Electric cars

Batteries Included

While the term 'Batteries Included' probably reminds you of a visit to Toys-R-Us, it is something that you could see being applied to cars in the not too distant future. With the European Union and green campaigners pushing for manufacturers to find suitable alternatives to our diesel and petrol powered vehicles, electricity has so far been seen as the most effective solution and with good reason.

Whereas before the products were plagued with issues such as limited battery lifespan and frustrating charging times, the technology for electric vehicle batteries has improved to such an extent that it is becoming more of a realistic option as a choice of vehicle than just a novelty statement.

Efficiency Enhanced

One of the vehicles making headlines at the moment is the Tesla Roadster, and in terms of battery advancement you'd be hard pressed to find a better example. According to Tesla, their system can charge a completely dead battery in around 3.5 hours. Once fully charged, the vehicle can then travel to the 220 mile mark without recharging, something Tesla are keen to point out that no other production electric vehicle in history can claim.

To simplify the workings of these undeniably green vehicles,you could compare them to something such as a mobile phone in that the battery power lasts for a certain amount of time and needs to be replenished once it's depleted, though obviously at an advanced level. Pure electric cars have a battery system built in which is designed to be as efficient as possible when it comes to charging and distributing the energy gained, such as the British bred Lighting GT. The NanoSafe Li-On batteries used in the G.T exhibit many of the characteristics desired for an electric car, such as stability, longer life expectancy, and low self discharge (meaning it doesn't lose vast amounts of stored energy without it being used for a specific action).

How you charge the car is something which is improving with time as well, with more and more manufacturers considering greener ways to provide the energy needed, further enhancing the credentials of something meant to reduce our affect on the planet. These range from using solar panels installed either at home or in the car itself, to looking to find better ways to use wind energy privately.

To Trust or not to Trust?

The consequential question many people want to ask when considering buying an electric car is whether they are reliable, especially as most people don't know any other people in possession of one. The answer is yes, at the most basic level anyway.

In terms of the car's insides, there are far less things that could go wrong with an electric car than your standard gas guzzler. For a start, the amount of parts you need to ensure the successful running of a vehicle are reduced immediately when you take out the need for an internal combustion engine. In some cases, the only moving part in an electric car is the rotor of the motor. The benefits don't stop there however, as without the need for standard car necessities such as lubricating oils, spark plugs or catalytic converters, there are lower numbers of items needing to be maintained. So reliability wise electric cars score big, since logic dictates that the less things that can go wrong, the less things that will.

The Green Age

Indeed, 'Batteries Included' may not be associated with cars yet, but times are changing. With rising petrol costs and new environmental regulations, some analysts are predicting traditional engines will be replaced by more eco friendly alternatives as quickly as within the next two decades.

Whether electricity is the answer is still debated by some and that can only be good. Without different ideas and opinions,we wouldn't have the options we have at the present.
Nonetheless it seems that it isn't a case of if the right solution will be found, but when.

Published: 2nd July 2008