Battery Electric Vehicles: The Cars of The Future

Everybody is saying that BEV’s are the Cars of the Future. Are they? Well, let’s see! They produce zero emissions and cost less to run per mile than a non-electric car. There is a small infrastructure currently in place to support re-charging. Electricity can come from renewable resources. These cars provide immediate torque and high redlines.

What cars run on electric power?  Starting with the luxury auto-makers; Mercedes-Benz is soon going to do an electric version of its SLS AMG, which would be called the SLS AMG E- Drive. There is a small Californian car maker, Tesla, who makes an electric roadster with quick acceleration, lots of torque (up to 70 mph), and a top speed of 125 mph, all for $109,000.  I just went to a talk about a Tesla!  The other luxury car maker that is going to have an upcoming Electric car is Audi. The new Audi will use the R8 supercar’s components to have an electric version called the E-Tron.  Other automakers that have Electric cars are: Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Fisker, Mitsubishi and ZAP.  There is also the Chevrolet Volt, which is the 2011 Motor Trend Car of The Year.  One of the comments from the editors of Motor Trend is “Moonshot, game changer! This car is truly one of a kind.”  It’s direct competitors are the: Ford Focus Electric and the Nissan Leaf.  The Ford Focus Electric is due to come into your local Ford dealer sometime this summer.  The Nissan Leaf is distinctively styled and starts at $33,500 before a Federal Tax Break comes in and takes $7500 of the sticker price.  Toyota will soon offer an electric RAV-4 that is a result of a small merger with Tesla.  There is also the Prius Plug-In, which will be available for a lease next year.  The one vehicle that every American needs is the SmartFor2 E-Drive, which is already on our shores.  Oh! I almost forgot! I am sure that you have seen those teeny little cars driving around your town. In my town, I see a few driving around the downtown part of the city. They are called ZAP cars. They are made by the same company that makes the ZAPPY scooters!  

Problems with electric cars include a long recharging time. The cars have a small range and batteries are expensive. Electricity production in most of the U.S. requires coal, which is a very unclean burning substance.  In the 1990’s GM made 800 EV1 electric cars, which were leased out to Californians and Arizona people alike.