Can people ever get the electric car?

Question

Electric cars should definitely be produced. It's not a technological problem; there IS no problem! The range easily exceeds sixty miles per charge and can be greatly improved. I saw a documentary on TV that convinced me that electric vehicles are feasible and low-polluting (actually zero-polluting, but emissions are produced by the generation of power). I'm far from a conspiracy theorist, but it's clear to me that electric vehicle production is blocked by car companies and oil companies in favor of what they view as maximum profit. And it's a shame.

They're not really all that expensive, and the price would go way down if they were mass produced, but car companies resist.

See http://www.evuk.co.uk/

Watch the “Who Killed the Electric Car” trailer at: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/whokilledtheelectriccar/trailer

Or go here: http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/index.html#here and be sure to click on “Watch the Video”.

Answer 1

It wasn't a conspiracy that killed the electric car, it was corporate politics. A huge company like GM naturally resists change when it finds a profitable niche, like GM did with SUVs and pickup trucks. When a large beaurocracratic company is making money hand over fist in something safe and well-understood, it has no incentive to take on a risky project like an electric car. So that's why car companies resist the idea of mass-producing an electric car. If the price of oil fell back down to $20, they would take massive losses and look like idiots.

Any manager who wanted to build a new Suburban or Tahoe would see the electric car as competing, not for customers, but rather for corporate dollars. We saw the same thing when Saturn got re-assimilated into GM. Managers of non-Saturn divisions got jealous of all the resources that were spent on Saturn and they literally pushed the company out into the cold. It has taken until recently for the division to recover.

So what is to be done? Well, don't look to major car companies to change the paragigm. It's not that they love oil, rather they are scared of failure. Instead, look to a small, agile company like Tesla Motors in Silicon Valley. They have produced a high-end electric sports car that, while expensive, competes with Porche on both performance and price. It goes 250 miles on a charge, accelerates from 0-60 in around 4 seconds and costs $100,000.

Why did they go high-end first? To start making money in a niche. A startup can't attack the whole market, they'll get killed by the incumbents. Instead they need a niche. And guess what? It worked. The first production run sold out before a single car rolled off the production line. The only question that remains is what about those of us who can't afford a $100,000 sports car? Tesla plans to follow up with a $50-$60,000 sports sedan and a $20-$30,000 family car.

Answer 2

I can't see any reason for saying NO except a personal bias. You have asked if any such a consideration might be made in the future. Unless someone is certain what technology may be available in an uncertain future on what basis can they say they will never make such a consideration? At some time it may be the clear choice, or the only choice, or no choice at all. I am intrigued with the idea of an electric vehicle. Someone else may have other interests. I had one fellow rant on about how global warming was a hoax but at the end he said he couldn't wait for electric cars because of the potential power they could have. For someone to say that they will NEVER make even a consideration is just a little absurd. The very process of deciding they would never buy one is in fact a consideration (but just with a negative conclusion.) With respect to the wiki article. I have some problems. It wants to define the "electric car" rather narrowly to BEV. This is a mistake. Electric vehicles are powered with electricity. 1.But this electricity can be produced on board as in a fuel cell vehicle or a solar powered vehicle (or even a series hybrid with a genset trailer.) 2. It can be stored as is the case of a battery electric vehicle or some would say a compressed air vehicle where the compressed air is produced with electricity. 3. Or at last the vehicle could have electricity transmitted to it by way of a third rail or overhead wires as is the case in many light rail or trams. All of these with the exception of the compressed air vehicle would be expected to use electric motors to drive the wheels.

Answer 3

THE ELECTRIC CAR IS BACK AND BETTER THEN EVER! Google, Lotus, and Pay-pal teamed up to create an independent automaker called Tesla Motors. Their first car the Tesla Roadster is electric and capable of out outrunning a Ferrari by an acceleration of 0-60 in 4 seconds, and travel 200 miles on 1 charge. It just recently began it's production . You can purchase to reserve this car now at http://www.teslamotors.com/ . Only one problem is that it cost $90,000. However the company is working on future models that are affordable in a few years. Since it's an independent automaker dedicated to electric vehicles, there would be no worry of any crushings like GM did. The cars body is all made of recyclable materials as well. I suggest you check it out. Oil companies may have killed the electric car but Google, Lotus, and Paypal brought it back. Now it will be GM's own loss.

Answer 4

People killed the electric car.. because they cost too much and didn't deliver the performance that was wanted.

Limited range due to the weight and space the batteries take up.

MODERN electric car makers are PROUD that they can get 35 miles per charge at 30 mph! (glorified golf carts...)

When electric cars can reliably get 60 mile or greater range at 60 mph (without recharge or on-board generator) and are still cost competitive with a Fuel powered Honda Civic... I might get one.

Answer 5

If you had lived in Japan 20 years ago you could have bougth one then. You could not have brought into the U.S. though.
U.S. companies made a number of experimental ECs and had people driving them as tests. The people were enthusiastic. However the POWERS THAT BE (the THEY)
determined it would hurt both the auto and oil industries and recalled the cars from the people that were driving them. The people couldn't even buy them. The last I heard a man in California tried to keep his but the company got a court order and the sheriff's deputies confiscated it.

Answer 6

Electric cars are made in Bangalore, India. They sell for about USD10,000. batteries have to be changed every 25,000 miles and cost about USD1000.

It is said to give about 45 to 50 miles per full charge.

Quite a few on the road in various Indian cities.
It is called REVA.

Answer 7

This is nice, but older people remember the 1919 electric. People are still allowed to build their own cars or convert what they have.
Hybrids are not new; they have been around for a long time.
Alternative fuels have been around as long as there have been cars.

Answer 8

Sorry I didn't click on the links, my computer is spammed enough! It might've crashed! You are right! I want to get the new tesla! (http://www.teslamotors.com/ ) It costs to much though! :'( (92,000 USD) Who can get that kind of money! For a car! And if you don't pay your Electric bill, you can't drive! It has it's pros and cons! (I learned those words in science class! Pros and Cons of Solar energy, Nuclear Energy, Bio-Mass Energy, Electric Energy, Geo-Thermal Energy, and Hydro energy as a alternate energy source)

Answer 9

well when there enough people to overpower the oil companies and politicians we will definately get the electric cars of different varieties. but for now www.zapworld.com is the best site for an electric car.

Answer 10

Ford only allowed the leases for 3 years. No purchases after that. Some of the people really tried to fight it, too. They loved them. No one got to keep them. Big Oil wanted those things out of sight. They went back to Norway, I believe.