Ever heard of Electric Cars and how they work? Well, electric cars are alternative fuel automobiles which use electric motors and motor controllers instead of a traditional ICE or internal combustion engine for propulsion. These cars are commonly powered with on-board battery packs, and are sometimes called battery electric vehicles or BEV’s. Some other on-board energy storage methods that are expected to come out for use in the future include ultracapacitors, fuel cells, and a spinning flywheel which stores kinetic energy.
This year, a lot of manufacturers are releasing their latest electric car models and here are just some of the good ones,
Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo
Derived from the production i-MiEV, this concept maximizes the outstanding environmental performance and economic efficiency characteristics that define the electric vehicle and at the same time adds a generous amount of rear free space to extend the range of uses to which it can be put by corporate users and self-employed operators in particular. The rear space features space-efficient cubic dimensions to allow the user to exercise their imagination fully in adapting it for whatever use he/she chooses.
The result is a concept for an EV that meets user needs for a variety of situations: from business use, where maximum payload space is required, to leisure and other individual owner uses.
Nissan 2010 LEAF
Nissan boasts that the LEAF is the first electric car designed for affordability and real-world requirements. You’ll get more than 100 miles out of a full charge. Charging from home is expected to take 8 hours but quick charge points will boost the battery from 0 to 80% within 30 minutes. Slated for release in late 2010, the LEAF is expected to cost £25 to 30,000.
Citroën C-ZERO
The C-ZERO is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 64 bhp EEC from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm and 180 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear. The motor is powered by a latest-generation 330-volt lithium-ion battery system comprising 88 50-Ah cells (for onboard energy of 16 kWh) mounted in the center of the vehicle.
The car is the perfect vehicle for trips under 30 km. It takes only just 30 minutes for a 80% recharge, and six hours for a complete charge.
Tesla Roadster
Running at a top speed of 125mph and with a range of almost 250 miles, the Roadster is far and away the most powerful electric car on the market. It will set you back 87,000 but charging your electric Roadster will set you back approximately 1 and driving an electric car exempts you from road tax, so
you’ll make enormous savings in the long run.
These are just some of the electric cars that will be released this year. There’s a whole lot more to look out for and we will most certainly be amazed by these awesome cars. Who knows, in the near future, all our cars would be like these babies.