Last week I attended the 2010 NY International Auto Show as I have for the past 10 or so years. This year’s show had a lot less luster and shine than previous years. The one thing that I did enjoy seeing was the multitude of “green machines”. In prior years, you only saw a glimpse of this technology but this year all major automakers were in full gear displaying their version of environmentally friendly car models. What was important for me to witness was the overwhelming amount of people who were paying close attention to these green vehicles this year. One car that got plenty of spectators, attentive listeners and many inquiries was the 2011 Chevy Volt. You could tell that this years Auto Show audience was seriously considering purchasing (in the near future) or at least learning more about an Electric Vehicle (or EV as I like to call it).
Just for a little clarification, let’s go over some glossary terms. An EV/Electric Vehicle is an automobile that is powered exclusively by electricity. A Hybrid is fueled by gasoline and uses a battery and motor to improve efficiency. On a Hybrid, once your power-plants battery levels go below a certain point, gasoline will take over. This is somewhat better for the environment. But in a true Green World Hybrid, technology will not eradicate carbon pollution and greenhouse gas effects to our planet. That’s where complete EV technology comes into play. EV’s can be charged by a normal household 120 AC plug. Supposedly, the current that the Chevy Volt pulls to charge its Lithium-ion battery packs are less than an average household fridge. Note: (The Chevy Volt does have a range extender gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas. This does not mean the vehicle is running on gas but the electrical generator is powered by gas).
The biggest concern that I had about EV’s is, “How far can you drive before your lil’ bunny needs to be re-energized?” The answer I found was interesting. Most standard EV’s can travel for about 40-50 miles on one full charge. I excavated deeper…did some research. On average, US urban drivers’ daily commute is 15-20 miles per day. So in theory, if you own an EV (and fall into this nationwide commuting avg.) you could drive to work and still have enough juice to get you back home in time to catch the evening news about rising gas prices. In my opinion EV’s will be a good alternative to fuel driven cars, especially in urban areas. My main issue with EVs is if you choose to take your EV on a serious road trip outside of its extended fuel cell range, what do you do? You surely don’t want to stop every 40 miles to plug your EV up to a 120 AC power source and wait 8 hrs before it’s fully recharged. The plan is to build Charging Stations and integrate Charging Stations into gasoline stations to replenish low EV battery cells. The plan also includes extending the capacity on the EV’s battery cell in order to increase the mileage range. A Charging Station would charge your vehicle in 1/10 the time a household outlet would (8-10 min).
I believe this is going to be a key factor for a person considering purchasing one of these Electric Vehicles. Lets hope that this is the only main draw back to the EV technology. I would hate to hear you couldn’t drive an EV in the rain. Until the next time, keep shining.
Last week I attended the 2010 NY International Auto Show as I have for the past 10 or so years. This year’s show had a lot less luster and shine than previous years. The one thing that I did enjoy seeing was the multitude of “green machines”. In prior years, you only saw a glimpse of this technology but this year all major automakers were in full gear displaying their version of environmentally friendly car models. What was important for me to witness was the overwhelming amount of people who were paying close attention to these green vehicles this year. One car that got plenty of spectators, attentive listeners and many inquiries was the 2011 Chevy Volt. You could tell that this years Auto Show audience was seriously considering purchasing (in the near future) or at least learning more about an Electric Vehicle (or EV as I like to call it).
Just for a little clarification, let’s go over some glossary terms. An EV/Electric Vehicle is an automobile that is powered exclusively by electricity. A Hybrid is fueled by gasoline and uses a battery and motor to improve efficiency. On a Hybrid, once your power-plants battery levels go below a certain point, gasoline will take over. This is somewhat better for the environment. But in a true Green World Hybrid, technology will not eradicate carbon pollution and greenhouse gas effects to our planet. That’s where complete EV technology comes into play. EV’s can be charged by a normal household 120 AC plug. Supposedly, the current that the Chevy Volt pulls to charge its Lithium-ion battery packs are less than an average household fridge. Note: (The Chevy Volt does have a range extender gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas. This does not mean the vehicle is running on gas but the electrical generator is powered by gas).
The biggest concern that I had about EV’s is, “How far can you drive before your lil’ bunny needs to be re-energized?” The answer I found was interesting. Most standard EV’s can travel for about 40-50 miles on one full charge. I excavated deeper…did some research. On average, US urban drivers’ daily commute is 15-20 miles per day. So in theory, if you own an EV (and fall into this nationwide commuting avg.) you could drive to work and still have enough juice to get you back home in time to catch the evening news about rising gas prices. In my opinion EV’s will be a good alternative to fuel driven cars, especially in urban areas. My main issue with EVs is if you choose to take your EV on a serious road trip outside of its extended fuel cell range, what do you do? You surely don’t want to stop every 40 miles to plug your EV up to a 120 AC power source and wait 8 hrs before it’s fully recharged. The plan is to build Charging Stations and integrate Charging Stations into gasoline stations to replenish low EV battery cells. The plan also includes extending the capacity on the EV’s battery cell in order to increase the mileage range. A Charging Station would charge your vehicle in 1/10 the time a household outlet would (8-10 min).
I believe this is going to be a key factor for a person considering purchasing one of these Electric Vehicles. Lets hope that this is the only main draw back to the EV technology. I would hate to hear you couldn’t drive an EV in the rain. Until the next time, keep shining.
