Thinking about purchasing a new electric car? Even more people are investigating the right way to convert a car to electric.
There are some definite positive factors about driving an electric car. And, in case you research it long enough you will also find some disadvantages. Before you decide one way or another, take into account a few of these issues.
Electric Car Advantages
1) Reduced emissions. Electric cars are “green” and will not pollute the environment. Gas powered vehicles use just about 15% of their fuel to move the car; the rest of the fuel creates heat and polluting gases. An electric car uses nearly 80% of it’s energy to move the car.
Electric cars can be powered by renewable energy such as solar or wind power. Most electric vehicles are recharged by means of power from electric utilities. Power plants typically have well regulated emissions and can be found well away from populated areas.
2) More Affordable Fuel Costs. Compare the cost to drive 100 miles. It may take a couple dollars worth of electricity. Most gas powered cars would require $15 or more for sufficient gas to drive 100 miles. And, while gas prices fluctuate wildly according to international political conditions, electricity prices are fairly steady and normally controlled by state public service commissions.
3) Less Complex Technology. A typical electric motor might have five moving parts. A typical gas powered engine has hundreds of moving parts. Gasoline engines require systems to regulate fuel and air flow to the engine and control exhaust gases. Electric vehicles require a controller to manage power flow to and from the batteries.
4) Reduced Cost of Maintenance. Because the gas powered car has more moving parts, it requires more wide-ranging, thus more expensive, maintenance. After 7 years or so an electric car would require replacement batteries which are costly. Until then, maintenance entails rotating the tires and filling up the windshield washer fluid.
Electric Car Disadvantages
1) Higher Initial Price. At present electric cars are more costly, mainly because of the lithium-ion batteries used in most vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are used instead of typical lead-acid batteries for their greater storage capacity which provides an increased driving range.
2) Range Restrictions. Our current battery technology can only store enough energy for a vehicle to go 50 to 100 miles before recharging. The range mostly is dependent on the type of battery, car weight, and transmission (manual or automatic). The vast majority of electric vehicles are used for neighborhood driving and are recharged at home. An auxiliary gas powered generator can be used to charge the batteries.
3) Recharging Infrastructure. There are a growing number of recharging stations around, mostly in urban areas. They are by no means as ubiquitous as gas stations. Without an auxiliary generator your driving range often restricts you to neighborhood errands.
4) Battery Replacement Expenses. The cost of batteries may range from several thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars or more based on the type and number of batteries required.
5) Time to Recharge the Batteries. You can fill up a gas powered car in only a couple of minutes. An electric vehicle may take hours to recharge. Charging duration is dependent upon several factors including the kind of batteries, the controller used as well as the current and voltage available. Changing can take as little as 20 minutes or could require 8 hours or more.
Is an electric vehicle in your future? You have now got an idea regarding the major issues involved in making the best decision.


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