Electric vehicle
Abstract
The following paper discusses at length the various kinds of Electric Vehicles (EV) available by giving examples and discussing their specifications in order to make the reader aware of the available electric vehicles in the market. The Greenhouse effect is a major cause of concern and can be controlled by watching ones carbon footprints. Investing in an electric vehicle is its stepping stone. The paper is thus written with the view of providing a comprehensive view in the available short, medium and long range electric vehicles.
The growing percentage of air pollutants let into the air due to vehicular pollution is a growing concern amongst environmentalists and policy makers. It has been suggested that if urgent steps are not taken to curb the growing vehicular air pollution, the content of green house gases will exceed its limits thus causing extreme climatic conditions. In order to deal with this problem, electric vehicles are being researched and developed. In the recent years there has been an advent of electric vehicles as more people are seen opting electric cars and other vehicles rather than the fuel-run cars.
Electric vehicles are available in various sizes and models and usually are categorized as short, medium and long range cars, with varying specifications.
Short-Range Electric Car
Studies suggest that cars play an economic as well as social role and even non-car owners make use of car many times in a week (1). In such a case the study suggests that short-range electric vehicles can meet such needs of commuters. Short range cars usually have a range of 40-50 miles and are also referred to as city cars. One such short range car is the Smart Fortowo Electric Drive which was launched for field testing in 2007 and later in 2011 1500 cars were launched. Fully fledged launch is expected in 2012. A rear-mounted motor in the rear wheels powers the car and runs on 17.6 kW-h lithium-ion batteries. Other specifications include peak output of 55 kW and 190 newton meter torque. Smart ED also claims 0-37 mph of 6 seconds. The third generation Smart car includes many new features such as easy charging of batteries, more powerful electric motor which highly improves the acceleration as well as its top speed, wider doors, automatic pollen filter air conditioning etc. All such specifications combined with compact design makes Smart ED a much preferred short range electric vehicle that is not only affordable but also very useful.
Medium Range Electric Car
The cars included in this category offer a range of 100 miles or up and include models such as the Nissan Leaf and Honda Fit Electric Vehicle. Nissan LEAF is a hatchback, five door electric car manufactured by Nissan which was first introduced in US and Japan in 2010 (2). On the New European Driving Cycle, the range of Nissan Leaf is 109 miles. The Federal Trade Commission that is responsible for labeling all alternative fuel vehicles, estimates the range of LEAF between 96-110 miles Even though it sales have been extensive, it has a huge market in Japan and US, with Europe falling behind. Being an all electric car, no tailpipe or Greenhouse Gases are produced. The specifications of LEAF include, wheels driven by an 80kW and 240 N-m synchronous batteries, a 24kWh battery pack which delivers 90 Kilowatts of power. The top speed of LEAF is recorded as 150km/h (3). In order to charge the LEAF, two charging options are available; one is a standard SAE J1772 connector that can be used for both level 1 and level 2 charging. On the contrary a high-voltage JARI DC connector is also available. From a 220/240 volt 30 amp supply, the LEAF can be charged in 8 hours using the 3.3kW charger on board. With regards to safety, the Nissan LEAF won the ‘Top Safety Pick’ award by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Being a top-notch niche car in its genre, Nissan LEAF has garnered much accolades from customers as well as industry experts.
Long Range Electric Car
Long range cars offering 300 mile range are much sought after by customers. There are many companies and models in this category, but one of the noteworthy model is that of Tesla Roadster that is a battery electric vehicle sports car manufactured by Tesla Motors in California. Launched in 2008, Tesla has sold more 2,250 in multiple countries (4). Tesla is a pioneer in using lithium-ion battery cells and also the first electric vehicle to travel at a range of more than 200miles per charge. On a single car charge, according to the US EPA, the Tesla Roadster can travel 244 miles. One of the positive points of this car is the fact that it requires very less maintenance and service, thus becoming cost effective. Muffler and exhaust system work are not required as there are no tailpipe emissions. The acceleration time of the Roadster is 0 to 60mph in 3.9 seconds. The recharging option for the Roadster includes a propriety charging connector as well as mobile adapter. A wall mounted 208-240volts, maximum 70 A current home connector or a portable 120-240volts, maximum 40 A current universal connector can be used to recharge the Roadster. The motor of this vehicle constitutes of an electric motor, a 4 –pole induction motor that produce net maximum power of 248hp. On the contrary, a Sport Model that was unleashed in 2009 constitutes of a higher density motor with hand-wound stator, thus producing maximum power of 288hp (5). Such high features have made the Roadster a roaring success as more people are opting to buy this electric vehicle.
The pros and cons of Electric Vehicles
Every new discovery has its sets of pros and cons, which need to weighed and understood in order to move forward with the invention. Similarly electric vehicles which seemed to be the answer to the ever increasing carbon emissions was plagued with its sets of problems. The major issue faced by electric vehicles is its charging in order to keep it moving. In case the owner forgets to charge his car, he is helpless and will be unable to commute, but thanks to the mushrooming of public charging stations, this problem will be dealt soon. Another aspect is its heavy cost; it is much more costly than the conventional vehicles, thus making a buyer think twice before investing in an electric vehicle. The regular replacement of the battery and under-performance are other deterrents which do not allow this mode of transport to gain popularity.
Conclusion
Slowly, but steadily electric vehicles are making their mark in the mainstream market as many responsible people are opting to buy electric cars. The future seems bright for these vehicles as various companies such as Honda, Chevrolet and Toyota are researching into this field and coming up with better offerings in order to attract more buyers. Individuals are now well aware of the climatic conditions and are thus taking efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. A research suggests that if the EV’s are marketed in a different way rather than they are being marketed today and if they are available for lease, the market for EV’s will grow manifolds (6). Thus a conscious effort by both, the buyers as well as the manufacturers and retailers can help grow the popularity of electric vehicles and their use.
1. Brown W. (2012). The new roadster. 10 June 2012. Retrieved from web. http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster
2. Bouman C. (2012). Electric vehicles. 10 June 2012. Retrieved from web. http://home.tudelft.nl/en/current/dossiers/archive/electric-vehicles/
3. Austin M. (2010). 2011 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. 10 June 2010. Retrieved from web. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-smart-fortwo-electric-drive-first-drive-review
