Electric Car Photos

The whole story begins with Professor Hiroshi Shimizu of Keio University in Japan. For recall, the father of the famous Eliica, this bizarre electric car showed up a few years ago. This man who has over 30 years of experience in the field of electric cars (he has built no less than eight working prototypes) takes the lead of the conglomerate SIM-DRIVE just launched in August 20. The purpose of this company is the commercial development of a new revolutionary propulsion system. So instead of having a central engine that provides powers the car, SIM-DRIVE provides an engine for each wheel. According to Professor Shimizu, the system ‘can halve the energy required’.

Using this new system of motorized wheels, SIM-DRIVE aims to make an economical car (Luciole – Firefly) which provides a range of 300 km. Professor Shimizu even claims:

“I am confident that with the technology we’ve developed, it will be possible to develop a car which, mass produced, will cost less than 1.5 million yen. ”

With the current exchange rates, 1.5 million yen represents about 11 000 euros. But the car battery is not included in that price. For now, SIM-DRIVE has planned to release a prototype by the end of the year and thinks to achieve a production of 100 000 units by 2013.

Regarding the specifications of this electric car, SIM-DRIVE announces that it will have a range of 300km on a single charge. For the model to be marketed to the general public, rumors are stating that the car could be a compact 5-seater.

SIM-DRIVE has also announced that its project is open source!, As the goal is to improve the technology of electric cars. Thus, the technology developed in this project is freely available to all interested manufacturers. SIM-DRIVE only asks some financial assistance for the ongoing research on this project.

In addition to its electric car project SIM-DRIVE, also has in mind to develop a method to convert cars with internal combustion engine into electric cars.

Before the end of 2009 you will see the Smart ForTwo ED (Electric Drive), the all-electric version of the Smart in several major cities in Europe and the United States. In any case this group has announced that Daimler is leading this project of green vehicles. Production should begin in November this year in the Smart plant in Hambach located in Lorraine. Even if the car will be manufactured in France, it’s the Germans who will be the first to see it on their roads. Indeed, Daimler announced that initially the Smart ForTwo ED will be offered for rent to the few privileged ones in the city of Berlin. Then Daimler intends to extend its program of leasing in several other cities in Europe and the United States. As for the sale of the Smart fortwo ED to the general public, it is scheduled for 2012.

This little car will surely interest all fans of the clean car, because it is fully electric. By this we mean that the Smart ForTwo ED has no gasoline engine, not even to recharge the battery, which makes this car a true zero emission vehicle. Even without a combustion engine the Smart Displays more than respectable performance. Indeed, with its engine producing 30KW Smart ForTwo ED has a top speed of 100Km / h (the maximum speed is limited by the manufacturer) for a range of 115Km. The only small flaw as I have noted on this car is that it does not have fast charge mode. Thus, to fully recharge the Lithium-ion battery from Tesla Motors, it will take overnight. However, we note that 3-hour charge will allow the smart an electric autonomy which varies between 30 to 40 km.

This little Smart ForTwo ED is a quite interesting car, because it’s a Mercedes (which is owned by Daimler AG), which in itself is a guarantee of quality and we must also admit that we do not see every day an electric car that offers a range of more than 100Km.

The Fisker Automotive Company of California has put forward his sole existing product which is none other that the popular Fisker Karma. Personally its structure is different from the other Hybrid Electric cars. I find it really too good. This particular wonder has shown itself on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca tracks. It was being driven by the CEO of the Fisker Company himself for a demonstration. It was a treat that he did to himself. There are really thousands of car lovers who have a real passion for the car design.

In addition to this demonstration, the car had shown itself to reach a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour. What is surprising is that the car design has been done by the CEO himself, Mr. Henrik Fisker. He is ingenious since he is considered as a leading automobile designer. Among his previous creations, you will find the Aston Martin DB9 and the BMW Z8. He has a creative mind out of the world. It was a pity that the Fisker Karma couldn’t do a second lap last Sunday. The Fisker Karma is a wonder and still many people around the world didn’t realize it when it was first presented as a concept car last year.

The Karma Fisker is of course a car which has been pushed to its limits with its superb design. Yet behind its body, it hides 22 inch rims, two engines under the hood, low centre gravity and more. The horse power of these engines sums up to 403 horse power, something that will attract many speed lovers.

The Karma Fisker has not forgotten the gasoline use under a situation where the battery gets down. It is a common thing that is coming together with all the new hybrid electric cars now. However, there’s something different.

If we could run the Karma Fisker properly, according to these two engines, it should reach 100 kilometers per hour under a 6 seconds lapse. They have announced that it has many new attributes compared to the other cars. A double consumption of energy may allow this particular car to reach a range of 480 kilometers. It will be relatively cheap to obtain such a wonder, just some 62 thousand Euros.

You have some extra money and time? This guy does and this has allowed him to get on a challenge to himself. Norman White, thirty nine years old lives in Missisipi. What will be surprising to you readers is that the guy has built his own electric car. Yet he works on air conditioning. It should have been hard for this guy to do it however, over a year. The car entirely depends on electricity to move.

His electric car is basically a Suzuki Samourai that he obtained for 1200 bucks. He obtained the batteries easily since they are club cars’ batteries. There is another electric battery that he had to purchase from a store. Then he simply fixed them up in the car. It seems easy? Well it was not so easy for Norman White. Before that he fixed these batteries to this particular Suzuki Samourai, he had made attempts with many other kinds of cars. He finally realized that this was the best adaptable car.

There are many people who believe that making your own electric car is something expensive since the ones that are being presented cost some 60 000 Euros. Yet Norman White admits that it is really cheap. He should have spent less than 3500 dollars over all on the creation of the electric car.

Norman White says that his electric car is not exceptional even if he seems to be among the first ones to own one. He says that it is just a golf club car. Since he is driving this car, he has stopped using gasoline and the speed that it reaches is to some 70 kilometers per hour. Norman White is satisfied with this speed and doesn’t complain about the situation since price of gasoline seems ever rising.

There are many enthusiast drivers who would like to have such an electric car not only for a greener world but also for saving money that they spend on gasoline. However, the electric cars that the big companies are selling are expensive. Well, if you want to own an electric car as him, just don’t worry, you can do so. Don’t forget to get a guide though for not messing all of it.

Toyota Prius has long been the full hybrid electric mid size car which in reality was first sold in Japan in 1997. The Toyota Company will then attempt and succeed in a large scale production. Nowadays, this kind of car can be found in more than 40 countries and hence Toyota achieved monopolizing the market for it. It has been really a long period of time but now times have changed. There’s actually really tight competition arising from this industry. These Prius cars were being driven by most of the ecologist to show what impact pollution really has on the planet. You will also notice that there are many Hollywood super stars like Brad Pitt and the famous Indiana Jones who have a Prius instead of the other normal cars. The Toyota Company had a definite advantage on its consumers concerning the prices. They could fix the highest price possible and yet the Prius would still be sold for Toyota was then the sole producer of electric hybrid cars. This is what happens when there is monopoly. However, it is not going to be the same in future. The Honda Company has stood up in competition with its launching of the Honda Insight. It is somehow similar to the Prius.

The Honda Company has successfully hit to the right place, the price, this particular car can be obtained under 20,000 bucks. The car in itself grounds on a FCX concept. The new car launched is equipped with climate control, power windows, locks and six airbags. However what is essential is that there are two kinds of propulsion in it. It is a bonus for the drivers, a gasoline engine relay. If you hear someone talking about the “Prius Killer”, don’t believe that it is a newer one, it is how the Honda Insight is being called. According to the road tests that have been carried out on the launched car, the latter is being seen as more flexible in contrast to the Prius. The speed of the Insight has an ultimate horse power of 98 which reaches to 80 horses.

What is actually being heard about the whole thing is that the Honda Insight has been a replica driven from the Toyota Prius which is leading them into clear competition. There might be some differences but the main aspects of the car have been duplicated. The Honda Company however absolutely denies it. They affirm that the two different cars’ models might seem similar for only one reason. The reason put forward is that more Aerodynamics results in less energy consumption. Even if the Insight has come in direct competition with the Prius, Toyota doesn’t seem affected. The figures of Insight sales are inferior to those of the Prius model. It might be surprising if you see the real figures of sales comparatively. There have been only 10210 Honda Insights that have been sold in contrast with the Prius which has already reached the peak of 27712 cars. However the lap of time that Honda has made so many sales has been short and Honda could get more of its cars sold. Relating to the sales, the competition may seem lose but it is tightening up gradually as days are passing by.

The US automaker GM, who is on the market since a century now in Detroit, Michigan, is getting back to the news with its new big buzz for a curious online campaign. It has made millions of people wonder “Why the number 230?” Indeed, the new campaign that General Motors is putting forward gets itself represented by the number 230, with a smiley standing for the zero. The smiley itself takes an electrical socket shape, which has puzzled Internet users even more.

This has been more than a campaign; it has been a brainteaser for the whole Internet community. There have hence been some assumptions that the 230 mpg could perhaps represent the amount of energy consumption of the Chevy Volt. It has only been an assumption till now. If it really was what the campaign meant, it would have been a big surprise! Imagine that charging your car only once will enable you to cover further than a distance of 230 miles? Yet the “MPG” below could also stand for miles per gallon. It would hence imply the consumption of 1.02 1iters per each hundred kilometers. All the online world is coming up with suggestions as the whole campaign shows an over excitement. Everyone wants to see the car and what is hidden behind that marketing message. But the thing is, since this automaker is owned on 61 percent by the US Treasury, it should have enough investment for financing researches and come out with better marketing concepts.

We didn’t have to wait too long to get the first official explanations about the meaning of this campaign, given by none other than Fritz Anderson, CEO at GM. The CEO has hence made an announcement on the 11th of August where everyone’s doubts were cleared out. They confirmed the thesis of the 230 miles per gallon for the car consumption. This has actually been the result out of the researches and tests that EPA has been carrying out. Let me remind you that EPA, the US Environment Protection Agency, is the organization set up for a greener world which has dozens of labs across the United State, used for research and development issues. Well, let us get back to our Chevy’s fuel consumption. If you consider this fuel consumption measure, it implies that over a distance of 100 miles, it will be consuming only 25kw hourly, and thus tops up by becoming the first car to allow such a fuel saving concept.

According to Fritz Anderson, the Volt makes use of grid electricity as main supply for the boost of the car. If the battery of the car however gets depleted, the car will instantly turn itself into an extended range mode which means that it will be run by a gasoline engine generator that will be producing electricity in turn. This test has been held so far only in the United States, but if the same conditions have to be united in any other parts of the world to get such a result, Chevy could soon bring forward on a theoretical aspect an urban consumption of 1,02 l/100 kilometers.

President Obama has made a declaration that his government will actually allocate a sum of $2.4 billion, in the form of grants in order to help the development of electric cars in the United States. This is actually a mere strategy for not relying anymore on other countries such as Japan and China. America has lagged since long in this field, giving enough time for other countries to get steps further in the production of electric cars.

Research seems to be the major part that is being taken into consideration by Obama, since he will be investing the greatest part of the fund into research in this particular sector. The most eminent trouble is about the batteries and this is what they will be basing their research on. Recycling solutions are also being taken into account through this research. The money that has been allocated for supporting the concerned companies is actually $1.5 billion. The President Barrack Obama seems not wanting these companies to go same as the Monaco RV. You should remember this company which was granted $39 m for realization of some 400 of electrical trucks upon financial troubles.

There is more than a company that is going to benefit from this new plan. Among them are General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

The companies in the field of production of batteries, namely Johnson Controls (nickel and cobalt battery design specialist) and Compact Power (Chevy Volt Battery producer) will not be left out either. They will also be benefitting from these subsidies.

Yet, during his speech, the President Barrack Obama made it clear how these subsidies will be granted to them. It seems that the President wants the fund to go on major part on the conception of batteries but also better recycling structure which amounts to $1.5 billion. Another $500m will get as grants to the realization of electrical components. It will normally comprise of engines and transmission systems. Yet a further sum of $400m will be allocated for setting up an organization for better evaluation of the true potential of electric cars and hybrid.

I personally believe that this is a really good idea and plan that Obama has put forward. There will be many benefits to take out of it, employment creation, less pollution, less imports on the American budget and more.

We all know it by now; the new Nissan LEAF has been revealed on Sunday and Nissan is certain that the customary failure concerning electrical vehicles that is actually arising is due to the lack of this particular battery that just has enough energy to stand against those with liquid fueled ones.

Toyota and GM are famous for their next generation of hybrid cars and of course, for the Telsa.

But Nissan is also in the run as its lithium-ion battery is now ready. A series of tiny cells laminated with lithium-ion that run the Leaf will deliver a maximum of 90 KW of energy for the electrical engines with a capacity of stock summing up to 24KWH. The battery has been designed in order to accept the rapid charge of multiple scenarios of one 50KW rapid which will be giving the capacity within 30 minutes, or 5 minutes of rapid charge getting to a range of 31 miles.

And of course, such methods for rapid charge will be requiring a special charger. In cities where stations are equipped with so-called rapid chargers, the GPS for the LEAF will be used to indicate the drivers the places nearby where the cars can recharge. The owners who will not have 50,000 dollars will obviously like to seek a common approach, only one phase of 220v of cables in their garage, allowing them to recharge fully the battery in less than eight hours. Nevertheless, a normal outlet of 110v can do the job perfectly, though taking twice as much time. Nissan has not yet announced any price. The success of the car goes in the fall in price of the batteries, which will be costing around 10, 000 dollars per car. Foolishly, Nissan will moreover be coming to the conclusion of renting the batteries instead of attempting to sell the car at a really high price.

That particular battery weighs 440 pounds, but thanks to the ingenious invention of the weight savings, which has been made through the architecture of the battery that provides sufficient electricity for the LEAF to gain a speed of 87 miles per hour and a range estimated by Nissan to a 100 miles.

It will be at Sunderland that battery-plant ventures will start, followed by its implementation in England, then in Kanagawa Prefecture, in Japan, and finally in Smyrna Tennessee. Sunderland and England should produce only 125,000 units per year by 2011, and it’s no guess that the major marketing strategy of the Leaf will aim to promote the no emissions image.

Well, we still wonder how this car is going to help us reduce pollution! Won’t the car be more expensive for all of us are aware that there exist some consumers who are paying the debts of the producers caused by their companies? Let us see what comes up.

2010 Nissan Leaf electric car. Website: nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/
Specs: 5 seats. Max speed: 140 km/h (90 mph). Cruising range: 160 km (90 miles). Ac Motor 80 kW.
Dimensions: Length: 4445 mm / 175.0 in, Width: 1770 mm / 69.7 in, Height : 1550 mm / 61.0 in. Battery: laminated lithium-ion battery.

Nissan leaf EV 2010 Video: