Why does anyone buy an electric car? In order to reduce the carbon footprints as much as possible and to cut down on gas-consumption, right? However, age-old fossil fueled grids still have to be used for recharging the vehicles, as a result of which not much energy can actually be saved.
Alpha Energy has come up with a solution to this problem. It has announced the introduction of a new solar charging station meant for all electric vehicles. According to the Director of Applications Engineering for Alpha Energy, Ezra Auerbach, the solar charging station, named EV-500, would make it easy for car-owners to tap solar energy and use it for recharging their vehicles.
EV-500 has the capacity to charge electric vehicles using one, two or three 170 Watt PV modules, thereby satisfying the diverse geographical and solar intensity requirements. Based on a proprietary design, the charging station can recharge a 48V dc battery, using only a single PV module. (more…)
A hybrid electric test vehicle equipped with a CSIRO UltraBattery system recently passed 100,000 miles (161,000 Km) on the test track. The UltraBattery combines an asymmetric super-capacitor and a Lead Acid Battery in a single unit, creating a hybrid car battery that lasts longer, costs less and is more powerful than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
In comparison to conventional Valve-Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries, the UltraBattery shows superior input and output power through a wide state of charge (SOC) range and partial state of charge (PSOC) life. The UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50 per cent more power than conventional battery systems. It’s also about 70 per cent cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs.
Is it a car or a motorcycle? Something so small yet powerful that it seems too good to be true. A first look at it, tells me it’s a car, but when I go into the details, it gives me the impression that makes it much more than just a motorcycle. A car, that is as compact and efficient as a motorcycle in the busy traffic, only superior to it in safety and performance. Meet Tango, an urban automobile solution that is being offered with zero emissions and high speed performance, well suited for the city.
With over 1000 pounds of torque, it can leap from zero to 60 mph in four seconds without any differential, it finishes a standing quarter-mile in about twelve seconds at over 100 mph. Tango may easily belong to the race car category, the only difference is that this small but mighty car is much safer and its four pint harnesses are much easier to get into. The side protection is estimated at 4 timed higher than that of a typical SUV.
Electric motorcycles are popping up almost everywhere you look. With gas prices reaching new highs, these electric bikes/motorcycles look to provide an alternative albeit “greener” mode of transportation. The same goes for this mini electric motorcycle called Scoot. This model moves on a lithium ion battery (rechargeable 6 hours) with a range of 40 to 50 km at a speed of 30 mph. Assuming the prices for these batteries continue to drop as they have over the past year, the price for the bikes could drop too in years to come.
Normally, Global Electric Motorcars or GEM battery electric vehicles are classified as low-speed vehicles, or neighborhood electric vehicles. Chrysler was the first major automaker to offer vehicles in the zero-emission, low-speed vehicle class, but here are some models to think about - The Special Edition Package is available on the GEM e2, GEM e4, and the GEM e6 models and features polished aluminum wheels, chrome headlamp bezels, front and rear chrome bumpers, a deluxe steering wheel, tilt steering, premium carpeted floor mats, and premium two-toned seats among many other options and accessories. Special edition emblems and the premium Glacier Blue hood color complete its look to make the vehicle truly green and unique.
They are called ‘dirt bikes’ and when you take a look at them, they sure as hell justify their title. The ‘not so fancy’ title becomes all the more appropriate when you just take a look around at the tracks that they generally lay the rubber down on. But let that not deceive you in to feeling that these bad boys of the rough races are just ‘dirt’. In fact they are cleaner than most conventional bikes. At least the one we are about to take a look at is.
Quantya Fmx Dirtbike is one such bike that not only allows you to enjoy all the thrills and spills of racing the dirt tracks and the tarmac across the planet, but also gives you the joy of enjoying it in a clean way. Yup, that is pretty much the irony of it. This dirt bike is actually clean-clean with emissions that is. The Quantya Fmx is an electric dirt bike that runs on charge. This quite simply means that you do not have to worry about petrol or worry about exhaust. The benefits go far beyond that actually.
Now it is nothing new to hear that Paris Hilton has done something that made her and all around her go green. But this is totally different. It is actually for the first time that she has done something ‘green’ and it is something that both she and everybody around her can be proud of. The star of ‘Simple Life’ has finally decided that she wants to go all green and in her typical ‘loud’ style, she has decided that she’ll let the world know about it.
Of course anything she does has some amount of style attached to it. She has decided to revamp her lifestyle, starting from the car she uses so that she takes the green path forward. She is joining her more illustrious Hollywood co stars like Cameron Diaz and Leonardo Di Caprio in making sure that her mode of transport is eco friendly. The heir to a fortune has decided that she would use a hybrid electric motor to power he vehicle. She has decided to make an eco-conscious decision by switching her lights from conventional ones to the ones that save energy.
This is no ordinary car; rather call it electric intelligence on three wheels. Twike is a futuristic, low energy, high efficiency car with forward looking technology. It is well capable of captivating you with its innovative design and on road performance. With a top speed of 55 mph and a range up to 90 miles, whether for work or play, open convertible top in the summer, or buttoned up warm and dry in the face of wind and rain and even snow, your trusty Twike takes you where you want to go. It combines an electric motor with a pedal drive, in a unique system that converts muscle power directly into motion, while allowing electric power to assist instantly and at any time. Video after the jump.
With 336 volts and up to 17 amp hours of power, the battery provides for fast acceleration, hill climbing strength, and long range. High technology for eco-friendly locomotion. The car is steered using a joystick configuration; much like an airplane, with the joystick you have complete fingertip control of steering, acceleration, turn signals, and brakes, all in one hand. Cruise control provides for a relaxed and energy saving ride.
The batteries are lithium-ion and can be charged from a regular household outlet. The unrivalled efficiency of about one kilowatt hour of electricity used per one hundred miles traveled means an ultra low energy cost, far less than one cent per mile and driving a Twike becomes even more eco-friendly if the power to charge it comes from renewable resources. For $26,000, there will always be those who may buy the vehicle as a novelty, or as a second car.
The battery-powered Tesla is based on a modified Lotus Elise chassis. Its maker, Tesla Motors, of San Carlos, California, claims it’ll zap 60 mph in four seconds, juice it to 130 mph, and spin the meter for up to 250 miles between charges. This car has no compromises: style, luxury, high speed, energy and efficiency. If you think that’s green, think again! The super swift all-electric Tesla Roadster goes ‘greener’. Nothing electric to deal with, it’s solar, making its way through this masterpiece. This photovoltaic enclosure, topped with solar panels, takes Tesla Roaster completely off-grid. The roof is a complete car port, which acts a power station for your electric vehicles, turning it into a high-tech, self-sustaining green wonder. The solar cover will be available as an option with Tesla Roadster as well as sold separately to be used for other electric vehicles.
Smith Electric Vehicles—A U.K based company plans to bring their electric trucks to the U.S. They plan to produce up to 10,000 of the electric trucks per year and the production in the U.S is projected to start in 2010. Smith electric vehicles offer perfect solutions for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications including healthcare, urban delivery, airport and municipal services.
Their Newton model truck is the world’s largest high performance electric truck that features: a 120Kw battery powered drive system with a max speed of 50 mph, fully charged it can cover up to 150 miles with a payload capacity up to 15,800 lb. The company claims that these trucks emit NO pollutants, making them the ultimate environment friendly transporters.
