Posts Tagged ‘history’
Early Electric
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
How To Get Electric Cars To Appeal To The Masses
Electric cars have existed for longer than might be expected. Scientists set about harnessing the power of electricity to propel the internal combustion engine as soon as it was invented. New York City was one of the world’s first cities to ‘go green’, with a fleet of taxis built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia back in 1897. Early electrical vehicles were considered superior in comfort levels and ease of use in comparison to the petrol models. These early machines were not only superior in these respects but also capable of some serious speed, with the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed barrier broken by Camille Jenatzy in his electric ‘rocket’ car on April 29th 1899.
However, electric cars were always limited by battery charge. Although this was not a major issue in the early days of motoring, when petrol cars required a crank start and their gear changes were an odyssey into the unknown, the improvement of the internal combustion engine meant that the electrical car’s advantages were lost and manufacturers were unable to improve the battery sufficiently to respond to the new challenge.
In the age of cheap gas there was no cause to radically rethink the role of the motor car and the world enjoyed decades of worry-free, fume-spewing motoring. Now with motorists hit by ever increasing petrol costs it would appear that the renaissance of the electric car could be on the horizon.
The battery range issue appears to be easing as the science finally appears to be catching up with the needs of motorists. Maximum battery ranges have increased drastically. The Tesla battery now boasts a range of 300 miles, which should be enough for most motorists on a daily basis. However, most electric cars at present are able to meet the needs of urban commuters, with an average range of 60 miles on a full charge.
Not only has battery range improved but charging times too, with a generation of super fast chargers capable of ‘refuelling’ an electric car in 30 minutes. Although this is longer than filling up with petrol it certainly provides the electric car with greater flexibility. In Israel, the government has invested heavily in electric roads that can deliver charge to a vehicle for the duration of its voyage, meaning that cars will always be fully charged as long as they remain on primary road networks.
Many motorists state that electric cars are ‘un-sexy’, but as Ford proved with its Model T, the primary concern for motorists has always been reliability and value for money. After all, if you could buy a car that was able travel 100 miles at the cost of a few pence, most car owners would be going for a car replacement as quickly as they would a windshield replacement if their windshield was damaged.
Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
About the Author
Isla is a part of the digital blogging team at shoutingindigital.com who work with brands like Belron. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in retail news, check out my posts at shoutingindigital.com or visit my Twitter account, @shoutingID.
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