They had electric cars over 100 years ago.....
1830s to 1900s: Early history
1912 Detroit Electric advertisement
Before the pre-eminence of internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many speed and distance records. Among the most notable of these records was the breaking of the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed barrier, by Camille Jenatzy on April 29, 1899 in his 'rocket-shaped' vehicle Jamais Contente, which reached a top speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph). Before the 1920s, electric automobiles were competing with petroleum-fueled cars for urban use of a quality service car.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference">[13]</sup>
Thomas Edison and an electric car in 1913 (courtesy of the National Museum of American History)
In 1897, electric vehicles found their first commercial application in the U.S. as a fleet of electrical New York City taxis, built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia. Electric cars were produced in the US by Anthony Electric, Baker, Columbia, Anderson, Edison <sup class="noprint Inline-Template" title="Link needs disambiguation" style="white-space: nowrap;">[disambiguation needed]</sup>, Studebaker, Riker, Milburn, and others during the early 20th century. In 1917, the first gasoline-electric hybrid car was released by the Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago. The hybrid was a commercial failure, proving to be too slow for its price, and too difficult to service.
The low range of electric cars meant they could not make use of the new highways to travel between cities
Despite their relatively slow speed, electric vehicles had a number of advantages over their early-1900s competitors. They did not have the vibration, smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars. Changing gears on gasoline cars was the most difficult part of driving, and electric vehicles did not require gear changes. Electric cars found popularity among well-heeled customers who used them as city cars, where their limited range proved to be even less of a disadvantage. The cars were also preferred because they did not require a manual effort to start, as did gasoline cars which featured a hand crank to start the engine. Electric cars were often marketed as suitable vehicles for women drivers due to this ease of operation.
The Henney Kilowatt, a 1961 production electric car
Acceptance of electric cars was initially hampered by a lack of power infrastructure, but by 1912, many homes were wired for electricity, enabling a surge in the popularity of the cars. At the turn of the century, 40 percent of American automobiles were powered by steam, 38 percent by electricity, and 22 percent by gasoline. 33,842 electric cars were registered in the United States, and America became the country where electric cars had gained the most acceptance. Sales of electric cars peaked in 1912.
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Wow as soon as I post this I see a commercial on TV promoting the 100% electric Nissan Leaf. Wow, kind of freaky how that just happened. Never seen an electric car commercial EVER and I see it as soon as I post this.
I'm scared.
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/?dcp=ppn.39666654.&dcc=0.216878497
I'm scared.
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/?dcp=ppn.39666654.&dcc=0.216878497
I don't like the 100 mile range, and you need to charge it with 220 volts ( 4-8 hours) at home, or a non-existent quick charge place for 30 minutes.
How many KWH does it take to charge this, getting to what does a charge cost ? $10 of gas might be cheaper than the charge !
What about battery replacement costs ?
I wouldn't want to own the first of these.
How many KWH does it take to charge this, getting to what does a charge cost ? $10 of gas might be cheaper than the charge !
What about battery replacement costs ?
I wouldn't want to own the first of these.
Just today I was listening to something on the radio about a guy who invented something to run his car on water.
The guy was poisoned mysteriously after the government got involved.
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The guy was poisoned mysteriously after the government got involved.
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That would be a hybrid, like a Prius.
I think this Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt are Pure electric, and you're screwed if you can't charge it......I can see tow trucks hauling them in for a charge.
IMO, you need these charging outlets available everywhere, like at work, in parking garages, etc.
Then you might be burning coal to generate electricity to power electric cars.
The infrastructure for this is the problem, IMO.
Even adding a 220 volt, 40 amp circuit in your garage might be rather costly, and you can't go more than 50 miles from home !
No its not exactly a hybrid because for the first 100 or 200 miles it runs exclusively on electricity. The vast majority of trips are less than this distance so this type of vehicle will rarely need to be filled. The gasoline engine will only kick in when you are driving on a long trip and your battery runs out.
What happens when a huricanes come and wipes out your electricity for 2 weeks and you need to get somewhere to get help? This green stuff is bullshit. If you live in the south and have an electric car how does it do when you run the AC? Is it really green if you reduce the gas you use to power your car and increase the electricity you use to power your car? I use more than 100 miles per day as it is.
OK, but this Leaf thing has no gas motor at all, right ? So you're stuck when it dies....
I can't see it working well, except maybe in a place that is ready for it....like LA. Isn't that where they had the electric cars of 10 or so years ago ?
I think this has to be a city-use only car. It might work in Toronto.
Do these newest electric cars have a gas motor for back-up, though ?
I think a hybrid is better
http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/
OK, the Leaf is 100 miles electric (32k)
Volt is 40 miles Electric, with a gas back-up motor ( but costs 40k).
7.5k tax credit on either.
Volt is a much better concept, but I wouldn't pay that kind of money, for what might be the next Chevy Vega. At least you can drive the Volt like a real car, and take a trip.
Now that the 2011 Leaf has been priced, all eyes will turn to General Motors. That company's 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car is expected to be priced around $40,000 as well; it too is eligible for the $7,500 Federal income-tax credit.
Unlike the 2011 Leaf, with its 100-mile all-electric range, the 2011 Volt runs 40 miles on electricity--a distance that covers 70 percent of daily trips in the U.S.--and then a further 300 miles using a gasoline engine to generate electricity to power its electric motor.
Volt is 40 miles Electric, with a gas back-up motor ( but costs 40k).
7.5k tax credit on either.
Volt is a much better concept, but I wouldn't pay that kind of money, for what might be the next Chevy Vega. At least you can drive the Volt like a real car, and take a trip.
Now that the 2011 Leaf has been priced, all eyes will turn to General Motors. That company's 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car is expected to be priced around $40,000 as well; it too is eligible for the $7,500 Federal income-tax credit.
Unlike the 2011 Leaf, with its 100-mile all-electric range, the 2011 Volt runs 40 miles on electricity--a distance that covers 70 percent of daily trips in the U.S.--and then a further 300 miles using a gasoline engine to generate electricity to power its electric motor.
