Why don't we have electric cars in mass production?

Question

Why don't we have electric cars in mass production?

Answer 1

Electric cars were actually very popular back in the early days of automobiling but their short range and high operating costs knocked them out of the marketplace . . .

Now, with new battery technology and more efficient motors, they are slowly coming back to the marketplace for those who want them . . .

Hybrid vehicles that use both gasoline and electric for power are actually becoming extremely popular and will probably be very widely used as their costs come down and the problems that they have are worked out . . .

Pure 'electric' cars are not very "green" because most electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels . . . It's just that the smoke goes up a chimney someplace instead of out the tailpipe and the ones who buy them feel that they are doing something great for the environment . . . Indeed, the energy losses from the inefficiencies of the power generators, transformers and transmission lines, plus the energy losses in the recharging equipment and the heat losses generated inside the batteries during the charge and discharge cycles, then the heat losses in the electric motors - all add up to make electricity MORE wasteful of fossil fuels than a car with an internal combustion engine . . . The Hybrids are far better because they produce electricity during the 'idle' cycles and thereby are far "greener" than a pure electric car . . . .

Answer 2

we used to before the great depression,but g.m. bought them out

Answer 3

The main reason is the power storage.

It is easier to have 8 gallons of gasoline which can drive your car for a distance of 250 km

compared to a solid battery that can drive your car to a distance of 20 km.

power storage and weight is an issue which scientists have to overcome

please read

Answer 4

Hang on to your hats!!!!!

The electric car market has just got a whole lot more interesting.

At this months (October 2007) Tokyo motor show Subaru will unveil it's G4e. (125 m, 200km range). Word is that if interest is strong, it could well be in mass production within 2 years. A vehicle manufacturer like Subaru can definitely do this. So don't expect the delays the electric car market has been used too.

This is the best link I can find at short notice.

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9794984...

The main reason that it has taken so long to get major manufactures interested, is that the battery technology is only recently proving itself.

Lithium based high capacity batteries(about 1/4 weight lead acids) have been around for many years now, but have only recently started getting much greater cycle lives. The best ones as recently as 2003 only lasted around 1000 recharges they are now claiming in excess of 20,000.  

If you had to replace batteries every 1000 charges this would use up, most of any fuel savings. Not good for the electric car market. (unhappy owners)

Makes you wonder how long lead acids (350 -400 cycles) are going to last in a car with a range of just 25 m (40 km).

Answer 5

The problem with electric cars since the day it was conceived is a reliable power source.

Sure there are better batteries nowadays but they still fail miserably when it comes to mileage-to-charging ratio.

Plus they take a long time to charge. Compared to a few seconds or minutes it takes to fill up a tank with gasoline.

Scientists and inventors are tirelessly finding a way to solve this problem though.

Answer 6

You want an honest answer? There's still to much money to be made with cars on gasoline and with the consumption of gasoline.

In Germany they have been testing a mix of 30% diesel and 70 % water (yes just water) increases performance with 15 %.  Can you dig this? I can, same answer, it's about making money.

Here are some nice youtubes : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqqtJpfZE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOl_1S10j...

Think Green

Coach Ron

Answer 7

Two reasons...Batteries weigh a ton, which shortens their range.    And recharging batteries takes too long, who would want to wait  around, when gas tanks can be filled in a few minutes.

Answer 8

Because you havn't started making them yet..

Answer 9

A company in North America did until they were recalled. no one knows the real reason

Answer 10

1) They don't work that well.

2) Gasoline powered cars are currently more efficient (over the long run)

3) Technology is moving very fast (new designs are being tested and perfected making the old ones obsolete very quickly)

While we really need to get alternative fuels moving quickly, we need to produce vehicles that can effectively replace the ones that are in use now and be able to make them affordable for everyone. So far, that ain't happened.

Celebrities can buy all the new fashionable "green" cars. They have enough green to be able to afford to be green.

Answer 11

There are some electric vehicles which are reasonably popular, like the ZAP Xebra:

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicle...

But the technology isn't sufficiently advanced to make an affordable electric vehicle which is capable of going highway speeds and long distances.  Starting around 2009, this will change and you'll start to see more electric cars like these on the road:

http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx...

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/04/03/...

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/

Answer 12

Primarily because they are costly, short range, small, and long charging time. Also many think they still pollute just as much because the power comes from power plants burning fossil fuel.

Manufacturers are working on many improvements. Maybe they will be more desirable in the future.

Answer 13

Apparently, electric cars are somewhat efficient, but they can't go on long trips.

Not sure how accurate my Bio. teacher is.

Answer 14

there not cost efficient.

Answer 15

The price is so high on them if they mass produce them they would be sitting in the car lots . Face it not every one is out to buy a car and go in dept . For some reason food for there family's are more important then a high priced electric car. Just to convert the auto industry's over would cost a mint to mass produce them and guess who's pocket that would come out of .

Answer 16

Water in a diesel engine. Don't be silly.  Diesel engines are high compression engines and when even a small amount of water gets in the fuel either directly or through the air filter wrecks the engine because when you heat water it expands.  If you heat it enough to create steam (which is what happens in an engine) in expands so much that the exhaust valves cannot vent the exhaust gas and due to the fact that diesel in the engine is ignited by pressure from the piston coming down and hat from the engine the water vapor increases in volume so much that it bends the con rod and all the valves are get bent and seize.

Gas electric or hybrid cars have had only a fraction of the development time or money that petrol cars have had in the last few years yet are showing fast improvement in mileage and power.  they are in mass production but until the governments of the world stop subsidizing the petrol automotive industry and oil companies cleaner cars will not be cheap.  If they lifted the import tax on hybrids they would out compete local made petrol cars and then people would be out of work.   Governments don't like this.