The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) awarded its 14th annual greenist car to Mitsubishi i-MIEV This electric car garnered 58 score, the highest in 14 years. The 2012 model made its 2012 debut in the US market with the best combined fuel economy of 112 miles per gallon (MPGe).
At a base price of $29,125 it’s the cheapest among the electric cars available. The EPA rated the car’s range at 62 miles per charge.
i-MiEV Size
While the Leaf is a mid-size car, the Mitsubishi i-MIEV is a subcompact, meaning its small. Mitsubishi’s electric car has four doors capable of seating four adults with a cabin at the back. Its much narrower than the Leaf, but will fit an adult adequately. Just like the Nissan Leaf, the i-MIEV is quiet and has a nice acceleration that handles well on tight turning space.
If there’s ever a flaw to, i-MIEV it points to the suspension, which leans on the hard side of bumpy rides, which can get jarring on long road trips. So the i-MIEV is recommended for short trips only.
The controls and panels are sparse but adequate for monitoring the electric usage. Charging takes seven hours on a standard outlet. According to EPA, assuming you drive 15,000 miles yearly, and the electricity cost is $0.12 per kw-hr $540, which is cheaper to the $612 for Nissan Leaf.
In order to win over mainstream society to electric battery, the energy density of the future battery should be considerable. For example, the average range of the $35,000 Nissan Leaf with air conditioning or heater is only around 60 to 70 miles. Tesla Model S is coming up with a 300 miles electric car, but the price is around $80,000. Clearly, the Leaf’s price is for mainstream market, albeit on the upper end, while the Model S is for the luxury niche.
Why are electric cars expensive and their range limited? Well, it’s because of the most often used battery, the lithium ion, has a low limit energy density. So in order to increase the range of the car, manufacturer such as Tesla increased the number of cells, thereby increasing the cost of the battery. This is why the battery the most expensive part of an electric vehicle.
A number of researchers are working to increase the energy density of the battery, as well as lower its cost. The most promising technology to replace the standard lithium ion is the solid-state battery, which is non-flammable and has a greater density. Here are five companies that devote their waking hours to the future battery:
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Car manufacturers are no longer afraid to take a risk in EVs. 2011 ushers in the rookie year of the electric car with the annual sales expected to be low. Nissan sold 10,000 Leaf in the U.S. and 20,000 overall around the world. The General Motors Volt, on the other hand, sold only around 7,600 cars.
Compared to the 2011 annual sales of a conventional mid-size car from a known brand, the electric car sales from both company were tiny. However, perhaps the comparison is unfair. After all, the electric car is in its infancy, and as with any innovation, hurdles must be leapfrog in order to reach a critical mass for the mainstream market.
Here are four ways to make the electric auto mainstream:
1. Electric Car Must Have Great Advantages – In order to make mainstream customers switch from gasoline-powered vehicles, the incentive for owning the EV must be considerable. It is not enough for the EV to be non-polluting and its fuel cheaper.
The electric car itself must be cheaper than the current gas guzzler.
In short, the technological advances needed points to the battery. When the cost of battery goes down over time, that’s when the first step to be critical mass ensues.
2. Recharging Station Must Be Built – People are used to refilling in Gas Station. Not everyone has a garage that they can convert to fast recharging place. Those living in a city with limited parking space need an external place to recharge. The recharging time for the station should be less than 10 minutes, so it is critical that the battery becomes durable enough to take high voltage fast.
3. Electric Cars Must Look and Drive like Conventional Cars – Make it simple to drive, easy to maintain and good to look at.
4. Make the Battery Range at Least 500 Miles – When the battery capacity to hold electricity increases, that’s when the critical mass happens.
There are very few existing electric vehicle manufacturers on the market. Some of them manufacture their own components, while others rely on outside companies to supply them with vital technologies.
A few months after a company who makes an electric car called Think, filed for bankruptcy, its American supplier Ener1 went down as well. Ener1′s predicament shows that battery supplier survival depends on whether they have reliable customers, have diversified sources of income, or has large finances to cover for the lack of demand.
Competition too is one of the hurdles that must be overcome by a battery manufacturer. There are a dozen or so electric car battery manufacturers, all of which are competing in a limited market.
Among the most formidable companies are CPI of LG Chem, AESC of NEC, and PEEV of Panasonic. Compact Power Inc or CPI is owned by the largest Korean chemical company LG Chem and is the battery supplier for General Motor’s Volt, as well as upcoming Ford Focus Electric. Automotive Energy Supply Corporation is a joint venture of NEC and Nissan to produce battery for Nissan Leaf. Primearth EV Energy is a joint venture of Panasonic and Toyota, and is the supplier of battery packs for Toyota’s hybrids, as well as for Honda’s hybrids. Speaking of Panasonic, they are also the supplier for the upcoming Tesla Model S.
Part of the reason why these Asian battery manufacturers flourish is they are themselves established brands supplying for recognized brands. These brands have deep pockets, decades of experience, and has established manufacturing infrastructures. Electric cars such as the GM’s Volt and Nissan’s Leaf cost less or are more of a mainstream vehicle than niche products like the Think.
The documentary Who Killed The Electric Car, was a 2006 movie that centered on the life span and strange demise of General Motor’s first electric vehicle EV1. It highlighted how GM decided to stop creating automobiles that run on electricity. It showed how the company recalled and crushed the remainders. A few years later, Chris Pained decided to make a sequel entitled Revenge of The Electric Car, which shows the newer efforts in creating electric cars. The film divides its time among several business protagonists: an entrepreneur of a new auto venture firm, a private EV converter and a couple of powerful people responsible for the car brands.
By having a far more neutral position, Chris has been given an entry within GM and Nissan, one thing that had been clearly lacking in the previous documentary. The car firms might have realized that the market is now ready for electric automobiles, or maybe it is because of the negative press they received as an outcome of the initial movie.
Although this provides the documentary an extra even-handed sense compared to the previous outing, this doesn’t always create for more engaging watching. What’s lacking is the “small versus big” struggles that had was evident during the first movie. Who Killed is a movie that had a feeling of eagerness, urgency and objective, which seems strangely missing in the sequel.
As a movie on its own, Revenge seems lean and unfocused at occasions, resulting in the films running duration which feels a bit long, but is really quite short. The movie also does not devote sufficient time frame on its primary personas, denying audiences to feel the emotion weight of the protagonists.
As a sequel, Revenge of the Electric Car often falters, nevertheless, if seen back to back together with the first film, there are several “whatever happened to” delights available for the viewers.
Tesla Model S Sedan
The reality and numbers concerning the forthcoming Tesla Model S promises to be precise, if so the automobile might be a change the electric automotive industry. A car that is roomy enough to be a sedan, with range as much as a 300 mile that will accelerate in just five seconds and comes with the many present-day comforts and world-class style with a base cost of $49,000? Amazing no doubt and Tesla has taken reservations for upcoming shipping that are planned to begin in the summer months of 2012. Nevertheless, the Model S was affected with waiting times. If Tesla can match the guarantee what they want the Model S to be, then expect the Tesla brand to be a major manufacturer.
With the Chevy Volt having the ability to travel 35 miles with a charge, lower than the majority of people commute in a regular day, you might proceed without needing virtually any fuel for several weeks. Distance for distance, electrical power is a lot less expensive in many areas compared to gasoline.
If you have to travel further, that’s also not a problem. Operating on gas-produced energy, the Volt obtains gas mileage that’s, nevertheless, a lot better than many small vehicles. Concerned about changing battery? It’s within the manufacturer’s warranty for about many years, and it’s anticipated to continue a lot longer.
When the Safety Admin brought out an inquiry on vehicle fires of the Volts, there have been recently plenty of rumors that lithium-ion batteries utilized in the Volt, as well as other automobiles that run on electricity. Many are concerned that they maybe volatile and is not geared up for mass manufacturing. Well, GM the maker of Volt, as well as battery associate, LG Chem, has tested that battery many times. They’ve over used it, as well as pierced it using nails. The Volt and its electric battery can be repaired using a handful of minimal adjustments.
GM would certainly add some architectural improvements to Volt, to remove every threat that the battery pack which might be harmed in a serious impact. The repair entails putting a metal support towards the current steel framework of the battery power to ensure a safeguard from impact. It will also include a smaller support on the battery cooling tank to circumvent seepage. GM will even put in a sensing unit to check the temperature. The addon may be accomplished in a couple of hours in the dealer. The reinforcements are going to be manufactured in the factory on brand new volts factory soon.
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The electric auto buying crowd should recognize one aspect involving the disparity between the Leaf compared to the Volt – Nissan’s Leaf’s regular charging cord is UL accredited, while the Volt’s isn’t. There are accreditations of Underwriters Laboratories for many of the electronics at your residence, so why wouldn’t you want inside your car port?
The Nissan Leaf’s cable, manufactured by Panasonic, utilizes nickel-plated prongs covered by two kinds of strong plastic, even though the Volt’s normal plug consists of soft plastic and copper, which is not coated. Maybe the accountant of GM saved on cash for the Volt’s regular charging cords because they comprehend it isn’t really an electric vehicle. The Volt’s an intricate serial hybrid, which is like a train engine. It runs on battery pack for 35 miles, after which the compact internal-combustion motor starts to supplement the batteries. It’s the almost the same as the forthcoming Ford Escape hybrid that will go a few miles on electrical power prior to transitioning to petrol. GM’s hybrid vehicle is only a modest move in the direction of an electric-powered potential.
The Leaf, in contrast, could be the future. Seldom really does an auto appear that redefines its class. Nissan is a company of the current period that mass-produced completely electric car (10,000 Nissan leaf was delivered in January 2012), because of this Nissan has nabbed the green leadership which the Toyota Prius offer to achieve: guiltless traveling. Providing of course that your electrical energy isn’t produced by using up fossil fuel, the Leaf could operate in conjunction with environmentally friendly power plants that operates on hydroelectric, wind turbine, or harness the power of sunshine.
The Nissan Leaf is certainly not for all. Those drive near an area that doesn’t have sustainable energy or those traveling in excess of 75 miles daily, will not benefit. Then again, it merely claims to get rid of America’s reliance on overseas petrol. However, commuters whose everyday trips are inside its single-charge generating range could be fine prospects for moving to an electric-powered future.
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