeasible.  They could come back today if people would build an electric solar hybrid that used storage cells to store solar power.  These cars could be feasible, although long lasting bad weather would mean you would need to plug in again.

Answer 5

GM behaved terribly and that's why they have fallen behind Toyota... We need to wake up or we are at risk of falling behind the rest of the world in innovation... we risk the environment and our economic sustainability.

Answer 6

First of all electric cars they stop making electric cars because it is inconvient.  Because when the battery dies out you will need to find a place to charge it.  Not a lot of places have the charging station.  You can't go fast on freeways.  Now they called it hybrids.  Runs on gasoline and electric.  Electric motor supplies the motor with electricity and gasoline motor generates more electricity.

Answer 7

hybrid cars are now the evolution of electric cars.

Answer 8

Hopefully they will come back and be affordable in the near future as battery technology improves, but here is the run down on why they were only concepts or projects:

1 - Battery packs weigh 1000 pounds

2 - Batteries lose full capacity after only 2-3 years

3 - Even with 1000 pounds, range was either 40 miles at 80 mph, or 80 miles at 40 mph.  Neither made anyone happy.

4 - "Filling up the tank" took 8-10 hours (recharging)

5 - Battery replacement cost every few years was hundreds of $$

6 - Car cost was twice that of a gas car

7 - Batteries took up the whole car's cargo space

However I am part of an EV club myself, and between lithium ion technology and ultra capacators, we should see an affordable one in about 10 years or so.  Maybe sooner.  The Tesla electric uses 6,000 lithium ion computer batteries and is already under a hundred thousand.  $95,000.00 I think. $45,000 just for the replacement battery pack though.  Give it time and it will come down.

In the meantime, get a diesel and run B100 biodiesel or get a used Hybrid.  Hybrids fix all these problems because the battery pack (cost) can be very small, yet you still can go 300 miles without stopping.

Good luck, by asking this question, I can tell you are on the right direction to making a difference.

greencarcongress.com might interest you

Answer 9

Trendhunter.com: Motor Trends

Tesla motors.com

Zipcars.com

Mostly Hybrids now vs EVs.

Answer 10

Major auto makers are just starting to bring them back. Currently there is a car made by Tesla motors that is available for purchase, but it is extremely expensive. Chevy is also coming out with a car called the Volt. You can also buy a conversion kit to convert your gas car to electric, but that will put you back a few grand. The problem with electric cars right now is that they don't go far enough. I don't think there is an electric car that is currently out that can go over 100 miles. Also, the conversion kits I've seen can't get up to freeway speeds, so they aren't very practical at the moment. I suspect that electric cars will be making a comeback however.

Answer 11

OK, you guys are working way too hard on this one. See, in order to get electricity to charge the car, we have to burn OIL!

Years ago, many electric companies were exploring nuclear power that would make clean electricity, but too many people were afraid of it. With clean electricity production comes clean electric cars. With oil-based electricity production comes more pollution to charge the batteries.

Hybrids may appear to save you money, but they don't save pollution. They have to be manufactured in a highly pollution-oriented process. There are no battery trees that I know of.

There is a large supply of domestic natural gas that could help, but theoretically, at least, it would only reduce the pollution and not do anything about global warming.

The answer is: stop using so much energy, no matter where you get it from.

Answer 12

America is about Corporations and all what they

want and think about is to make money and the money come from the cheap oil that we get from

undeveloped countries that's why we're in a war

all the time and not just for oil but for everything because the corporations decide ,where the next war should be ????????

Go to Google video and watch :

Who killed the electric car ?

Answer 13

i don't know the answer but that's why they are making hybrid cars now same difference but it just uses water.. that's smart it will keep the air clean and cheap on fuel.

Answer 14

They do make electric cars. they are more common in Japan. but they are extremely expensive, and are very slow. the market isn't very big for them right now as well. But once they make them, faster more stylish and cheaper the sales will skyrocket.

Answer 15

they are more expensive and car batteries take more power to produce and they are also less efficient.

Answer 16

Watch the movie "Who killed the electric car?" and you will find your answer. It will make you cringe...

Answer 17

electric cars are a great idea; but most people who need them to commute do not like to use them because they often run out of energy quickly. with the new hype about hybrid technologies, electric cars have certainly lost they're buzz.

hybrids are a cross between regular and electric cars; switching to electric when stopped.

however; in the future it is safe to say that there will be high powered electric cars that can be used for everyday use.

Answer 18

i seen on tv a talk morning show there in so high demand there'e a 5 year waiting list.

Answer 19

A company called Hybrid technologies makes an electric car. Many homes have 2 cars so, if you use the electric one to go back and forth to work every day this would save a great amount of fuel. The other you could use on the long trips or vacations

Answer 20

There is a movie out there "Who Killed the Electric Car", which details GM investing $1B into the electric car, then abandoning the project.

see it.