Electric & Hybrid Cars

By John Bigman

An electric car, as the name suggests, is a type of vehicle that moves by the power of batteries instead of liquid fuel such as diesel or gasoline. The concept is very old but it has gained momentum of late due to factors such as the need for green automobiles, cheaper means of transport and sheer innovation.

By mere observation, an electric car looks like any other car but a close examination of its motive power and engine system will reveal a different set of components.

The electric car is mainly made up of an electric motor, a controller and a set of batteries.

The electric motor moves the car just like the motor in a starter makes it turn. It is the main means through which the car is able to move around. The controller is a set of devices that monitors and supplies power to the motor.

The controller basically manages the acceleration; transmitting less voltage as the driver releases his foot from the power, resulting in low speed for the vehicle. The controller also ensures that as soon as the driver steps on the brakes, acceleration is automatically reduced.

The controller acts like a switch, turning the battery supply on and off. But it is more than that. A driver may have different levels of acceleration and not simply full or no acceleration. In these cases, the controller will intelligently monitor the press of the pedal and supply the necessary current accordingly.

The set of batteries provide the power for the moo to turn to make the car move.

An electric car uses minimal mechanical systems and is therefore quiet and smooth in movement.

By Ronen Hersh

Converting your car to an electric car could not be easier these days, more and more people are converting their car to run on electricity, and that way they save lots of money on gasoline.When converting your car to work on electricity, you will not feel any change in your car behavior, your car will be even better then what it was, so you can be sure that no damage will happen to your car.

It is very easy to convert your car to work on batteries; in fact, anyone can do it, including you! Building you electric powered car is a matter of a few hours, in the worst cases, it will take you a day or two, but this happens only in rare cases that you don’t have all your time for building your car, if you do have the time to work on it, you will do it fast and easily, if you have all the tools you need for it.

Now you don’t need the fancy hybrid cars that cost lots of money, you can build your own electric car conversion kit, and install it for yourself, what’s easier then that? Building an electric car conversion kit is not that expensive, now anyone can afford it, basically, if you buy an electric car it will cost you thousands of dollars, and building your own will not cost you more than a few hundreds, so of course it’s better to build it on your own.

When you get your electric car ready, you will be able to drive more than 100 miles for one charge, and the charging will take approximately 30 minutes, and you can drive and drive, until the next charge. So I hope you understand the advantage of using an electric car conversion, you will save money, time, don’t hurt the environment, and have lots of fun!

By Ken Stevens

For sure, at some point, you’ve heard in the news or read in the newspaper the wonders of electric cars. There are several reasons why electric cars are all over the bulletins right now. One thing behind this phenomenon is that electric cars are types of vehicles that is powered by fuel cells. And since the rise of fuel prices are getting noticed by the public, the advantage of an electric car is clearly seen.

Another reason electric cars are popular is because electric cars are environmentally friendly since they produce less pollution than the regular gasoline-powered cars. And one more explanation about the hype is because of the stories about the hybrid electric cars that are largely owned by celebrities that promotes the ‘Green Movement’.

Most of the time, electric cars are not bought brand new by car owners rather a conversion of their previous regular car. In plain site you will somewhat have a difficult time to spot if the car is an electric one or not. One way to point out if the car is a converted electric car is the sound of it. Regular gasoline-powered cars are a little loud and electric cars are almost silent. However, you can easily distinguish the make of the car once the hood is popped-up. If a regular gasoline-powered car is converted to an electric car then you will notice that the following:

1. The gasoline engine is traded for an electric motor,
2. The controller obtains it power from the selection of rechargeable batteries and
3. The electric motor gains its power through the controller.

Electric cars can be defined as a refined wiring project. Contrariwise, because of its fuel lines, colorant hoses, exhaust pipes and entry manifolds, a regular gasoline-powered car is defined as a rough plumbing project.

So why choose an electric car against regular car? Another reason is because electric cars offer a distinct experience in driving. Most of electric vehicles, because of their low center of gravity, provide outstanding handling along with swift initial increase of velocity. Even at lower pace or speed, electric motor presents nearly incessant rotating force that allows the car to do things that normal or traditional petroleum based vehicles can not do. One great case of point of this is when you’re driving a regular gasoline-powered car and you’re steering up to a curb in a street. With the regular car there’s still a need for you to stop, aim to climb the curb and kick-start the motor to reach your goal. But with an electric car, it will be a breeze for you to climb the curb.

Converting regular gasoline-powered cars to electric cars have so many other benefits as well. And naturally, it also has its share of drawbacks. To fully understand how to convert one yourself or comprehend what your mechanic is doing to your car then you can hit the web to search for details in regards to building an electric car. With the various websites the features this phenomenon then it will also be a breeze for you to learn the guidelines and fine points of converting an electric car.

By Bill Heffner

Everyone is well aware that the prices of petroleum products all over the world have been steadily rising in the past years. This is due mainly to the fact that the sources of these products are being slowly depleted and experts estimate that it will be bled dry in the next 20 years. Because of that, every car owner has been wondering about what other kinds of cars possess the same mileage as gasoline - guzzling cars but at a lesser maintenance cost. One of the answers is electric cars.

Electric cars - what are they and why do we need them?

Electric cars are also called electric vehicles or EVs. They have been competing with the conventional gas - guzzler since the car was invented but were almost wiped out when Ford learned to mass produce his Model T cars. Since then, car companies have been reluctant to produce electric cars except in showrooms. It was the case until General Motors produced various varieties like the EV1 in 1996. However, it was not that successful, primarily because of the efforts of oil companies and some major car manufacturers.

As its name says, electric cars run on electricity. They have been around since the 1880s. They are popular during that time because of their near silence, as compared to the unpleasant noise produced by the internal - combustion engine of gas - guzzlers, and their low - maintenance costs. But because of several factors like the one mentioned earlier, electric cars took a backseat.

Aside from that, other benefits are also brought about by electric cars and they are most noticeable on the environment. Due to the fact that they don’t use petroleum products or other natural resources as fuel, they produce no emission. This is why they are called “ZEVs” or zero emission vehicles. These makes them environment friendly. These makes it desirable because automobiles today are one of the main reasons for the worsening condition of global warming brought about by air pollution.

With the continued advancement of science and technology, electric car parts are also becoming more affordable, durable and more effective. Electric car batteries today have longer lives and can run further per charge. Other parts are readily available and can be brought on most department stores and hardware depots.

Today many car owners are rediscovering the benefits brought about by using electric cars. But because not many electric cars are produced by car companies, private individuals take steps to build an electric car on their own. In fact, anyone can build their own electric car.

Converting your car into an electric vehicle has become a hobby and obsession for some and the idea is becoming more and more popular. There are online sites that offer instructional videos and guides showing you how to make an electric car. Aside from that, they provide information on where to get parts at the best possible deals. There are also online forums where electric car enthusiasts can share their ideas and offer help to anyone who wants to build an electric car.

Indeed electric cars are maybe the answer to some of the problems that the world faces today. It’s good to know that some people are taking steps to promote this idea. But unless most people who own a car agrees and patronizes it, electric cars will stay out of the spotlight, waiting for its time.