Electric Car in 2012 News
Electric cars: the silver environmental bullet?
Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, but there are, of course, emissions involved in the production of electricity. One major benefit of electric vehicles is the "displacement" of harmful air pollutants from urban to rural areas, where population exposure is lower. Noise levels are also lower, particularly in urban driving conditions.
Another major advantage of electric vehicles is their energy efficiency. With a tank-to-wheel efficiency in the range of 60 to 80 %, they outperform conventional cars four-fold. Generally, electric vehicles show greatest energy savings at low speeds and in situations involving frequently-changing driving dynamics, which is another reason why cities are a prime target market.
Thanks to their energy efficiency, and assuming that electricity generation will be even greener in the future, electric vehicles could contribute to a considerable reduction in greenhouse gases. Given the ongoing debate on climate change, this could prove to be an important factor. Indeed, transport is responsible for more than a fifth of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions and it is the only sector with growing emissions. While the improvement of internal combustion engines still offers considerable potential for reducing emissions per kilometre driven, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over and above 50 % will require new technological solutions, such as the electric vehicle.
Compared to conventional vehicles, and based on the current average European electricity supply, electric vehicles have 50 % less emissions. Further benefits can be achieved if the carbon intensity of power generation continues to decrease with further greener and renewable energy sources.
There are, however, still some obstacles related to green electricity supply, the as yet expensive battery technology, the limited driving range and the need for a dense network of electric charging facilities. To overcome these obstacles, innovative business models are being developed to help transform automotive transport.
Integrated transport and energy concepts
To be a success, the electric car has to be introduced onto the market as part of an overall transport and energy concept rather than stand-alone technology. If millions of vehicles are to be connected to electricity grids without a negative impact on the environment, there must be an integrated approach to power supply and demand (from electric vehicles(, to ensure the use of green electricity sources. Otherwise, the anticipated increase in peak load demand would require new investments in electricity generation and grid capacity.
Scientists and engineers from the automobile industry and electricity supply companies are already working on 'smart electricity grids' for the vehicle-to-grid connection interface. This will enable electric vehicles to become an inherent part of the electricity supply and distribution system. Electric cars would not only run on green electricity, but could also be used to store and supply electricity back to the grid when needed. In this way, electric transport would also boost the further development of green electricity.
Battery leasing and smart electricity grids
Today's battery costs have a price premium of EUR 15,000 to 40,000. As technological progress is made and economies of scale begin to kick in, this could decrease to under EUR 10,000 in the mid-term and EUR 5,000 in the longer-term. To compensate for these higher costs, some countries and cities have announced important incentives, such as tax rebates and subsidies, free parking in urban areas and exemption from congestion charges and road taxes.
Another promising way of limiting battery costs is the battery leasing formula, whereby the electricity company owns the batteries and leases them to car owners. The Norwegian THINK City electric vehicle initiative already offers such a battery-leasing concept. The vehicle manufacturer retains the ownership of the batteries, which also guarantees the supply of the most advanced battery technology and replacement in the event of deteriorating performance.
Currently, the driving range of electric vehicles is limited to around 200 kilometres. A dense charging infrastructure is needed in public spaces to permit frequent recharging during idle hours. There is also the time element to consider; recharging a battery can take from 3 to 8 hours, assuming a conventional plug-in to the electric grid. Given that vehicles are parked an average of 95 % of the time, this should not pose a problem if charging points are widely available.
In addition, innovative charging solutions are in the pipeline. High-power, fast charging stations could reduce the charging time to less than 30 minutes. Smart grid systems for the vehicle-to-grid connection interface could allow an optimisation of battery charging. This, in turn, could become attractive to utility companies with regard to the management of the electric grid and the fluctuating supply and demand of energy.
An important frontrunner in this regard is 'Better Place', a US start-up company that plans to build a dense network of battery charging and exchange stations for electric vehicles. Together with a Renault-Nissan alliance, Better Place has been developing prototype electric vehicles on which battery exchange takes only a few minutes. A leasing scheme will provide both the battery system and the energy supply. The subscription model, similar to that for mobile phones, would charge drivers of electric vehicles according to the distance travelled. The first charging networks are due to begin operating in 2010/11 in Denmark, Israel and Portugal. Similar projects are planned in other countries, including the US (California and Hawaii(, Canada (Ontario( and Australia.



Ford Begins Taking Orders For C-Max Hybrid - America's Most Affordable, Fuel ... PaddockTalk “Ford is delivering the power of choice for leading fuel economy across its lineup – from EcoBoost to electrified vehicles – because customers increasingly want to save money at the pump, even as gas prices rise over time.” The C-MAX Hybrid blends fuel ... |
Travellers Heading For London Can Join Electric Vehicle Revolution PaddockTalk The Hertz Corporation, the world's largest general use car rental brand, has announced that through its partnership with Vauxhall Motors, customers will be able to rent the stylish, electric Ampera from the Hertz on Demand EV car sharing fleet in ... |
Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL – at home with the stars The FINANCIAL Actress Diane Kruger is one of more than 35 environmental enthusiasts and early adopters in California who are among the first to drive the locally emissions-free B-Class F-CELL vehicle. According to Daimler, this electric vehicle with fuel cells from ... |
QUALCOMM TOUTS WIRELESS CAR-CHARGING SYSTEM U-T San Diego San Diego's Qualcomm is trying to bring wireless charging technology to the electric vehicle market. And to help make its case, the cellular chip giant parked a prototype, all-electric Formula 1-style race car at the entrance to its Sorrento Valley ... |
UK: Hertz on Demand adds Ampera to London fleet Automotive World Hertz announced on 16 May that its customers will be able to rent the Vauxhall Ampera PHEV from the Hertz on Demand EV car sharing fleet in London from June, via http://www.hertzondemand.co.uk. The mo... This article is available only to members of ... |
![]() PSFK | Ferrari To Launch A Hybrid Car PSFK By Guardian on May 17, 2012 From horsepower to battery power, Ferrari is joining the growing ranks of green carmakers by launching its first ever hybrid vehicle at the end of the year. The Italian firm, one of the most elite names in motoring, ... |
![]() Inishowen News | Derry plugged in with electric car Inishowen News DERRY'S first citizen is undertaking his engagements this week in the first electric car to be used in the city. Cllr Maurice Devenney, an advocate of the 'ecar' initiative, was present last week when NI Environment Minister Alex Attwood, ... |
![]() CarWale (blog) | Porsche starts testing the 918 Spyder prototype CarWale (blog) Porsche is looking forward to redefine the performance, fun and efficiency equation with this hybrid hyper car. Engineers at Porsche have coupled two electric motors, one powering the front wheels and the other powering the rear axle, ... |
Car friends electric? Witney Gazette The case for buying an electric car for anyone living in or near Oxford became a good deal stronger this week. Transport Minister Norman Baker unveiled a plan to make the city Europe's leader in promoting electric cars — with more charge points per ... |
Car friends electric? Herald Series The case for buying an electric car for anyone living in or near Oxford became a good deal stronger this week. Transport Minister Norman Baker unveiled a plan to make the city Europe's leader in promoting electric cars — with more charge points per ... |
Auto headlines
See all stories on this topic »
How Much Money Can You Make Selling Cars for Living? - Yahoo! Answers
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid...
Akerson Says B Grade Not Enough Until GM Most Profitable: Cars
See all stories on this topic »
GM Rises After Berkshire Reports Investment in Automaker
| The Detroit-based company regained its spot as the world's top-selling automaker last year when it posted a record $9.19 billion profit. GM is benefiting from a recovering US auto market, on pace for its best vehicle sales since 2007, and growth in ... See all stories on this topic » | Bloomberg |
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: The Clorox, General Motors, Volkswagen AG ...
See all stories on this topic »
Top 10 Cheapest Cars with 300 Horsepower | AutoGuide.com News
www.autoguide.com/.../top-10-cheapest-cars-with-300-horsep...
GM to 'Unlike' Facebook
See all stories on this topic »
Nissan plans to increase US Altima capacity to challenge Toyota Camry
See all stories on this topic »
Southern Europe Woes Lead Downward Spiral in Region's Car Sales
See all stories on this topic »
GM's Akerson Impatient to Improve His 'B' Grade as CEO
| (7203) as the world's top-selling automaker and posting a record $9.19 billion profit last year. Still, the Detroit-based company needs to boost profits, develop more world-class vehicles and build on its “fortress” balance sheet, Akerson said. See all stories on this topic » | Bloomberg |
Auto Parts Stocks: Shifting Your Portfolio Into High Gear
See all stories on this topic »
Food Network host to drive Indy 500 pace car
See all stories on this topic »
VINTAGE: Rare Ferrari Sells For $6.5M
See all stories on this topic »
Best Selling Cars Around The Globe: Discover The Top 265 Most ...
![]() | China's best-selling and worst-selling cars, April 2012. Looks familiar? The Shanghai Englon ... www.thetruthaboutcars.com/.../best-selling-cars-around-the-gl... |
POD Point on stand-by for dawn of electric cars
| However, it sounds like even Fairbairn expects those strides to be rather ponderous: “Sales won't go from 0 to 100000 cars in a year. The Toyota Prius took 10 years to go from launch to the common site it is today. It won't be until 2025 that electric ... See all stories on this topic » | Telegraph.co.uk |
Ford Leaves Logo Out of New Ads to Overcome Negatives
See all stories on this topic »
Mexico's April Auto Production Hits Record On US Demand
See all stories on this topic »
3 Ben Graham book-value buys
See all stories on this topic »
Network Sales Execs See Healthy Market
See all stories on this topic »
German brands widen lead in U.S. luxury auto market
See all stories on this topic »



