Electric Cars - Simplicity and Options in Car Design
by John Seo
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This is the rise of the electric compact vehicle (EV). Average growth of electric cars in the United States is 28.5% and growing. Electric cars are expected to be mass produced and sold into the US market by the end of 2010 with the GM Volt leading the trend. Predecessors to the electric car include, already available, hybrid vehicles produced by Honda and Toyota, and fully electric car by Tesla. The electric car is expected to have a game changing impact on the global auto markets. Electric cars will require no gasoline, travel more than 200 miles on a charge and will likely be immediately cost effective to produce as auto makers will be able to remove many costly components like starters, exhaust, pistons and the engine itself.

Electric compacts are not the only cars taking the stage, there are cars and trucks with a range of energy options. Current forms of propulsion include fuel cells, hydrogen, ethanol, battery, traditional gasoline, compressed air, natural gas, solar, and a myriad of flex and hybrid options. In fact, it is likely that the first generation of electric compact cars will be hybrids designed to plug into standard outlets, but still having a backup gasoline engine.

Just from looking at one, you wouldn't guess that the car is electric. In many cases the electric and hybrid cars look identical to their gasoline counterparts. When you step on the accelerator there will be no doubt that you're stepping in the world of electric as the electric engine makes no sound. Many electric compact cars get over 100 miles to a charge from the rechargeable batteries. The electricity is sent from the batteries to a controller that manages the electricity going to the electric motor. Batteries that are found in cars include lithium-ion grids, lead-acid batteries, and fuel cells. Looking at a Tesla Roadster one would think that Lamborghini will have a run for there money.

Tesla Motors incorporated in July 2003 and has had over $100 million invested from notables Elon Musk, Compass Technology Partners, Valor Equity Partners, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Jeff Skoll, Nick Pritzker, Draper, Fischer, Jurvetson, Capricorn Management and JP Morgan. The cost of powering a Tesla Roadster is about 2 cents per mile. The car can go from 0 to 60 MPH in about 4 seconds. It has been featured on the cover of Fortune magazine. More affordable sedan models WhiteStar and BlueStar can be expected in 2010 and will range from $30,000 to $60,000. WhiteStar will be a four door, five passenger, light, high-performance sedan. Tesla operates in England, Michigan, Seattle and San Carlos.

These advanced 21st century electric motors are not the kind you would find in your washing machine or refrigerator, but they do share some similarities. The most popular motors used in electric compact vehicles are the "DC wound electric motor," "Permanent magnet DC motor," and the "3 phase AC induction motor." The 3 phase AC motor is very promising because alternating current gets better torque, has better range, and will be, overall, more like a gasoline engine car. Many of the motors used in current and upcoming electric compacts are powered by hundreds and sometimes thousands of individual battery cells.

The inventor that inspired the AC motor in its current form was Nikola Tesla, who has been called the "father of physics" and the "man who invented the twentieth century." Tesla's contributions to the electric motor, power transmission, magnetics and generators has earned him the credit of one of the greatest engineering minds in American history. Tesla famously demonstrated his wireless transmission of energy via an early "Tesla coil." While he obtained over 100 patents, and achieved more than 700 inventions, because of his eccentricities and foresighted claims he never benefited financially from his genius.

Some of the companies that have released or are about to release electric cars include, Computer Cars, ElBil Norge, Dynasty Electric Car Corp., Global Electric Motorcars, Fly Bo, Myers Motors, Modec, Reva, Smith Electric Vehicles, Venturi, Twike, Zenn Motors, Zap Electric Cars, Spark Electric Vehicles, Lighting Car Company, Think, Tesla Motors, Moteur Development International, Pheonix Motorcars, Porteon, Universal Electric Vehicles, Aptera, Obvio, Venture Vehicles, Fisker Automotive, Miles Electric Vehicles as well as well known companies Honda, Toyota, GM, and chrysler.