EV Basics VI - Roadmap to an EV World

Important abbreviations:

EV: Electric Vehicle - Any vehicle that uses electricity to provide some or all of the power to the wheels.

HEV - Hybrid electric vehicle, a car or truck that uses both an ICE and an electric motor.

ICE: Internal Combustion Engine - The smog-belching, globe-warming automotive plants in the dark ages of the 20 Century uses.

PHEV - Plug-in hybrid vehicle, a hybrid vehicle with a battery that can be rechargedfrom the outlet.

At this point many of you have in the first five articles in the EA-read series bases. Many of you are now convinced that the EVS will be more convenient and less expensive than ICE vehicles, once they are in mass production. You understand that the EVS are much better for the environment, despite millions of dollars spent, companies try to convince you otherwise. You see the connection between the dependence on foreign oil and increased threats to our nationalsecurity. Now, you want to know how to make EVs a reality as soon as possible.

We can get there in a reasonable time frame if we follow the guidelines I list below.

1. Do what you can, when you can

If you have roughly $100,000 of dollars to spare, you can order a wonderful electric car, the Tesla Roadster, today. They have already started delivering vehicles, so your wait should not be too long. For $30,000 less, you can order an eBox from AC Propulsion. Still too rich for your blood? Vectrix is now selling a wonderful, freeway-legal electric scooter for $ 11,000. Or buy one of many electric bikes available, starting at less than $ 1000.

At the moment there are already electric vehicles are available at almost any price. If you can not figure out how one of them fits into your life, you can create a new HEV, like buy a Toyota Prius for a bit more than U.S. $ 20,000 or a used one from about 10,000 U.S. dollars. Gasoline-powered HEVs are not the ultimateanswer to our energy problems, but they do provide an excellent platform for developing EV components such as electric motors, batteries and transmissions. They also use much less gas than their ICE-only brethren.

More good news - there is a wave of EVs and PHEVs underdevelopment from companies such as Phoenix Motorcars, AFS Trinity, and a host of others. Additionally, Toyota recently announced that it is developing a plug-in version of the Prius with substantial electric-only range. The Future of the FDF is bright, so keep your eyes open and keep the development as they unfold.

Even if you are not an HEV, which can meet your needs, and you can not wait for the new models are available, you can help the cause by purchasing the most fuel-efficient car that everyone and everything must fit your print. This makes the car company that gives you some of our over-use of oil show and that you have no interest over a car with as much energy as a formula --Racer.

2. To be a voice for change

Write to the auto companies and let them know that you are going to buy a new car until it an EV or PHEV. Addresses can be found in the third article found in this series. Let your elected representatives you know EVs available ASAP. Speak out on blogs, e-mail lists, at cocktail parties. Spread the word to all who listen and maybe even some who do not want. Be polite but firm. Counter for the misinformation that isto spread by those who do not want to see EVs to be successful.

3. Keep an open mind

Some people choose a preferred type of EV drivetrain layout, battery chemistry or type of construction, then start the treatment of EV enthusiasts with alternative ideas, as if the enemy. Do not do that. They think others also encourage new solutions to our transportation problems. Even if an idea seems silly at first, to critically analyze them and discuss them with others to determine its merit.

DoGo out of business, that make mistakes that may in the past, such as General Motors does not EV important contributions to the progress made in the future. Encourage them to invest in the development of EV. Let GM know that you will buy a Volt, if it turned out that everything they say it will. If the big carmakers face a wall of skepticism by potential buyers EV, they will use this resistance in order to convince legislators that the EVS are economically viable. When we greet their EV programsHope and enthusiasm, their bean counters will take note.

4. Speak and act not only

Discussion which is great when it is a preamble to the act. So talk about things, develop a plan that will lead to. Buy an EV or PHEV. Find a job developing EVs and other alternative energy products. Move closer to work, so that you can commute on an electric bicycle. There are a million different things you can do to help make EVs a reality. Go pick out and catch.

5. Never, ever giveup

Companies spend millions of advertising and PR dollars trying to convince you that everything is in order. Everything is not okay.

People who seem perfectly rational look at you like you are nuts if you tell them we have to abandon petrol cars. You are not crazy.

It would be so easy just to stop fighting the tide, to give the charm of the "easy life." Do not give up

The simple life is an oil-illusion. We are like microbes on a petri --Dish to consume, what we can before our resources exhausted. In contrast to bacteria, we can recognize our situation and restart the conservation now before it's too late. We can start with the energy of the sun blasts down on this petri dish called Earth, so we never run out of resources. Those of us who understand them the duty to keep trying to spread this understanding. This ensures can be exhausting, frustrating, thankless task, but for our planet - our children's planet - is dependent onWe try to keep up.