Can Electric Cars Deliver As Promised?

By the sound of it, electric cars are poised to reshape the automotive industry in a way not seen since, well, the internal combustion engine was introduced. 2010 is shaping up to be an important year for electric cars as several new models are slated to hit the market. That's good news for environmentally conscious consumers, but do electric cars deserve our attention more than highly fuel efficient gas or diesel models?

Certainly, electric cars offer a huge appeal for the simple reason that visits to the gas pump are no longer part of the equation. Instead of fueling up, electric car users will plug it in at home, at work or while on the road. It's all about tapping the power grid in ways not seen before.

I've been covering electric cars on my flagship The Auto Writer blog for several years, but not too many people dig deep when investigating vehicle electrification. I'm not about to tell you to buy one product or stay away from another one, but what I will say is that there are some things to consider before deciding in favor of an electric model versus something else:

Vehicle Cost - Surprise, surprise! Electric cars are pricey as we learned when the then $98,00--now $109,000 on up--Tesla Roadster hit the market in 2008. Sure, Tesla is an exotic car, but most electric vehicles are priced north of $40,000. The good news is that some models carry a $7500 federal rebate with individual states adding their rebates or tax abatement into the mix.

Vehicle Availability - When the first big wave of electric vehicles rolls out, the Nissan Leaf, Ford Transit Connect EV, Chevy Volt and other models will be available in limited numbers. That's because manufacturers still aren't sure if customers will embrace the technology. Some models will be scarce until production is ramped up which means you may have to wait six months, perhaps a year before buying one.

Weather Extremes - Just how durable are electric cars when facing weather extremes? Manufacturers are trying to find that out by putting their vehicles through various tests, but a Minnesota winter or Arizona heat may be hard to replicate. Look for these cars to carry generous warranties just in case the unthinkable happens...whatever that might be!

Unseen Pollution - Electric vehicles emit no carbon pollution, right? Well, while on the road they don't. However, when powering up electric vehicles use electricity derived from coal burning plants. And, in the manufacturing process they consume precious resources just like any other car. Overall, their impact on the environment may be lower than a clean burning diesel or highly efficient gas engine, but if you're trying to "save the earth" with an electric vehicle you may be disappointed.

There are other factors such as registration costs, insurance, maintenance and repairs and depreciation which also must be factored in. Likely, electric vehicles will improve over time and prices will drop, making power grid enabled vehicles hot sellers down the road.

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Japan's Electric Cars 2010

Electric cars that zip by have always been more sci-fi than reality, thanks to pop culture. But in fact, the earliest cars were running on electricity long before the energy and automobile industry decided to convert Detroit into a gas guzzling machine based on the internal combustion engine. And precisely because of that, electric cars are making a comeback. With fuel prices soaring, and fossil fuel itself adding ever more to greenhouses gases that cause global warming, the world is betting on solutions such as alternative clean fuels, and zero or low carbon emitting cars powered by electricity.

As Detroit is to the American automobile industry, Japan is fast becoming to the world. And their fleet of hybrid cars, those that use an alternative clean energy only or in combination with gas is helping Japan's position as a global leader in the auto industry big time. Last summer, while Toyota took the lead from Ford and became the second most selling brand of automobiles in America just after GM, Honda comfortably outsold DaimlerChrysler.

Toyota and Honda, both Japanese companies, are also the only mass producers of hybrid vehicles and enjoy steady success in that market. By 2003, Honda had sold over more than 37,000 units while Mazda expected to sell at 7,000 units of its 4WD Demio series. And according to a research by J.D Power, 350,000 units of hybrids will be sold in the US alone by 2008. You can rest assure that the Japanese brand of EVs will make a significant chunk of that market. It helps to get the word out when celebrities like George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio are already hybrid drivers.

Japanese automakers Mitsubishi too is hoping to re-brand its market imagine by launching a series of EVs in Japan by 2010. Subaru too is teaming up with the Tokyo Power Company to launch a series of electric vehicles, based on Subaru's R1e minicars that will challenge Toyotas hybrids when it is launched.

While Japan continues to work on mass market models of EVs, engineer and designers there are also working on ever more impressive line of sporty and luxury models. The Eliica electric car, still only a prototype, can climb up to a speed of about 100mph in 7 seconds and reach a top speed of 400kmph. A brain child of Prof. Hiroshi Shimizu, Keio University, the car was produced with the help of a team of students.

Did we mention it has 8 wheels, four in the front and four in the back? A full charge from a normal outlet takes about 10 hours and that will keep you going for 200 miles. The point was to show the potential of EVs, and it's a point well taken. The California born Tesla is the only Super EV coming out anytime soon but it's a luxury sports car. And Detroit is still grumbling. But you can count on Japan's EV industry to take the world on a clean, eco-friendly spin.

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Volvo Bringing Updated Electric C30 To Detroit, Will Start Trials in 2011

Last September, Volvo introduced a proof of concept version of its all-electric C30 compact car. That car was more of a novelty than anything else; but now Volvo has done up the interior and added a complete set of instruments to bring the C30 EV to the prototype stage of a distant production version.

They will be debuting the prototype at next month’s Detroit Auto Show, and plan on producing at least 50 of them for a group of “selected users” to start test driving in 2011.

With a range of about 93 miles (150 km), the electric C30 is on par with other soon-to-debut EVs such as the Nissan LEAF or the Ford Focus BEV. Since all auto manufacturers have limited experience with EVs, Volvo wants to start with small aspirations so that it can have the opportunity to see how users handle the unique aspects of driving an electric car.

“Our test fleet data will be valuable in Volvo Cars’ development of electric cars. It will also provide crucial input for the infrastructure planners and help define which services are needed to make rechargeable cars the most attractive choice in the future,” said Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.

Volvo says they will “need to spend a lot of time” developing a transmission system that “is both comfortable and safe for the driver to handle and at the same time utilizes the battery’s capacity optimally at different speeds.” I’m not sure what this PR speak means, exactly, but it can’t be that hard to build a transmission for an EV. I mean, really, of all the engineering and design considerations that go into developing an EV, it seems like the transmission is something that is a fairly robust technology at this point, no?

Volvo claims that the C30 will have all of the fun of a regular C30, but without the guilt of emissions. Look, I’m all for EVs—in fact, I’ve frequently said that when compared to hydrogen or biofuels, they are clearly our only real long-term solution—but I get sick of companies trying to claim they will be “just like” driving a regular car. The fact of matter is that these first generation EVs will take some sacrifices on the part of the driver. Initially they may not be as convenient as gas cars, they will have limited range, and they will take some adjustment. They are not meant for everybody right off the bat. When companies claim they are, it does a disservice to potential EV owners.

Why we can lead switch to electric cars

Yesterday Nissan announced plans to build a factory in Sunderland to supply batteries for a new generation of affordable electric cars, creating up to 350 new jobs.

And in 2012 the Japanese manufacturer is expected to build a new electric model at its car plant nearby, which would create hundreds of extra jobs and safeguard thousands more.

In the pipeline ... Ampera saloon Vauxhall plan to build

The Nissan move follows Toyota's decision last week to start building an electric/hybrid version of its Auris hatchback at its plant in Burnaston, Derbys, next year.

Vauxhall could complete a hat-trick of electric/hybrid models being built in the UK if it gets the go-ahead to build its new Ampera saloon at the Ellesmere Port factory on Merseyside.

Meanwhile the Government has confirmed that from 2011 it will offer motorists cash incentives of £2,000 to £5,000 to buy electric or hybrid cars.

And it is working with car firms, energy companies and local authorities to set up a nationwide network of city recharging points by 2012.

But to succeed, the cars must be reasonably priced, so Nissan and its partner, Renault, are promising an "affordable" range of electric vehicles to go on sale in Europe by 2011/12.

Next month Nissan will reveal pictures of its family-sized electric car, with a 100-mile range, which it says will be on sale in 2011, while sources say its Nuvu concept is a possible electric city car of the near future.

Electric cars have been around for the last century and have frequently been hailed as the future, yet they have never fully delivered.

However, it now seems that for the first time car makers and governments are determined to make it happen.