Understanding the Cost Per Charge
Batteries require an external power outlet for charging. Because there are different kinds of batteries and each of them has different capacities, it may be hard to give an average cost per charge. The standard outlet is 120v and can produce around 1.5kw an hour for charging. If you use a 240v circuit you can get around 6.6kw an hour. This can cut your charge time by half.

Ask your electricity provider how many kilowatts you receive an hour and what your average cost of kilowatts per hour is. Also ask your car manufacturer how many kilowatts are required to fully charge your batteries and how many miles the car will travel on a full recharge. You may find out very quickly that the cost is considerably less expensive per mile than conventional technology. It can be as low as the equivalent of 75 cents per gallon of gasoline.

Electric Car Technology
Electric cars are vehicles that get their power from rechargeable batteries, and use an electric motor as their means of propulsion. Conventional cars are powered by an internal combustion engine that uses either a gasoline or diesel engine. Electric car technology is more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and has performance benefits. 75 percent of the battery's electric energy is converted to deliver power to the wheels when driving. Internal combustion engines deliver the energy to the wheels at a percentage of only 20 percent. Electric car technology does not produce or emit any tailpipe pollution.

Batteries
Batteries or battery packs used in electric car technology should be a key focus when understanding the electric car. There are five different types of batteries used in most electric cars, and each one varies in specifications and abilities. Battery packs are very bulky and take up space. They can weigh between 600 to 1,000 pounds. They're often very expensive and you might have to replace them several times throughout the car's life. Batteries have a recharge time of roughly four to eight hours. A full recharge on average will give you the driving range of about 100 to 200 miles.

How an Electric Car Works

When compared to gasoline powered vehicles the electric car is fairly simple. There are really only three main components that power the vehicle: the electric motor, the speed controller and the batteries.

The Controller
Essentially an electric car takes power from its batteries and uses that power to move the vehicle. The voltage is regulated by the motor's controller. As the accelerator pedal is pressed down the controller increases the amount of electricity that is being sent to the motor. At zero volts the car will be stopped. As the voltage is ramped up, the speed of the vehicle increases. In many ways this controller functions like a dimmer switch on a light.

One way in which this controller is different than a dimmer is its redundancy. For safety's sake there are two controls sending power to the controller. If they are both at the same power level the controller sends power to move the vehicle. If there is a malfunction in one or both of them causing an imbalance the controller will send no power, thereby immobilizing the vehicle.cp

The Motor
Electric motors in cars can be either DC (like any battery operated device) or AC (like anything that plugs into a wall outlet for power). There are varying voltages and the DC operated motors tend to be less expensive and simpler. Overall an electric engine works by using the motor in the same way that any other electric motor works—like the one in a fan, or driving the wheels of a radio controlled car. It's the same thing only on a larger scale.

The Battery
The biggest impediment on the path to getting electric cars on the road has historically been the battery. The type of battery needed to consistently deliver the needed power for a car is heavy and very expensive. They tend to have a fairly short (at least in terms of a car) life-span. For this reason the battery is likely to be the main thing that will require replacement on electric cars. The lifespan of most is thought to be in the range of four years and the cost is in the neighborhood of $2,000, making it a planned expense that needs to be weighed against the savings of otherwise minimal maintenance costs and decreased fuel expense.

Regenerative Braking
One of the biggest problems with electric car technology is that all the time the car is on, the battery is being depleted. This is distinctly different to the conventional gas engine where a charge is continually being generated by the alternator. However, there's a method that does recapture some of the energy.

With a normal engine, the forward energy is converted to heat and friction when the driver applies the brakes. Regenerative braking in a car with an electric motor is a way to recapture and store some of the energy that would otherwise become friction and heat.

Electric Car Conversions
Electric car technology has developed to the point where there are a number of electric car conversion kits available. Several companies convert vehicles and offer them for sale as well as selling parts for those wanting to attempt their own conversions.

1. Do Your Homework: Buying an exotic at luxury car dealerships, while more expensive than say a Ford Fiesta, is actually very little different. You have to do your homework so you can see what other buyers have paid in your area, as well as in other parts of the country.
2. Watch the Margins in Edmunds or on Carsdirect.com: Keep a close look at the pricing on the exotic you are considering at other similar dealerships by using their Internet departments. In fact, get yourself a quote on the expensive cars just to keep your own dealer on the up-and-up.
3. Shop When a Big Model Change Is Occurring: This may sound counterproductive, but it isn't. People always want the latest and greatest of anything, and you'll find that the latest model will be the one in demand while last year's model will likely save you a ton of money.
4. Know the Value of Your Trade: Watch Carsdirect.com so you will know the value of your car.
5. Use the Internet and EBay to Determine Offers: Believe it of not, EBay Motors is a good barometer of the cost of an exotic car, as it shows you the value of similar cars from one border to the other. Visiting exotic car dealerships online can save you a lot of time, and probably money too.

The Cost
Various electric cars are available for low prices, as they are old gasoline cars converted to run on electric power. Usually the cheapest electric cars are available at a price starting from $5000.

The Money Saved
Usually, if you drive a conventional car you spend around $250 every month buying gasoline. Driving an electric car for the same time and number of miles, you have to spend only $18 to $20 on electricity. This means you can save close to $230 every month. Make sure that the electric car you're looking at offers that kind of efficiency or it may not prove to be so cheap after all.

The Cost of Maintenance
Typically the only thing which may require regular maintenance is the battery pack. Hence, it is important to check how efficient the battery pack is and how much life is left in it. Also, make sure that the brakes and the suspension are in a good and efficient condition. It is best to get an electric car with a regenerative braking option that utilizes an electric motor for applying brakes. This will add to your maintenance costs.

The Batteries
Since the electric cars run on a battery pack, it is important to check the batteries as to how long they can last. Some cheap electric cars still have lead-acid batteries in their battery pack, which may have to be replaced regularly and it can cost about $800. In comparison lithium-ion batteries or the new nanotechnology batteries last much longer, so they do not have to be replaced as often. Hence, it makes sense to spend a bit more for batteries that can run longer, helping to save the battery replacement costs.

One of the main advantages of the WattStation design is the fact that it uses Smart Grid Technology (which GE has invested heavily in) to help local utility companies manage the energy resources needed to keep up with the electricity demands of the new charging units. Coupled with their support of the non-profit organization Project Get Ready (which helps design smart grids for local communities) and a partnership with Nissan to help develop electric car technology and smart-charging infrastructure, GE has been a large proponent and facilitator of the burgeoning electric vehicle revolution.

The WattStation was conceived of by renowned designer and Fuseproject founder Yves Behar to have a more organic, natural aesthetic and to look less like a fuel pump than previous electric car chargers.

The Chevy Volt can drive distances up to 40 miles on its rechargeable battery before a small gas engine takes over. GM announced the extended warranty after the completion of over 3 years of extensive testing of the vehicle and its 16 total kwh battery pack.

According to GM, the key features of the Volt battery that are giving them the confidence to offer such a long warranty are the battery's thermal management, cell design, energy management, and comprehensive diagnostic systems. Besides the battery, GM is also offering these additional warranties on the Volt:

• 100,000 mile/5-year transferable Engine Limited Warranty (for Range Extender)
• 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Roadside Assistance Program
• 100,000 mile/5-year 24/7 Courtesy Transportation Program
• 36,000 mile/ 3-year no deductible Bumper-to-Bumper transferable warranty
• 100,000 mile/6-year corrosion protection

Electric Car Engine Diagram

The layout of an electric car engine's components is far simpler than the configuration of an internal combustion powered vehicle's configuration. Sure, there are differences from one vehicle to another and there might be a few extra refinements, but overall you have only four main components to the system. One is the wheel axle that turns the tires. Pulling back from there, we have the motor itself (driving those wheels), which is not all that different from the type of motor that turns a fan. There is a controller (accelerator) that regulates the amount of voltage going to the motor (just like a dimmer switch on a light). Finally, the battery powers the whole thing. If you want to take the process out further there is a charger (which plugs into an electrical outlet) that recharges the battery.

Electric Car Engine Efficiency

In general an electric motor is more efficient than an internal combustion engine. The simplest reason for that is the fact that part of the energy generated by a gasoline or diesel engine is lost in the form of heat. Still, different electric motors will have different levels of efficiency. That doesn't mean that you are likely to find an internal combustion engine that's more efficient than an electric car engine, it just means that some electric motors are more efficient than others. Another efficiency difference can come in the battery charging technology. Some battery systems might charge with a lower loss of electrical energy than others.

Other Differences To Electric Car Efficiency

Perhaps the biggest differences in terms of efficiency from one electric car to another come in the form of things outside the electrical engine system. These factors include air flow around the car, weight of the vehicle and other devices that draw power. Systems that charge the battery throw different power sources (for instance a device that uses the force you ex ert on the brake pedal to charge the battery) also lead to efficiency variances.

While electric car engines (or more accurately motors) might seem complicated and difficult to understand, the systems are actually simpler than the power trains of vehicles that use internal combustion engines. If you take a little time to familiarize yourself with the central concepts, you should have an understanding fairly quickly. You have probably been familiar with electric motors for years, and these systems are just a variant on that device.

Related Questions and Answers

Electric powered vehicles have to be plugged in to recharge. Gasoline powered vehicles on the other hand have alternator and voltage regulators that do the job for the car. This is because all normal cars run on an internal combustion machine that charges the alternators to charge the battery when it's idle. Moreover, the load on the alternator is mild as the engine runs on the internal combustion engine. But electric cars run only on their batteries, and there is no internal combustion engine to charge the alternator or to drive it. This means the batteries require to be completely charged at all times, with large amounts of electricity to be able to run the car and to stop it during braking.

Generally electric motors for automobiles are much easier to maintain. The electric engine is generally more efficient than a gas powered one. Most electric cars also run on electricity that has an established cost. The car runs on a battery that can be replaced every three years and the battery has to be topped up with distilled water, which has a very small cost. There are no spare parts apart from the motor, and no lubricants, oils or gears and sparks that have to be replaced regularly. Once the battery runs down, just replace them with new batteries. The Government is also offering rebates for electric car buyers that can range up to $2,500 depending on the car.