Electric Battery Cars:

Would you consider purchasing a car that ran strictly on electricity? With gas prices rising and no end in sight, electric powered vehicles are becoming talked about much more often. Sure, we have hybrid cars like the Prius, but a truly electric car will get you much more mileage on a cost per mile basis. The Toyota Prius will get close to 50 miles per gallon while some electric vehicles allow you to travel over 200 miles on one charge. The big problem exists in that there are not enough "refueling stations" for electric cars around the United States so unless you are planning on coming home to charge the batteries again, you will need to find a place to plug-in the car. Also, it takes quite a while for a recharge to occur meaning it's not the same as putting gas in your tank and getting back on the highway within a few minutes. Most people with electric cars charge them up overnight and then commute to work in them where they are able to plug them into an electric charge station and be able to drive home again. Many of us would probably have no problem driving an electric car around town for local errands on the weekends or after work, but it's the longer distances were a regular gas powered car comes in handy. As of 2008 there are only about 60,000 electric vehicles on the roadways of America so we know the market can only grow if technology will allow it.

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The real problem for manufacturers has been to develop a car that is not only functional but also can sustain a charge to get owners where they want to go. Limited range has kept most of the past electric cars from becoming popular. It's hard to drive to work, pickup the kids, and get to the store on a 50 mile charge and be confident you will get home before the batteries die. With technology should come increased distances we can drive on a single charge and hopefully more gas stations will at least have an option to fill up (or charge) electric vehicles for a small price. The good news is that more car manufacturers like GM, Toyota, and Nissan are all developing concept cars based on electricity and other smaller startups like Tesla Motors offer up the Tesla Roadster. The cost to run an electric car is roughly two to four cents per miles compared to gasoline powered cars that can't even come close. The ZAP Xebra is an interesting electric vehicle that will run you about $10,000 but only offers up a top speed of 40 MPH. Unless you have back roads that get you to and from work, this call will not make it on freeways. Perhaps in the future they will allow electric vehicles on freeways in a special lane that only requires them to go 40 or 50 miles per hour. The type of batteries placed in an electric vehicle are what will determine the true cost of ownership. The batteries will effect your travel range, recharging time, battery lifetime, top speeds, and weight. As the public becomes more aware of how we are ruining the Earth through carbon dioxide emissions and pollution, perhaps the electric car will explode in popularity. Perhaps high gas prices will force us to change our driving habits and speeds on freeways. There's no doubt the electric cars of the future will be more efficient than modern models, but even todays electric vehicles are a better Earth friendly choice than gasoline powered cars. Acceleration is slow in most, although the Tesla Roadster does 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds. The key will be to create and build an electric vehicle that holds a charge for 100's of miles and that can at least go 60 miles per hour. Also, you want the car to be reasonably priced. I have heard that the Volt from GM will be priced at something like $45,000 which seems really high. As with most technology, though, the price should come down with future models. Keep in mind that even with a higher price, the overall ownership costs associated with the car should payoff since there is no gas bill involved, only plugging the car into an outlet to recharge. Ideally, if you live in a state with lots of sunshine, you could build a roof that has solar panels that sucks up the suns energy and converts it into electricity for the car to run off of, lowering the expense to drive it even further. If you are sold on buying an electric car and helping to stop the United States dependence on foreign oil, then check out the sections below on purchasing an electric car and what the future holds.

Buy Electric Car:

The reason question is where do you buy an electric car. It's not like there are dealerships all over and certainly that means limited selection on models and colors. Plus, not all electric cars are legal on every street or freeway. Many have top speeds that barely reach 35 or 40 miles per hours which means you are definitely limited on where you can use them. The vast majority of electric cars available today only go about 25 miles per hour like the Dynasty iT, GEM, Columbia ParCar Summit, Miles ZX40, and the ZENN. They are considered NEV's (neighborhood electric vehicles) because of their MPH limitations. The Dynasty iT sells for $14,000 to $25,000 and charges up in about 12 hours time. GEM's are priced from $6796 to $12,495 and come in a variety of styles to fit 2, 4, 6, and more passengers. The Columbia ParCar Summit NEV goes for about $10,000 and looks similar to a golf cart. The car is basic with little side protection, although if you are just driving on roads with 35 MPH limits, you should be fine. A more upscale option is the Miles ZX40 which costs between $14,900-$18,900. The lead batteries power this vehicle around town and resembles a smaller, compact car you might see in Europe. The ZENN (stands for Zero emissions and no noise), is a decent looking 2 seater with a hatchback for storing your cargo. When buying any electric car make sure you ask what the warranty is on the battery and what the expected battery life is. The battery is the most expensive part of these cars and can be expensive to replace. An excellent website for all your electric vehicle questions and news can be found at Greencar.com. The ZAP electric car is called the Xebra and you can reserve your sedan on their website for $100. Go HERE for details. The ZAP is under $10,000 and can reach speeds of up to 40 to 50 MPH. The Tango (not yet in production) is another interesting looking EV. It seats two people but you are seating behind the driver, not next to him/her like a traditional car. This makes the Tango very slim and capable of parking in small spots sideways. The plus with the Tango is that it can charge up to 80% in about 10 minutes from a 200 amp charging station. I happen to live in Portland, Oregon where "green" is a lifestyle and so we have an electric car showroom and dealer near the city. Their website is at Eco-motion.com and they carry 2007 ZAP Xebra's, 2008 models, 2007 Miles ZX40's, Myers NMG, and a few others. Do a search online for electric car retailers in your area.

GM Volt - Electric Vehicle:

One of the most anticpated cars of 2010 shapes up to be the Chevy Volt. The Volt electric vehicle will be an extended range car that has the ability to give you at least 40 miles a day with zero emissions and using no gasoline. The car will plug into a standard 110 volt household outlet. The vehicle will be designed so that anyone wanting to drive further than 40 miles can use gasoline or have the battery recharge while driving. GM is hoping the driving range could top 600 miles. The concept Chevy Volt has a few different homepages on the Internet, either go HERE or HERE. Both sites will keep you informed of release dates, car specs, battery issues, pricing, etc. The lithium-ion batteries will store the electricity for the Volt and they have proven to be more efficient at releasing power than the current nickel-metal hydride batteries you find in hybrid cars. The real theory behind electric cars is to allow the American commuter to continue driving his 30 or 40 miles a day without having to use gasoline and pollute the environment at the same time. Let's hope the Volt is released on time and doesn't go beyond the $40,000 to $45,000 price tag we are hearing. It would be a hefty premium paid upfront for years of no charges related to gasoline fill ups at the gas station.

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