With soaring gas prices and political instability surrounding the world’s largest petroleum reserves, people are eager for an alternative to a fossil fueled vehicle. Hydrogen fuels cells, HHO fuel systems and hybrids are all possibilities, but what about the electric car? Electricity driven vehicles actually arrived over 170 years ago, and their future looks bright.
The first electric car prototype ever built was designed and manufactured by Sibrandus Stratingh, a Dutch professor in 1835. However, problems with the battery kept his platform from taking hold until Frenchmen Gaston Plante and Camille Faure improved upon it in the mid and late 1800s. In fact, by the turn of the century, the electric car held virtually every land speed and distance record. This included a car capable of 65mph built by Camille Jenatzy in 1899.
Soon, however, the internal combustion engine would overtake electric cars as the dominant vehicle in industrialized nations. The limitations of battery technology, combined with the plummeting cost of oil, all but led to the demise of the electric car. By 1940, electric vehicles were limited exclusively to very specific applications, such as small industrial vehicles. The electric car would sporadically emerge throughout next few decades, however it wouldn’t be until nearly the new millennium when electric cars once again appeared a viable option for the near term.
There were approximately 76,000 electric cars in use in the U.S. as of July 2006, compared to an estimated 100,000 as of 2008. This figure is only expected to grow. In 2001, Indian company REVA Electric Car Company launched the first wide scale production electric vehicle the world had seen in nearly 100 years. The REVA has gone on to become the best selling electric car in the world, reaching countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Japan and the U.S. may be behind this innovative Indian company, however there is a plethora of designs on the table to excite the American consumer.
The year 2007 saw a slew of announcements regarding the development of production electric vehicles by major auto manufacturers. In the past two years, GM, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda and Chrysler have all announced plans for electric cars to hit the streets no later than 2014. This is indeed very encouraging, however there is still a major problem that has yet to be overcome by any major manufacturer.
The batteries necessary for a mid priced production electric car are currently unable to provide sufficient range, tend to run very hot, and are cumbersome in size. To address these issues, a number of solutions have been proposed, including running a small gasoline generator to recharge the battery while it is running, or using the energy dissipated as heat from breaking to recharge the battery. Additionally, newer technologies such as supercapacitors and flywheel energy storage systems are being tested.
The electric car has faded in and out of the public arena for over 170 years, yet it continues to be an attractive form of transportation. Doubtless, there are a number issues that must be overcome before it can again become the dominant platform for transportation. However, the recent commitment of resources from major auto manufacturers has energized the public consciousness and it is only a matter of time before the electric car arrives. Again.