krispy
Cars have changed a lot. There are now Hybrids and electric cars. What is a important factor that caused these changes in the car industry? Is it polution and peak oil? Any others?
Answer
There is a convergence of need with capability. In the last several decades electronic devices have been getting smaller and powering those devices has spawned a battery industry and supporting electronics. GM had an interest in solar powered vehicles that lead a research team to win a solar car challenge. This led directly to the development of the "Impact" a prototype battery electric car.
Meanwhile the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which predates the founding of the EPA by 3 years, was searching for ways to reduce air pollution in California. Seeing that the Impact was an already existing zero emissions car. They created the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate (ZEV) in the early 90's. This called for automakers to sell a limited number of zero emissions vehicles as a small percentage of their total business if they did business in California. This then led directly to the development and lease of the EV1, RAVev, Ford Ranger ev, the S10 electric pick up and the Honda EV+. Of these only the EV1 was built as an electric car from the ground up as it was based on the Impact and not a gasoline powered car.
These early EV's needed a battery and there was a good one. The nickel metal hydride (NM-HI) developed by the Ovonics corporation: http://www.evuk.co.uk/hotwires/rawstuff/art24.html But Ovanics sold the rights to the battery to GM who among others brought a lawsuit against CARB to crush the ZEV and then they recalled and crushed the EV1 cars. This was made infamous in the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" GM then sold the battery rights to Texaco. Six days later they were bought out by Chevron who brought suit to keep the NM-HI batteries out of electric vehicles. They agreed however to allow the batteries with a smaller format in vehicles that still had a gasoline engine and the hybrid was born. Almost every existing hybrid vehicle uses NM-HI Batteries (see mine at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqv4NfsX53ue3XBanRpLzAv95nNG;_ylv=3?qid=20100304052536AAMz5Az for a list of hybrid cars that use NM-HI batteries) For whatever reason Chevron consistently refused to license them in a format sufficient for a purely electric vehicle.
There was a lot of talk about peak oil in 2004 - 2008, When speculation caused the oil price to rise dramatically gasoline prices skyrocketed. This produced two effects that have affected electric vehicles. The price of gas created even more of an interest in electric vehicles. It also precipitated an economic collapse as people on the financial edge with cheap credit could no longer afford their energy bills. That collapse has stimulated legislative reaction and resulting development funds for alternative energy including electric vehicles.
You can expect that the current credit economic crisis will limit electric car production but research and development will continue. It may also eliminate some dead wood in the automotive industry and create spaces for eventual new development. By mid decade some solid technological advances may also begin to reach consumers.
There is a convergence of need with capability. In the last several decades electronic devices have been getting smaller and powering those devices has spawned a battery industry and supporting electronics. GM had an interest in solar powered vehicles that lead a research team to win a solar car challenge. This led directly to the development of the "Impact" a prototype battery electric car.
Meanwhile the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which predates the founding of the EPA by 3 years, was searching for ways to reduce air pollution in California. Seeing that the Impact was an already existing zero emissions car. They created the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate (ZEV) in the early 90's. This called for automakers to sell a limited number of zero emissions vehicles as a small percentage of their total business if they did business in California. This then led directly to the development and lease of the EV1, RAVev, Ford Ranger ev, the S10 electric pick up and the Honda EV+. Of these only the EV1 was built as an electric car from the ground up as it was based on the Impact and not a gasoline powered car.
These early EV's needed a battery and there was a good one. The nickel metal hydride (NM-HI) developed by the Ovonics corporation: http://www.evuk.co.uk/hotwires/rawstuff/art24.html But Ovanics sold the rights to the battery to GM who among others brought a lawsuit against CARB to crush the ZEV and then they recalled and crushed the EV1 cars. This was made infamous in the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car" GM then sold the battery rights to Texaco. Six days later they were bought out by Chevron who brought suit to keep the NM-HI batteries out of electric vehicles. They agreed however to allow the batteries with a smaller format in vehicles that still had a gasoline engine and the hybrid was born. Almost every existing hybrid vehicle uses NM-HI Batteries (see mine at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqv4NfsX53ue3XBanRpLzAv95nNG;_ylv=3?qid=20100304052536AAMz5Az for a list of hybrid cars that use NM-HI batteries) For whatever reason Chevron consistently refused to license them in a format sufficient for a purely electric vehicle.
There was a lot of talk about peak oil in 2004 - 2008, When speculation caused the oil price to rise dramatically gasoline prices skyrocketed. This produced two effects that have affected electric vehicles. The price of gas created even more of an interest in electric vehicles. It also precipitated an economic collapse as people on the financial edge with cheap credit could no longer afford their energy bills. That collapse has stimulated legislative reaction and resulting development funds for alternative energy including electric vehicles.
You can expect that the current credit economic crisis will limit electric car production but research and development will continue. It may also eliminate some dead wood in the automotive industry and create spaces for eventual new development. By mid decade some solid technological advances may also begin to reach consumers.
American Hybrids or Fuel Efficient Cars....?
Q. What are some out there? Im planing on keeping my options open to an American car, but does anyone know any that arnt too expensive (can possibly find used/lease) and what kinds there are, comments or reviews on any, etc.
Thanks :D
Pretty much..
Any American car,
Fuel efficient.
Justtt Fuel efficient I guess..
And American, I wont be buying it till next year.
Thanks :D
Pretty much..
Any American car,
Fuel efficient.
Justtt Fuel efficient I guess..
And American, I wont be buying it till next year.
Answer
American carmakers do have hybrids.. Ford makes the Escape Hybrid, which I think is probably the one with the best drivetrain of all current American hybrids.
It uses a Power Split Device transmission, which is mechanically very simple and consequently very durable. It has just a single gearset to combine the power from the gasoline engine and electric motors, and the first of New York City's Escape Hybrids in its taxi fleet have withstood 200,000 miles of abuse at the hands of cabbies with no problems.
(the PSD geardrive transmission was developed by the American technology company TRW, and it's also used in the Toyota Prius and other Toyota, Lexus and Nissan hybrids).
Right now the 2008 Escape Hybrid 2WD qualifies for a $3000 Federal Tax Credit from the IRS too.
Escape Hybrid gets 32mpg combined city/hwy, easily the best fuel economy of all SUVs.
American carmakers do have hybrids.. Ford makes the Escape Hybrid, which I think is probably the one with the best drivetrain of all current American hybrids.
It uses a Power Split Device transmission, which is mechanically very simple and consequently very durable. It has just a single gearset to combine the power from the gasoline engine and electric motors, and the first of New York City's Escape Hybrids in its taxi fleet have withstood 200,000 miles of abuse at the hands of cabbies with no problems.
(the PSD geardrive transmission was developed by the American technology company TRW, and it's also used in the Toyota Prius and other Toyota, Lexus and Nissan hybrids).
Right now the 2008 Escape Hybrid 2WD qualifies for a $3000 Federal Tax Credit from the IRS too.
Escape Hybrid gets 32mpg combined city/hwy, easily the best fuel economy of all SUVs.
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Title Post: Question about more fuel efficient cars?
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