Category Archives: Electric Cars

The Comeback Of The Electric Car

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The 2006 documentary film, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, deals with the history of the electric car, specifically the General Motors EV1, and its development in the mid 1990’s. The film explores the roles of automobile manufacturers, the oil industry, the US government, the Californian government, batteries, hydrogen vehicles, and consumers in limiting the development and adoption of this technology. Today’s environmental concerns, volatile gas prices, and advancements in electric car technology, have lead to auto manufacturers and the government into taking a second look at the electric vehicle.

Everyone is familiar with the Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf because they were one of the first electric hybrid and electric vehicles sold to the general public, but today, almost every car manufacturer is developing an electric vehicle. Tesla is a car company devoted to building only electric cars, and BMW has recently started it’s own brand of electric vehicles, the i brand, to name a couple.

If you are thinking of making the move to an electric vehicle, here are a few things to consider before making the purchase:

  • Even though electric vehicles are advertised as “saving you money at the pumps”, the original purchase price will be more expensive than a conventional vehicle. There are government tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, but you will still end up paying a bit more.
  • Drivers are limited to the distance they can commute. Battery technology has improved, allowing drivers to travel further distances than ever before, and hybrids add the extra security of an engine back up, but driving an electric vehicle long distances relies on finding charging stations along the way.
  • Unless your neighborhood or work place is adequately supplied with charging stations, you will probably want a charging station at your home. This is an added expense to install, and will result in electrical bills being a bit higher.
  • Finally, as with all advanced technology products, the longer you wait to buy, the better and cheaper the technology gets. As more auto manufacturers release their versions of the electric car, more data will be available to the consumer to help make the decision of what electric vehicle to buy.

Some other electric vehicles you can expect to see on car lots and roads soon, includes: the Fisker Karma, Ford C-Max Energi, Honda Fit EV, Mitsubishi I, Tesla Model S, Rav 4 EV, and the Fiat 500 electric.

Honda Recalls CR V And CR Z Vehicles

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Honda has announced two recalls that will affect some 2006 Honda CR-V crossover vehicles and some 2011 CR-Z sport hybrid coupes.

Honda will be recalling over 80,000 2006 CR-V crossover vehicles in the U.S. to replace the power window master switch. The problem is being blamed on accumulated residue from interior cleaners which can cause the electrical contacts on the switch to degrade. The increased electrical resistance of the contacts could pose a potential fire hazard. Dealers will replace the switch with one that cannot be affected by interior cleaners.

Honda will also be recalling certain 2011 CR-Z sport hybrid coupes to update the software that controls the hybrid electric motor on some manual transmission vehicles. When the gasoline engine has stalled, the battery is in a low state of charge, and the transmission is in gear, it is possible for the electric motor to rotate in the opposite direction. If the driver does not engage the brakes completely, the vehicle could roll back. A software update will be added to correct the problem.

Owners wanting more information on the recall can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009, and selecting option 4.

Making Hybrid Vehicles Better With Ultra Capacitors

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Ioxus, a start up company in Oneonta, N.Y., are experimenting with ultra capacitors in hybrid and electric vehicles in order to make batteries work better and last longer.

In order to improve fuel economy on hybrid and electric vehicles, the engine shuts down when the car stops. When the vehicle starts to move again, a large amount of power is needed. While lithium ion batteries can store large amounts of energy, they are not able to discharge quickly enough to get the vehicle going again. Lead acid batteries can deliver the power needed, but the life of the battery is sacrificed in the process.

Ioxus is using ultra capacitors to work with the battery, allowing the burst of energy needed to get the vehicle going and allowing quick recharging for the next stop. According to Mark E. McGough, the company’s chief executive, this technology could also be used to run an electrically driven power steering system, making hybrid and electric vehicles work even more efficiently. While this technology is not being used commercially on hybrid and electric vehicles, it has been proven to be very effective in turning the blades on wind turbines.

Nissan Leaf Price Increases But Offers More

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When the Nissan Leaf was first introduced to the U.S. market it was offered in only a few states: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. The 2012 model will be expanded to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C., but consumers wanting to buy Nissan’s all electric vehicle will have to pay almost $2,500 more to get it. Nissan says the price is due to more standardized equipment added to the car such as heated seats, heated steering wheel, battery warmer, and a fast charging set up, but rising prices for materials and the strength of the yen is also contributing to the rise in cost. Furthermore, consumers wanting to purchase the new 2012 Leaf will have to get on a waiting list, because almost every car has been pre-sold before it even reaches the dealership.

Ford Offers Better Fuel Economy With Google

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Ford and Google are working together to develop a tool that will help make Ford’s hybrid vehicles even more efficient. The Application Program Interface (API), also known as Google Predictions, will analyze driver habits using cloud based computing, in order to come up with customized strategies for saving energy. The driver would input their destination and the car would use its stored traffic information to determine the best route. The API would adapt to the drivers driving habits allowing the best fuel efficiency for the driver. The technology is still in a research phase, but Ford hopes to have a working prototype ready for production in four to eight years.

Toyota And Lexus Hybrids Recalled For Stalling

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Toyota has announced a recall that will affect about 82,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrid sport utility vehicles (SUV’s). The recall involves about 45,000 2006-2007 Toyota Highlander and 36,000 2006-2007 Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUV models from the 2006-2007 model years. The recall is the result of an investigation that began in February after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received complaints of the vehicles stalling for no reason. Toyota has reported that the problem is with the transistors inside the system’s inverter which can overheat and fail. Drivers will be alerted of the problem by warning lamps illuminating on the dashboard, and in most cases the vehicle can be driven a short distance due to a fail safe driving mode. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or go to www.toyota.com/recall or Lexus at 800-255-3987 or go to www.lexus.com/recall.

Toyota To Offer Family Sized Prius

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According to Ed LaRocque, Toyota’s U.S. marketing manager for advanced technology vehicles, Toyota’s new family sized Prius will be hitting the U.S. market this fall after delays due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The Prius V is being targeted to young families offering versatility and more interior room than most small sport utility vehicles on the market. The company sees the Prius V competing against vehicles such as the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and the Volkswagen Jetta wagon. Toyota will also be offering a plug in version of the current Prius model early next year followed by a smaller version, known as the Prius C. Toyota has dominated the gasoline electric hybrid market since the Prius went on sale in the U.S. in 2000. The company hopes that Prius sales will eventually rival the sales of Toyota’s popular models like the Camry and Corolla sedans.

Car Makers Reject California Emission Proposal

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California regulators are pushing a mandate that could have zero emission vehicles making up 5.5% of new car sales by 2018, increasing to 14% by 2025. The proposal is being rejected by auto makers who feel the plan is the first step into establishing new national fuel efficiency standards that could end up costing them $5,000 for every vehicle that does not meet the standard. According to the Association of Global Automakers (AGA) the requirement of electric vehicles would interfere with auto makers ability to meet the new fuel economy and emissions standards being proposed by the Obama administration. They feel that auto makers will be forced into building vehicles that are not in demand, into an infrastructure that can not meet their refueling needs. It is expected the plan would hit smaller auto companies the worst, because they have fewer resources and development advances for electric vehicles.