Will the electric car be revived?

Answer 1

Yes it will, and this is why. There are currently two cars on the market that show promise, the Tesla Roadster, and the ZAP-X. These cars are fast, powerful, have a great range, and unlike most electric cars these cars are appealing, the Zap-X only takes ten minutes to recharge. The only downside is that these cars are pricey($60,000 - $100,000), but at least the technology exists, soon more conservative models like sedans will be available for around $30,000. Plus technology is rapidly evolving, most people have heard of Lithium-ion batteries, but you probably haven't heard of the M1 battery. The M1 battery is made up of Nanophosphate, unlike conventional Lithium-ion batteries, these can last over ten years, and they charge in a couple of minutes instead of a couple of hours, and it's less prone to explode. They also are more powerful, and just a totally better battery. So when these batteries get put into the right car, the benefits and possibilities are endless.

Answer 2

Yes, but in a slightly different form. People were scared away by the limited range and the recharging time... so new electric cars will also have an engine for long-hauls.

This is called a "plug-in hybrid" such as the Chevy Volt. It'll run pure battery for the first 40 miles (or so), and then start the engine and switch to a hybrid blend. Most people drive <40 miles a day, so that means they'll almost never use fuel. However their car will still be able to drive cross country on fuel, as normal.

From there, battery range and recharge time will be further refined. As you know, travelers stop many times a day for meals, bathroom breaks etc. People will get in the habit of plugging in whenever they're stopped (because electric is cheaper) ...

Meanwhile people will have gotten comfortable with the idea of recharging, and will become more open-minded to straight electrics, just renting a hybrid when they need to drive a long haul.

So we'll come back to electrics, but we'll do it via hybrids.

In the meantime, you can have an electric car TODAY (well, by August :) by converting a gas car to electric, as thousands of people have done. Few people have built plug-in hybrids, but it's simply adding a gas/diesel generator to an electric.

Answer 3

yes and no

There are some electric vehicles being made NOW.

They are essentially street legal golf carts. Short range and low speed. Only useful for in-town short trips.

Google "Xebra electric car" for an example.

The problem with all-electric vehicles is the weight and space taken up by the batteries. Also... the power needed to go 60 miles an hour is 8 times as high as the power needed to go 30 miles an hour. that means an electric car that can go 60 miles per charge at 30 mph will only go appx 7 miles at 60 mph.

You don't see the range of a gasoline engine powered car drop as significantly with speed because of how wasteful the gasoline engine is at low speed.

Answer 4

Another problem with electric cars is that the US is producing electricity from burning fosil fuels. So, just because you THINK you're eco-friendly, you're not. The greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere at the power plant, and not at the car. If we are able to switch to nuclear power, then electric cars will revive in a big way ... my prediction.

Answer 5

The electric car will be revivied if and when it can compete with existing petroleum fueled cars. To compete, it must be able to perform on par with gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. As an example, I will only buy an electric car if it can do at least as well as my current car. To do this it must:

1) Have a range of at least 200 miles between charges under all driving and load conditions (see below for some idea of what these conditions are).

2) At the end of this range, before recharging, it must still deliver the same performance as when the battery is fully charged.

3) It can be recharged from empty to full in no more than 10 minutes at conveniently located service stations.

4) It can maintain sustained highway speeds of at least 100 mph for at least 200 miles.

5) It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 10 seconds or less repeatedly, again without decreasing the range.

6) It can maintain comfortable cabin temperatures when the outside temperature is as high as 100 deg F and as low as 0 degrees F, once again without causing the range to fall below 200 miles or decreasing the performance in any way.

7) The cost of recharging must be no more than 20 cents/mile.

8) The original purchase price must be no more than $50,000.

9) It must seat two adults comfortably for extended periods.

10) It must pass all current government safety standards.

11) Major components (battery, motors, drive line) must last for a minimum of 150,000 miles of normal use.

Sadly, no such car exists or is likely to exist in the near future.

Answer 6

Yep. Look up the Tesla Roadster, from Tesla Motors, a company started by the guy who invented PayPal.
It's sexy, it's electric, the batteries are safe and recyclable, it's been rated as safer than most normal cars in it's class, it goes 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, it has more torque and horsepower than most cars in its class, it can charge in less than 5 hours, the power costs average less than 2 cents per mile, etc...
All under $100,000 and hundreds have already been pre-ordered. They come out later this year/early next year.

Answer 7

it will
because in 60 or so years
we wont have any more gas to run the kinds of cars we have now
we might have some water powered cars but not many
and we already have some electric cars
electricity is clean
thats what good about it
doesnt get us far yet
but soon it will
jus wait a few years

im pretty sure it will be revived

Answer 8

Not unless MUCH better batteries are invented. The makers of cell phones and laptops could use those better batteries too, so there are billions of dollars being spent on developing better batteries, or fuel cells, or super capacitors. If we could find a good, cheap way to store lots of electricity, then electric cars would be common. If not, then they will never be common.

Answer 9

i think of electric powered vehicles are super, as long as you have adequate ability saved on your batteries to get you out of your place to the needed trip spot. in my opinion, i think of image voltaic pushed vehicles are greater desirable. so a techniques the only fee to the patron may be the preliminary fee. I even have under no circumstances in many situations happening of anybody yet charging a individual for sunlight mild. electric powered vehicles might get us faraway from remote places oil, provided that we makes use of coal or another source to create the electricty which may be used interior the vehicles. The electricity has to return from someplace. this may be a stable question.

Answer 10

yes...
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2636
oil is leaving us very quickly. Batteries are almost as good as petrol in energy per kg. Although expensive, cars like the tesla are brining out initially a sports car, then some cheaper models as batteries improve and get cheaper.
Like CPU's batteries are halving in price per kWhr every year. So yes, I guarantee you will se lots of electric cars on the roads in 5 years time.