Category: Hybrid Energy Efficient

Will Electric Cars Really Help the Environment?

All over the world natural energy resources are fast depleting and the unrest in oil producing countries has only added to the problem. Cars need gas to run on the streets and the rising prices make it hard for people to manage their budgets. The other big disadvantage of using gas to run gas has to do with the environment.

Cars running on gasoline produce harmful fumes and these are very bad for the environment. As you go on a long drive on the highway, your car is emitting carbon dioxide gas (greenhouse gases). These greenhouse gases increase the temperature and harm the ozone layer that protects our earth from the harmful rays of the sun.

So how does one save money and the environment simultaneously? A very easy solution to all these problems is to use electric cars for transportation. Electric cars are not dependent on the depleting natural resources (gasoline) and this helps reduce the carbon footprint.

Governments all the world are encouraging companies to produce more electric cars by offering them various incentives. There has also been a gradual increase in the number of people who are opting for such cars.

Electric cars do not emit harmful greenhouse gases and this helps protect the environment. As cars are a major mode of transport for millions of people all over the world, it would make a significant impact, if people shift to electric cars.

The only drawback of these cars is that they are expensive. However most companies that produce these are spending millions of dollars on research and this will help in bringing down the cost and making it a viable alternative.

The other big advantage of using these cars is that the batteries are nickel based and disposing of them while replacing is less hazardous on the environment. On the other hand batteries used in conventional gasoline consuming cars are made from lead and these can be very hazardous for the environment when they are replaced.

Electricity that is used to charge the batteries of these cars can be produced from solar, wind, thermal or nuclear power supply. This would also help the environment as fossils are not burnt to produce electricity.

Electric Vehicle Connectors






Electric Powered Cars – The Real Truths About Electric Cars

I have to say, the thing that really got me interested in electric powered cars was the Tesla Roadster. I really love cars and when I saw that it accelerates HOW FAST? (0-60mph in less than 4 seconds.) – it definitely caught my eye. Ever since that I’ve been looking for the perfect electric transport for my family and learning an awful lot on the way. I have to say at the start I found myself EXTREMELY CONFUSED, EXTREMELY FAST when I tried to figure out about electric cars! Electric bicycles and electric scooters are all great…. but for me and most other people…. there is no beating the cars!

But when I started to look closer there seemed to be all sorts of things going against electric cars. Like…there are lots of great looking sports cars… but they’re so unbelievably expensive for what they give – and you’ll have to queue up! OR… you could get another one that’s PLUG UGLY – but hopefully you’ll feel better knowing your saving the environment! OR… oh wait! Here’s a car that can give you everything you need… do you want one? Sorry, they’re not out for another 12 years when we get around to making it!AND… this one is REALLY CHEAP… but it won’t do anything fancy like.. GO UP A HILL and you’ll usually need to recharge it about 10 times a day! So where are the facts in all this science fiction and promises? Well this is some of the “Truth” I found out about electric powered cars after all my research. What really is an Electric Car? There are a few different types of Electric cars:

– Neighbourhood Electric Vehicles


– What promises do Electric Cars make?Well first of all – a greener, petrol-free tomorrow! They can be run on clean electricity (not from a coal fired plant) and can run emission free if you want. Sounds pretty good to me!

So what promises can’t they make at the moment? Unfortunately there is quite a few right now:

– Cheap and reliable batteries
– A goodinfrastructure of recharging spots and a quick recharge time.
– Lots of different makes of cars available now.
– That the company making or selling them won’t disappear at any time as they’re mostly distributed by smaller companies.
– A competitive price – they’re always much more costly than normal cars. The good thing though is that all these things are constantly improving and there is set to be big changes in the coming few years.

– So how do they work? Well the all-electric cars both work in a similar way. The petrol/diesel tank is replaced by lots of batteries which provide the electric “fuel”. There are three types of batteries lead-acid, nimh and li-ion, with li-ion batteries storing the most energy in the least amount of space.

A regulator then makes sure the energy coming from the batteries is nice and steady. The engine is then replaced by a motor which is usually put as close as possible to the wheels, and in some cases in the wheels themselves. There are a few types of motors available but I won’t go into that right now. A potentiometer then measures how much you’re pressing down on the accelerator and tells the motor. This happens smoothly and gives a huge amount of torque instantly. Most electric cars have unbelievable acceleration!

– How are Electric Cars designed? Well there are a few things that come first in all electric car designs. Air Resistance and weight are two huge issues. Because the batteries add so much weight to the car it needs to be designed as light as possible, which is why a lot of the cars are so small. The batteries also are usually put at the bottom of the car to keep the weight low and stop it from toppling. All that weight at the bottom means even if the biggest SUV side swipes you, you’re not going anywhere! Lower air resistance also helps with the range as the car won’t have to use energy trying to fight the air.

– How about the future of electric cars? The future is looking pretty good for the electric car. Most major manufacturers have an electric car planned for around 2010 or 2011 which shows how mainstream it’s becoming and there are even some great cars on the way from some of the smaller companies.Future technology also looks bright as there are plenty of breakthroughs coming regularly nowadays.


Troubleshooting Tips For Your Car Electrics

These days cars are much more likely to have electrically powered windows, air conditioning, rear window defoggers, wing mirrors, CD players or GPS systems so it’s no surprise that when something goes wrong with the electrics it can be a tricky problem to solve by yourself.

The power needed to run everything smoothly included your head lights, signals and internal car lights, as well as everything else, comes from your main car battery found under the bonnet. The battery is a storage facility of 12 volts, it is used to start the car engine and operate the rest of your electrical car components. Inside the car battery is six cells of stacked positive and negative lead plates, separated by insulation and surrounded in electrolyte solution. Electrolyte is a combination of water and sulphuric acid and acts as conductor to create a chemical reaction releasing electrons to flow through wires to create electricity. Car batteries are rechargeable and care should be taken when jump-starting them. Check your car battery for erosion at the terminals as this can stop a car from starting. Also regularly check the casing for cracks or leaks. Never pick up a hot battery and because car batteries contain acid always wear protective clothing such as gloves and goggles.

Car batteries have a life span of about 3-5 years and you can tell from the car batteries ‘eye’ or manufacturers spot just by looking to see what colour it’s showing. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but generally if the spot is green then the battery has enough charge, if it’s black, white, or red then either the level of electrolyte is low, or the battery needs recharging. Sometimes a problem with the electrical systems in your car actually cause a new battery to drain of charge far too quickly, if this is the case then there’s no point in buying a new battery as the same problem will just happen again. You should make sure all your electrical components in your car are checked too.

Top Five Best Car-Electric Inventions Of All Time

From the first steam powered coaches to today’s super-cars, an automobile is a vehicle that undergoes constant changes and improvements.

The first cars that were invented could barely replace the horse, were not reliable and didn’t show any promising future.

But people who were visionaries kept the idea alive, pressured forward thus making the car a irreplaceable part of our lives.

During that time, the development of electricity and it’s every-day usage was also in expansion. The crossing between these two were imminent.

The cause of this was that the car was becoming not only a mean of transportation but a necessity in every day life. The further expansion of the car depended on it to be easy to use, that almost everyone could use it and you can learn to drive it relatively simply.

One of the most important fields of car industry that did this is car electrics.

Here’s our top list of the most important electric inventions on the car:

1. Starter: starting the car was a sweat-breaking business before the starter. A procedure by it’s own, where you had to be fairly skilled. Cranking the car was done with a cranking rod. The driver would put it into place, use all the strength available, crank the engine and if he’s lucky the engine would start after a few turns. If not, he was in for another lesson in body-building. Aside that, when the engine started the driver had to let loose of the rod in time or else he would get a knock in the face.

Every time you put the key into the ignition, remember this and enjoy it as a privilege.

2. Alternator: now this was a breakthrough!! Before the alternator was the dynamo-machine. A DC generator who wasn’t that bad, but had a lot of glitches, the regulator system was complicated, it was large and in some cars highly unreliable. Then came the alternator. It was brilliantly constructed, highly dependable, half the size of the dynamo and very easy to repair. The output that it gave was much more stable and consistent thus allowing more appliances to be put in the car.

3. Light bulb: this invention is of course, revolutionary in all. The bulb replaced the gas-oil lamps which drivers hanged in the side of the car. Needless to say that it gave the driver the possibility of night driving thus more autonomy and safety on the road. The first bulbs that were used had a short life-span, but gradually built up to today ones that are enduring, long lasting and give us a comfortable night drive.

4. Battery: this invention has made the complete car electric system possible. From the old heavy and unreliable ones to today’s modern batteries, it’s something that a car can’t go without. In the invention of the batteries lay the seeds of today’s modern electric-cars.

5. Spark plug: today it’s an usual item in car mechanics. But think of the people that invented it!! Lighting the fuel-air mix with an electric spark, simply amassing. How great it is, proves the fact that the principle is unchanged ever since.

Every invention on the car has it’s purpose and, in mechanical terms,it’s own beauty. Ranking of this kind doesn’t neglect all of the other marvels on the car, on the contrary.

The genius in these 5 inventions is that they stayed basically unchanged for all of these years giving the driver comfort, safety and reliability.