Cars
Electric Cars Get a Jolt
Carmakers are revving up to produce vehicles as easy to recharge as your Dirt Devil. PLUS: See our electric-car slide show.
By Mark Solheim, Senior Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, July 2008
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Automakers haven't faced a year this dismal since 1998, so the 2008 New York Auto Show was predictably subdued. That is, until the Mitsubishi public-relations folks told me I could take a spin in their concept electric vehicle, called the iMiev.
The iMiev looks kind of like a Volkswagen Beetle, and it's surprisingly roomy. The electric engine supplies plenty of torque for quick acceleration, and the all-wheel drive delivers good handling. And, of course, it's quiet -- especially idling in gridlocked New York City traffic.
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The concept iMiev has a 63-horsepower motor and a range of 80 miles in city driving from its battery. The vehicle recharges in about seven hours using a 220-volt plug, or 14 hours using a 110-volt outlet. You could pay as little as 2 to 3 cents per mile to power it, depending on local utility rates. The iMiev is on track to be sold in Japan next year and globally soon after that.
All charged up. Electric cars have been around since the 1890s, when Thomas Edison and a bunch of other inventors thought they'd hit on the key to mass locomotion. And no wonder: They're quiet, cheap to operate, and produce no tailpipe emissions. Yet they own a tiny niche in the small universe of environmentally palatable cars.
But thanks to advances in battery technology, carmakers are revving up to produce a new generation of electric vehicles as easy to recharge as your Dirt Devil. Both General Motors and Toyota say they are within two years of a production-model plug-in hybrid. GM's Volt has a gas engine for backup, but it doesn't power the wheels; instead, it acts as a generator to recharge the battery for trips longer than 40 miles. Toyota is working on a plug-in Prius with similar technology. And Ford engineers have been spotted driving around Dearborn in a plug-in Edge.
The Tesla Roadster, which went into production in March, doesn't even bother with a gas engine. It can go 220 miles before its battery needs to be recharged, and it tops out at 125 miles per hour. (Arnold Schwarzenegger has one, and so do the founders of Google.) The 2008 model is sold out; the 2009 model costs $109,000. The launch of the Tesla has inspired other small electric-vehicle (EV) start-ups around the globe that are racing to produce their own versions of an electric car. Many of these firms are designing expensive vehicles and production will be limited. Plus, they have no sound business plan, let alone a track record for mass production.
Says Bradley Berman, editor of Hybridcars.com: "The smart money is on the Japanese carmakers." They have big R&D departments and support from the government to produce green vehicles, as opposed to the start-ups, which are financially fueled by venture capital. In fact, Mitsubishi wasn't the only carmaker pushing electric power at the New York Auto show. Subaru unveiled the tiny, two-seater R1e, a concept vehicle not yet scheduled for production, and Nissan presented its concept Denki Cube (denki means RelectricS in Japanese).
Not enough juice? Engineers and designers still have a lot of work to do to produce an EV that's reliable and practical enough for the mass market. Lithium-ion batteries are costly, prone to overheating and will eventually stop working (think about your laptop battery). The industry is working to increase driving range, reduce the time it takes to recharge the battery, and implement a network of charging and battery-replacement stations in case you run out of juice away from home. First-generation EVs will be suitable for commuting but not for long trips.
Electric utilities must be ready to meet increased demand, and some of that power may have to come from less-than-desirable coal-burning plants. Finally, the Governator can afford to pay a hundred grand for a toy like the Tesla, but GM and Toyota know that they had better be able to sell plug-ins for about $30,000. Don't be shocked if the first EVs, at least, come with even higher price tags.
Reader Comments (19)
Posted by: B Young at 06/22/2008 07:13:42 PM
History, we should study more of it.PHEV have been around for many many years. I was on a team that built one for the US Department of Defense in 1995, as an ARPA advance vehicle program. In this 5 years program, 4 PHEV were built using difference design configerations. Schwarzenegger has the CalStart program doing EV research and development which was created by this ARPA funding in 1993 and had their own vehicle, Then ARPA program died. Decade after decade politics and ecomonics change thereby change technology. Humans have not learned yet, that we should always do what is best for the world and not what is best for our pocketbook and this problem would have been solved years ago. Gasoline prices have to go up to make humans to what is right.
Posted by: Mike at 06/23/2008 07:50:52 AM
What about the pollution generated to produce the eletricity to charge these vehicles. Does this not produce a trade-off that would negate the benefit?
Posted by: Doug B at 06/23/2008 08:52:55 AM
I absolutely agree. Even though it is painful, I don't believe we should be further subsidizing oil exploration/exploitation to lower gasoline prices. That would just delay work on doing the right thing...developing and industrializing energy sources other than fossil fuels.
Posted by: Nomen at 06/23/2008 09:55:46 AM
Most of the American economy cars offered during the past 30 years have been of very low quality,poorly designed and poorly promoted. When gas was cheaper why would anyone buy them to save just a few dollars? We now have a different energy situation which our government along with the auto and oil companies have long known was coming. Their lack of preparation is their own fault and to blame the public's buying habits (which they helped shape)is ludicrous. It's also interesting that now the target price for plug-ins would be around $30,000 or the current cost of the average luxury SUV. Using the high cost of gas to drive this new market is a horribly unfair financial burden on the average working person who will be forced to drive their old vehicles rather than take the trade-in loss and make larger payments on something more fuel efficient. Where are the fuel efficient autos in the $5,000-$12,000 range that the rest of us can afford?
Posted by: R. Richmond at 06/23/2008 01:05:14 PM
Interesting... what is Tesla doing that is so expensive?...this article takes a lighthearted look at the whole thing as though it is a trendy sort of fad. America better wake up! I couldn't agree more with B. Young quote "we should always do what is best for the world and not what is best for our pocketbook." I have been a Republican for a number of years. But this last presidency has opened my eyes to the length and breadth that Corporate greed will take us into the abyss. Do anything for short term gain... get that "Golden Parachute" in place for me... me... me... and to hell with our future! That is the mantra of our modern-day world. Electric cars are the future...
Posted by: Rich in the Lord at 06/23/2008 01:50:58 PM
Managers and CEO's are only interested in short term profits that make them look good so they can justify their outrageous compensation. They are not interested in long term planning. So they manage their companies into bankruptcy. Then they want the taxpayers to bail them out. They should read the bible until they get the message on how to run a business and their lives even if they are not a believer
Posted by: Marty at 06/23/2008 02:10:28 PM
Why not just use an electric scooter to get to work ang back. They are available now, cost next to nothing to operate. They are very cheap and pay for themselves within a year. Another alternative is an electric bike conversion kit. I outfitted my mountain bike with it and use it to get to work and back. Plug it in overnight and it's ready to go. I still use my Jeep to cart the kids around to school, sitter's etc but if I'm solo, it's on my electric bike. Cheers.
Posted by: Lorena Blanco at 06/23/2008 02:43:30 PM
Why are we so intent on electric cars? Do they not realize that it still falls back to oil, carbon, and other pollutan genarating agents. There are other alternative fuels. No, I am not talking about ethanol. I am talking about hydrogen. What about water powered vehicles? It is cheaper to purchase a gallon of water than to purchase a gallon of oil.
Posted by: Robert F. Tangen at 06/23/2008 04:36:20 PM
They just don't get it, these cars have to be affordable. $109,00 for the Tesla and $30,000 + for the cars from Ford, GM and Toyota aren't going to cut it. Most of the second cars in the USA are used 5 days a week for trips of less than 85 miles a day. They are grocery getters, take the kids to school and after school events cars. They need to seat 4 persons and be able to do short stints on the freeway and cost less than $20,000. As long as these cars are costly toys for the rich or unaffordable to the rest of us they will not sell and the auto makers will do as they have always done....
Posted by: Anthony at 06/23/2008 09:43:16 PM
What about those of us who do not own a home or do not have a garage. Where do we plug it in? I have a condo but I don't have a garage and my car sits outside in a parking lot? Where would people like me plug in a plugin hybrid???
Posted by: Dennis Page at 06/23/2008 09:47:53 PM
Electric is definetely the smart way to go. You...people that suggest hydrogen don't undertstand anything about the technology. There is no way to mass produce hydrogen other than electrolysis of water, which requires.. electricity! Electric power plants are 90% efficent, while an internal combustion engine is less that 40% efficient. It makes the most sense to generate the power in an electric plant then use it to power your vehicle. The utility company's know what they are doing and have the technology to make the cleanest power, whatever it may be hydroelectric, coal, gas, nuclear, etc. Why in the world would you want to reinvent the wheel?
Posted by: George at 06/23/2008 11:16:32 PM
Besides the obvious pollution problems there are two things wrong with gasoline powered vehicles. First, our enemies control the oil and by sticking with these vehicles we are just enriching them to the detriment of our own economy. Second, we are witnessing now only the beginning of high gasoline prices, shortages and lines at the pump. The near term solution is the "plug in hybrid". These vehicles are available today and will reduce world demand for oil while allowing time to develop a practical alternative to gasoline to power our vehicles.
Posted by: Jarrod at 06/24/2008 09:08:09 AM
Electric will not be a panacea to our energy crisis. Overpopulated urban areas such as Los Angeles already struggles to provide electricity for homes and businesses. Imagine the energy demand if half a million cars plugged in every night to recharge. Rolling blackouts would not only affect air conditioning and television watching, but commuting as well.
Posted by: Stan at 06/24/2008 12:03:44 PM
Jarrod, ...EV's can't be produced fast enough to take advantage of this surplus.The power companies would love to get better utilization of their installed equipment.
Posted by: CJ at 06/24/2008 12:32:48 PM
I would like to be able to buy an affordable electric vehicle. I drive less than 75 miles a month when I am at home. An electric vehicle that is affordable to buy would be terrific for short errands. I would like to see more action taken to make solar panels and solar tiles more affordable to the middle class. I would like to see more solar panels and solar tiles installed on houses. I think solar power is being neglected and not enough effort to make it affordable to middle class Americans.
Posted by: Joe at 06/24/2008 12:39:18 PM
Jarrod, EV is the perfect solution. Powerplants struggle to meet peak demands. At night, excess electricity produced is wasted because they have no way to store it. EV chargers could be programmed to charge during the offpeak hours when electricity is a surplus.
Posted by: David Trevino at 06/24/2008 02:02:45 PM
All this talk...what about the technology of the EV1 that GM took away from the US consumer?
Posted by: dale at 06/24/2008 04:08:01 PM
Marty, scooters don't stop the rain and they're tough when you're 90 yrs old. Lorena, potable water will be more valuable than oil is today (and it's a little more important). Robert, you nailed it. We want our cars to be smooth riding sports cars that can climb a mountain while getting great gas milage. They do everything but not very well. Let's specialize. If you need to take a driving vacation, rent. If you need to drive a sports car go to a track. The rest of the time use your 85 mile electric four seater.
Posted by: David Sanchez at 06/30/2008 01:42:20 PM
So, here is what you can do to influence the price of gasoline. Stop using it. And how do you do this? By getting our car manufacturers to stop producing cars that require gasoline and oil. They have the technology. It’s already there. It’s been there for over 10 years but they have refused to bring it to market. They SAY they are working toward this wonderful nirvana goal – that’s like finding a cure for cancer but not giving it to the patient….and then continue to work on the cure just to keep the patient paying hospital bills! Enough is enough! If Americans could hold off on buying a new car until the auto manufacturers come out with cars that are gas and oil free this would force auto companies to stand up and realize that the consumer is no longer going to complain into the wind. We are instead, DEMANDING that they do something about it. The minute they realize that their monthly new car sales are in jeopardy, they will realize that we are serious...