Are Electric Cars Really Better Than Gas Cars?

Vehicle electrification is in the news thanks to recent announcements of the planned launch of several pure electric powered vehicles including the Nissan Leaf, Fisker Karma and the Ford Transit Connect EV. Electric vehicles offer distinct advantages over their gas powered counterparts although their price premium can offset some of those benefits.

History

Electric cars are nothing new, having been sold a century ago by manufacturers such as Detroit Electric. Gas powered cars began to dominate the market by the 1920s because fuel was plentiful and they were cheap to build.

Credit Henry Ford for figuring out a way to mass produce passenger cars and get them to the masses.

Electrification

New technologies have made modern vehicle electrification a possibility. These cars are powered by sophisticated lithium-ion battery packs which are smaller and lighter than nickel-cadmium batteries used in many of today’s gas-electric hybrid models.

Look for cars such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid to eventually switch to li-ion battery packs. The all new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will use li-ion batteries from the get go when it is released later this year.

Fewer Parts

Though battery systems are complicated, electric cars do not have a gas engine, multi-speed transmission or an emissions system. Fewer parts means less to maintain, though the long term maintenance of any EV is not yet known.

We have already seen that ni-cad batteries last a lot longer than what some people thought they would, with many Toyota Prius cars far exceeding 100,000 miles on the odometer.

Environmental Impact

Electric cars emit zero emissions, run quietly and consume fewer resources while on the road.

However, energy is consumed at the power grid level as electricity is usually derived from coal fired electric plants. Those plants spew large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, canceling out some of the benefits of Evs.

Very Fast

Electric only vehicles are fast as they constantly operate at peak torque. The Tesla Roadster, for example, can go from zero to sixty in under four seconds. In a culture that prizes speed, the electric vehicle does not disappoint.

Electric vehicles will catch on only with the help of government support and buyers willing to give this technology a try. Rebates and tax credits at the federal and state level will bring prices down which means we’ll likely see a lot more of them on the road in the next few years.

So, are electric vehicles better than gas vehicles? That depends how you define “better” and whether you’re willing to accept certain limitations such as a limited range and higher initial cost in exchange for uncomparable fuel economy and unknown long-term durability.

Photo courtesy Fisker Motors.

Battery Giant Opts For Michigan Plant

It has been said that “in every life a little rain must fall,” suggesting to some that rain is a bad thing. Then again when you see how rain replenishes the earth and sates the soul, it certainly can also be a very good thing.

Battered Michigan Receives Some Good News

A similar thing can be said about the auto industry, particularly as it relates to the state of Michigan. That state is the heart of the auto industry for America’s three major brands — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — and has borne decades of layoffs, plant closures and an ongoing recession.

But, the rain falling for Michigan isn’t completely bad as evidenced by the announcement last week that lithium-ion battery supplier Johnson Controls-Saft will convert an existing plant in Holland, MI to supply batteries for the Ford Motor Company’s expanding hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle fleet.

Second Lithium-Ion Plant

The Michigan plant will be the first American facility by Johnson Controls-Saft dedicated to lithium-ion technology, following on the heels of plant opened in France in 2008 to build batteries for the Mercedes S-Class hybrid. The Michigan facility in expected to directly create 500 new jobs in that state in additional to many more through suppliers.

Johnson Controls-Saft is also supply batteries for the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid available in 2010, Azure Dynamic’s Balance™ Hybrid Electric for commercial vehicles available in 2010, and Ford’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle available in 2012.

The company will be investing $220 million to convert the Michigan plant and will receive tax credits from the state for locating production there. The plant is expected to have an initial capacity of 15 million lithium-ion cells when the plant comes online in late 2010.

For Michigan, the Johnson Controls-Saft plant is one of first steps it is taking to transform itself from the automotive capital of the world into the advanced-battery capital of the world.

Related Reading — 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: 700 Mile City Range, Class Leading Fuel Economy

Chrysler 200C EV: Beauty Meets Electricity

Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show is the Chrysler 200C EV concept.

Now being shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan are five vehicles from Chrysler LLC, concepts cars which each run on electricity.

One of the cars featured, the Chrysler 200C EV, is actually based on a shortened version of the automaker’s rear wheel drive architecture, a five passenger sedan that offers a fluid design and an overall handsome look.

“The Chrysler 200C EV concept represents the perfect blend of provocative design and leading-edge technology, as well as the new Chrysler DNA,” said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President – Product Development, Chrysler LLC. “Chrysler’s latest concept vehicle combines the benefits of progressive, ENVI Range-extended Electric Vehicle technology – which offers nearly zero emissions during daily commutes – with a design that boasts a combination of modern shapes, a planted athletic stance with classic overtones and an undeniably luxurious interior.

“What makes the Chrysler 200C EV concept even more meaningful is the use of technology that will make traveling and managing one’s life an absolute pleasure,” Klegon added. “The 200C EV concept is a connectivity portal to the world outside, creating a rewarding relationship between driver and automobile. The result is a driving experience that celebrates the human instinct to be connected to our world.”

Getting the car into production may be a bit of a challenge for Chrysler who is presently going through its worst financial crisis since its founding. Recently, the automaker received a multi-billion loan package from the federal government and is currently seeking an additional three billion dollars in a bid to stay afloat.

Each of the Chrysler electric vehicles on display are either reworkings of current models or in the case of the Chrysler 200C EV and Dodge Circuit EV, entirely new cars designed by Chrysler’s design team which is headed up by Ralph Gilles, the designer of the award winning Chrysler 300C.

If Chrysler manages to find funding and/or a buyer to survive for the long term, each of the lithium-ion powered cars could play a significant role in the automaker’s future.

However, the current economic downturn and the federal government’s unwillingness to continually support the trouble American auto industry could cut short Chrysler’s quest to rebound.

Source: Chrysler LLC