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Electric Cars: The New Generation Of Motoring

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Total views: 0 | Word Count: 586 | Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 | 0 comments

Within the next year electric cars, or zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as they are sometimes referred to, will be an everyday sight on roads right across the world. The stuff of science fiction movies will have have become science fact.

Basic electric vehicles are already for sale to motorists in many parts of the world and are ready to become a lot more sophisticated and widespread in the coming years.

The idea of an electric vehicle is nothing new, it has been around for many years. However, the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions in the fight to slow global warming has sped up the development of this next generation of road transport.

Affordable electric vehicles and ZEVs are already being built and will soon be widely available in showrooms around the world. We are already familiar with hybrid cars, which have been around for a number of years. These cars use both electric and gasoline propulsion to aid in the reduction of emissions. Electric vehicles take eco-friendly motoring to the next level, in that they have no emissions at all - they don't even have a tail pipe. The advantages of this are set to be dramatic, particularly in polluted heavily populated areas, as electric cars and ZEVs become commonplace.

So how does the electric car function? Electric cars use electric motors and motor controllers rather than the standard internal combustion engine. Instead of standard gasoline, these vehicles are propelled by electricity from batteries, although cutting edge methods of energy storage are being developed that should replace batteries in the not too distant future. Already, special refueling stops for the electric vehicle revolution are springing up on roadsides around the world where motorists can pull in and refuel their electric cars, just like at a normal filling station.

However, for a lot of people, the transition from the standard gasoline car that we all know and love to electric vehicles and ZEVs will require a huge leap of faith. However, electric cars have so many benefits that the transition should be a pretty smooth one.

Running costs - The fact that electric cars are cheaper to run and cost less to keep on the road will likely convince their fiercest opponents. Car owners will get a lot more miles for their money and the cost of maintaining these vehicles is set to be a lot cheaper than servicing a normal car.

Global warming - As electric vehicles become more widespread, the benefits to the environment will be huge. This is particularly true in large city areas where smog and poor air quality at street level presents a grave health hazard to residents.

Some concerns do remain over electric cars, such as the length of time it takes to recharge batteries, the top speeds and acceleration of the vehicles, and issues such as handling and performance. That said, as car manufacturers invest more and more money into perfecting these vehicles, these concerns are likely to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

About the Author

Michael is a publicist with more than a dozen years editorial experience. Michael is currently employed as a journalist with our b2b site and is considered the in house expert on alternate fuel vehicles. Visit our very useful web portal for more information on Electric Cars and Electric Vehicle.

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