High hope for electric cars, but also a price
Posted by keelynet on April 11, 2008
This article raises the oft skipped over point of where does all that extra electricity come from? Sure, night rates are cheaper and more power is available but I think nowhere near sufficient to keep electric cars recharged everyday.
“Project Better Place is teaming up with Renault-Nissan in a scheme designed to drive electric vehicles from the fringe category and into the mainstream of personal transportation. Although electric cars have been around for almost as long as their conventional gas and diesel-powered cousins, they have been held back by limited performance and range and high costs. Project Better Place has no world-beating technology to change the performance equation. What it has is enough startup capital — $200 million committed so far — and a marketing idea to offer not just an electric car, but a system to make it work. PBP will be adding infrastructure in the form of electrical outlets at tens of thousands of existing parking spots. For drivers who need more juice in a hurry, it will offer drive-through service stations where the batteries can be swapped. As with cellphones, which are often given away with long-term service plans, the new cars will be sold for a low initial cost. Drivers will sign up for service plans based on mileage driven and the batteries will remain the property of PBP. On-board computers will monitor the state of the batteries and show the location of the nearest charging station. The prototypes showed off earlier this year by Renault look just like any other modern European design. They are expected to provide a 100 to 160-kilometre range on a full charge, more than enough for most commuters, and performance similar to that of a 1.6-litre gasoline engine. Project Better Place hopes to sell 10,000 to 20,000 electric cars a year in Israel by 2011 and similar numbers in a partnership with DONG Energy in Denmark. Israel is motivated by a desire to limit its need for imported oil. Electric cars may be zero emission while driving, but they are not zero impact. A large-scale switch from gas to electricity would require new sources of power for the provincial grid.” - Source
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


Not Biofuel, Solar, Fuel Cells, etc.. and NOT acceleration, braking, or weight type tips! If you want do-it-yourself practical information you can use NOW, this is the eBook for you. Just use one of these tips ONE TIME and it will pay for the cost of this eBook. - 151 pages - $15.00 download
Excellent video provides insights into Pyramidal and Tetrahedral Geometry. How they work and how to use them for novel effects. Incredible, information packed, over 2 Hour long DVD describing many unusual and original experiments including transmutation of elements, energy extraction, increasing plant growth, healing the body and more. - $20.00 snailmail
This ebook provides many simple experiments you can do, including hydrogen generation and electrostatic repulsion. The keys to the EV Gray Fuelless Engine. One of the most comprehensive compilations of information yet detailing the effects of high voltage repulsion as a driving force. Ed Gray's engine produced in excess of 300HP and he claimed to be able to "split the positive energy" of electricity to produce a self-running motor-generator for use as an engine. Schematics and tons of photos of the original machines and more! - 121 pages - $15.00 download
Check out the article which tells you how to build or buy your own to experiment with. Reported to boost energy levels.