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Electric Vehicles
This is the spot where you will find all you need to know about electric vehicles. What's currently in production, companies doing conversions...all that good stuff!
Here is what's currently in production:
Dynasty - Dynasty Electric Car Corporation designs, manufactures and markets zero emission, electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSV's) for urban, recreational and light commercial markets such as planned and gated communities, destination resorts, industrial complexes and universities.
Global Electric Motors - Nearly 10 years ago, Global Electric Motorcars, a Chrysler company, introduced its first electric vehicle, and today, still strives to design the most innovative line of vehicles that are versatile, efficient and affordable. With six models and a variety of options, customers around the world are discovering how driving a battery-electric vehicle can impact their lives. GEM vehicles are sophisticated, yet practical, and are perfect for short-distance transportation.
Phoenix - Phoenix Motorcars manufactures zero-emission, freeway-speed fleet vehicles. It is an early leader in the mass production of full-function, green electric trucks and SUVs for commercial fleet use.
Tesla - The Tesla Roadster is the hottest plug-in sports car on the market. Powered by advanced lithium batteries, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/hr in four seconds with a top speed of over 200 km/hr and a range of more than 300 kms per charge.
THINK - available in US in second half of 2008 with a price of around $32,500. Their battery is developed by Tesla. Their top speed is 100 km/hr and they have a range of 180 km!
ZAP! - ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution®. ZAP's strategy is to serve the growing and underrepresented consumer that seeks fuel efficient vehicles. With the recent increases in the cost of oil and increasing concern about the environment and the effects of global warming, we believe there is a large and untapped demand in the areas of transportation and consumer products. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, Japanese automobile manufacturers penetrated the United States market when domestic automobile manufacturers failed to anticipate changes. ZAP believes a similar opportunity is present today, enhanced by heightened environmental awareness, climate changes and economic pressures. ZAP has assembled a complete line of products to meet the growing demands of the environmentally conscious consumer.
Zenn (Zero Emissions, No Noise) - is a Canadian electric car company. This 2 seat, 3-door hatchback has a top speed of 40 km/hr and a range of 60 km/hr. It recharges completely in 8 hours, or in just 4 hours will charge to 80% capacity. With a base price of only $12,750 it can pay for itself in fuel and maintenance savings in about 5 years! Visit our VIDEO page to see videos about the Zenn Car.
Electric News
Toyota goes plug-in
Toyota announced that they will have rechargeable hybrids by 2010. These cars will have a rechargeable battery pack that can power the vehicle entirely on electric for short distances. For example, the Chevy Volt can go 60 kms on electric. This is plenty to cover most people's daily commute. For further trips, a conventional engine will provide the power to keep going. In the Volt this engine is a generator that recharges the batteries, so it is likely that Toyota will do something similar, although they could simply use their current hybrid technology with a bigger battery pack and a plug-in charger.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this announcement is that Toyota is building a factory to produce the lithium-ion batteries needed for these plug-in vehicles. This should drive the price of these batteries down and make them more accessible and affordable for many other green applications too, including off-grid solar and wind power installations.
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