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Electric cars

You next car may be electric. It might not happen in the next couple of years but it could happen in the next five to ten years. Electric vehicles are popping up everywhere. All electric cars have huge benefits in efficiency and flexibility also no new infrastructure is necessary to support electric vehicles. The scientific advances necessary to make electric cars viable are finally here.

Electric cars are becoming more popular and companies producing those cars such as Zap[2] and Tesla Motors[1] are springing up everywhere. Even motorcycles are getting into the action. Electric Motor Sport[4] is currently selling two models and the Enertia Bike[3] was just announced. One can hardly go more then a few days without seeing a new blog or report on electric cars or new companies offering electric vehicles. Even the big car companies are looking into electric and hybrid electric cars Ford and Chevrolet are both looking at electric and hybrids.

Electric cars offer so many benefits that it almost seems inevitable that gasoline powered vehicles will be replaced with electric. We already have a great fuel delivery system in place. The power grid could actually benefit from a large number of electric cars. Electric cars could charge on base load and return energy to the grid when the grid is under extreme stress[10]. Electric cars are far more efficient then gasoline cars. Electric motors can be 90%+ efficient, combine that with regenerative breaking and lightweight carbon fiber bodies and these cars no longer look like toys. Unlike biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells we won't need a huge investment in infrastructure. Given the number of people predicting peak oil[5] it's unlikely that the cost of oil will be going down anytime soon electricity can be produced conventionally or with renewable sources. Electric vehicles are mechanically simpler then Internal Combustion Engine(ICE) cars this makes them reliable and easy to fix if something goes wrong. Electric motors offer better torque curves then ICE engines this means that they are faster off the start line and make wonderful sports cars. Electric cars offer the opportunity for people to produce their own fuel through solar cells or personal wind turbines. Solar cells are approaching 50% efficiency[9] this means that enough cells to power ones house and ones transportation could easily fit on the roof of a normal size home.

We've finally made the advances in batteries that will allow electric vehicles to compete


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Electric cars

  • 1 of 7

    by Abigail von Kilb

    The Zero-Emission No-Gasoline Alternative Fuel Power: Electric Vehicles With recent fluxuations in gas prices, al... read more

  • 2 of 7

    by Odin Kyle

    You next car may be electric. It might not happen in the next couple of years but it could happen in the next five to... read more

  • 3 of 7

    by Dick Stewart

    You may not want to hear it, but it's not a "whether" question, but a "when" question, like the Big One we all know i... read more

  • 4 of 7

    by Kate Clark

    Renewable energy was hailed as the next big thing. The revolution, we were saved from ourselves. But now those thing... read more

  • 5 of 7

    by Kaitlyn Hamilton

    My next car will in fact be an electric ZAP Alias car and I couldn't be more excited! I watched gasoline hit $4.00 a... read more

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Electric cars

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