Many would argue that the Holy Grail of green motoring is the mass marketing of a comfortable, affordable and (most importantly) a fashionable electric car. A number of concept electric cars have been produced, and a few have made it onto the commercial market, but let’s face it, they don’t exactly have oodles of power or street cred’. It’s the models aimed at a mass market that I want to examine here.
This article will have look at the current situation of the motoring world with regards to the electric car. It will look into the present as well the near future and see what options are available for the consumer to lower their driving footprint, while still maintaining a speed of over 30 mph.
Oh, and Messrs Clarkson, Hammond and May, please look away now; you probably won’t approve of what is to follow.
Before going any further it might also be prudent to mention that this article will not cover personal electric vehicles, or PEVs for short. I’m referring to those little two wheeled contraptions that you see people scooting around airports and theme parks. While they may be a valid technology for security guards and lazy policemen, no one in their right mind is going to take one on the road; and if they do, then they should be on a bike. Enough said.
Also not being covered in this article are hybrid, LPG, fuel cell or bio-fuelled vehicles. This is now an electrical purist zone.
Why do we need electric cars?
Well, to be honest, we don’t. What we do need is a change in the type of car we are driving now. The internal combustion engine, i.e. that which runs on petrol or diesel, has been powering the transport on our roads for over 100 years. The main problem with internal combustion engines is that they burn fossil fuels, creating vast quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants. Electric cars, however, use batteries that are charged up from home or special charging points. They emit much less CO2 per mile than conventional cars, thus lowering climate change causing emissions entering the atmosphere. Other pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and diesel particulates are also avoided.
The main contenders
In the race to be the first manufacturer with a true mass production electric car, it would seem that Nissan and General Motors (GM) are the two main contenders, with Toyota following closely behind. What follows below is a round up of what they are offering and what we could all soon be overtaking on the motorway – just kidding, I’d love one of these cars.
Nissan Leaf - This car goes on sale in Japan this year and Europe in 2013 – although you can reserve yours now for a refundable deposit (?!) of £257. The on the road price, including a government grant of £5000, will be £23,990. It will seat 5, get up to 90 MPH and go for about 100 miles on one charge.
Chevy Volt – A much better looking car this time and one which should attract the younger generation, due to better performance and more graceful lines. It’s due for European release in 2011 and will set you back the best part of £35,000 (ouch). The range is not so limited on the Volt because it has a small 1.4 litre petrol engine that will kick in when the battery gets low. This is not to drive the car, though, but to charge the battery. Clever.
Vauxhall Ampera – This is pretty much the same car as the Volt under a different name. The Ampera claims to be able to go for 40 miles on solely electric and 310 miles on the petrol generator. It will do 175 miles to the gallon and emit 40g CO2 per km (compared to 37.2 mpg and 179g/km for a Vauxhall Insignia). Looks good too.
Toyota Prius Plug-In – Although this car is essentially a hybrid, it will be able to travel about 12 miles solely using its electric engine – perfect for the school run and a trip to town.
Fiat e500 – This is an electric version of the great little car that won the European Car of the Year award in 2008. It will have a maximum speed of 60mph and a range of 75 miles. At £25,000 it’s not the best value for money, but you’ve got to love the Fiat 500.
Are they feasible?
Part of the reason I’m writing this article now is that is I think for the first time, the answer to this question is yes.
Previously, part of the problem with electric cars is that the driving range has been too low for people to really consider them than anything more than a quirky run-around. Two factors have changed now. The first is that the range of the cars is increasing significantly, with some claiming to have a fully charged range of up to 100 miles. The second point is that many more charging stations are now being planned and built, with London hoping to have 25,000 charging points by 2015. These charging points will be of the 50KW variety which, it is claimed, will fully charge a Nissan Leaf battery in around 30 minutes; just enough time to have a coffee. The Chevy Volt can charge in about 4 hours.
Another concern with electric cars has been battery life. As we all know, a rechargeable battery will begin to degrade with use and could affect not only the car’s performance, but also its resale value. After all, who would want to buy a used electric car with a duff battery? To combat this, many manufacturers are now looking at battery leasing schemes where electric car owners rent the battery, replacing it for a new one when it looses it’s charge-holding capacity. This will of course cost a little extra, but participants will rest assured that the batteries they are using are in good condition and that if they re-sell the car, it will be with a decent battery.
One more issue with these cars is street cred’. With cars such as the G-Wiz you can kind of understand that – apologies to any G-Wiz owners, but it does look like a frog. However, the Nissan Leaf looks ok, and the Chevy Volt and Vauxahll Ampera are both lovely looking cars that also sport 150 horsepower under the bonnet. That should be enough to see off sneering stares from other drivers.
Advantages of owing an electric car
- No road tax.
- Lower fuel bills (but perhaps higher electricity bills).
- No congestion charge.
- Lower maintenance costs – electric engines are much more simple.
- No noise (for now – see below)
- A certain amount of smugness.
One of the issues with electric cars is that they don’t make any noise. “Wonderful!” I hear you cry; but think about it from a pedestrian’s point of view. When we cross the road, we use our ears as much as our eyes to tell us if it’s safe, especially on bends (have you ever crossed a road with headphones on?). If we can’t hear cars coming as well as seeing them we may be prone to getting run over, and I really don’t fancy that. So, to combat this some manufacturers – including Lotus – are looking into ways to give an engine sound to electric cars, partly as a safely precaution, but also to improve the driving experience – apparently.
In summary then…
It would appear that we could actually be on the verge of a motoring revolution with the electric car about to go mainstream. Years ago the hybrid car was seen as little more than sci-fi, and yet hybrids have taken off in an amazing style; even more so considering they are often sneered at and also because many conventional cars can boast similar fuel consumptions. This success in the face of adversity bodes well for the future of the electric car.
The true test will come now that we have some major manufacturers entering the circuit. If the Nissan Leaf and GM Volt do well, then electric cars will soon start to appear in greater numbers, which will lower the price, resulting in more sales, lowering the price, more sales, more cars, etc. etc. If this virtuous circle can be rammed into fifth gear, our roads could be transformed much quicker than we think. However, the electric car will only be truly green once we manage to draw the majority of our electricity from renewable resources.
So in answer to the title’s question regarding electric cars; Are we there yet? I think the only answer can be… nearly.
