by 51 people |
Most people don't know that there are thousands of electric cars on the road today, and they can be both inexpensive to obtain and to operate.
Why tolerate unpredictable gasoline prices? An inexpensive electric car can be a fun project that saves real money - and pays for itself in short order.
Can you really buy an electric car?
You only have to spend a few thousand
In truth, most of the electric vehicles on the road today were built by hobbyists or small entrepreneurs. In the links section at the bottom, you will find some of these people, and the cars that they sell.
The majority of these cars are converted gasoline cars. An old car with a poor engine but a good body is obtained cheaply. The engine, and all gasoline components are stripped out, and a new electric drivetrain is installed.
You might decide to convert a car you already own - or buy a car which has already been converted. The good news is that an electric car of this type can be obtained for as little as $5000. Prices almost never get as high as $20,000.
Most of these cars will be based on old battery technology, as the new tech batteries are protected by patents that make it hard for the small businessmen to deal with. But you will still be able to drive at freeway speeds in cars that accelerate and handle well. Your driving range may be limited to less than 100 miles, or even less than 50 miles. But cars like this are still fine for most commuting and day-to-day driving tasks.
Remember, an electric vehicle can be plugged in anywhere. I charge mine while I'm at work, so I have plenty of juice to run an errand or two on the way home.
Can an electric vehicle save me money?
Apply the fuel savings to your car payment
If this driver's car gets 20 miles per gallon, this represents 62.5 gallons of gasoline. At $4.25/gallon (about the price we paid in 2008), our typical driver spends about $265 on gasoline every month.
An electric car uses kilowatt-hours (KWH) of electricity instead of gasoline. Typically our EV might get from 3 to 7 miles per KWH. So, for this example, we'll use 5 miles/KWH. In my city, there is a special off-peak electric rate of just 3 cents/KWH (ask your utility about off-peak rates.) But in other places, the electric rate could be 10 cents or higher per KWH. So let's use 7 cents.
Using these numbers, the same 1250 miles per month - that cost our typical driver $265 for gasoline - only costs $17.50 in electricity for our electric car - a savings of $247.50!
If you were buying an electric car, and your car payment was $500, try subtracting the fuel savings from it: it becomes $252.50. This means you can afford a better EV with a bigger car payment!
Maintaining your electric car
It costs very little
A gasoline engine and its associated components are made up of thousands of parts. Every part represents the possibility of a breakdown. This situation is far different in an electric vehicle. Electric motors have only ONE moving part. There is no maintenance needed on an electric motor. No filters, oil changes, coolant, NOTHING.
You have electric motors all over your house - in your clothes washer/dryer, refrigerator, air conditioner, can opener, blender, and on and on. Appliances do break - but when was the last time the electric motor itself was to blame? There is almost nothing in the technology world more reliable than an electric motor. This is why EVs last a long time, and have very high resale values.
How about the batteries? Yes, of course batteries have a limited life, and need periodic replacement. The oldest battery technology is lead-acid. In a typical EV, a lead-acid battery pack might last for 20 thousand miles. The pack in my EV, which consists of 16 batteries, costs me about $800 to replace. That works out to about 4 cents per mile. Add to that the typical electricity cost per mile of 1.5 cents, and our total operating cost is only 5.5 cents per mile.
Newer battery technology, like Li-Ion, or especially nanotechnology batteries, have a much longer life. Some cars with newer versions of these batteries may warrant the battery pack for as much as 250,000 miles, or the life of the vehicle.
Are there other operating costs? The electronic controller in the car is very reliable also - my own EV is 25 years old, and has all the original motor and electronic controller parts. They have never needed repair.
Just like a regular car, you will need periodic brake and suspension work - but if your EV has regenerative braking, which uses the electric motor to brake the car - your brake pads will last much, much longer that they would on a standard auto.
How electric vehicles help with pollution
It doesn't matter what power plants burn
First, only about half the electricity created comes from burning coal, but this is still our major pollution worry. Only 3% comes from oil.
But energy is wasted in the evening, and at night, because many power plants are very hard to start up, and so can't be easily turned off when demand goes down. Electric cars charge mostly at night. There is currently enough wasted electricity and excess capacity for millions of electric cars, before more plants will need to be built. No new pollution will be created by using electricity that otherwise goes to waste.
And coal plants are baseload. This means they run all the time, EVs or no EVs. Peak load plants are not coal. Adding electric vehicles to the grid increases coal pollution very little.
But how about when electric cars catch on, and new plants have to be built? I hope these will be clean plants. But even if they are coal plants, the newest designs for coal generated electrical plants are up to 80% efficient, far more efficient than a typical sub-25% efficient gasoline engine. Greater efficiency means more miles on less fuel, and therefore less pollution per mile.
But even if all the above were not true, electric cars would still produce much less pollution than gas cars, because of the greater efficiency of electric drive (electric motor, 95% efficient, versus gas engine, 25% efficient.) Delivering energy by wire to electric cars (95% efficient) is also much, much more efficient than trucking gas to thousands of service stations.
The proof of all this is right in the fuel prices. Gasoline costs at least 14 cents per mile, and can run higher than 30 cents per mile, depending on the vehicle and gas prices. Electric cars drive around for only a penny or two per mile. The difference comes mainly from efficiency. Much greater efficiency = much less pollution.
Believe it or not, your gas car also uses electricity. It's true, large amounts of electricity are used to refine gasoline. Gasoline makes pollution during refining, it makes pollution when it's being delivered to gas stations, and it makes pollution when you use it.
Incidentally, hydrogen fuel-cell cars are also electric cars, including batteries, which are needed for acceleration. But they are less efficient than battery-powered cars, because of the extra electricity required to extract the hydrogen, and the wasted energy of transporting hydrogen to service stations. Fuel cell vehicles will always be more expensive than pure electric cars, because they are electric cars with a fuel cell added on.
The Cheap Electric Car Link List
Links to help save you money by driving an electric car
- Grassroots EV cars for sale
- Here, for sale, are some gasoline cars converted to electric. Don't be put off by all the 1980s cars here - the best conversion is a car with a good body but a poor engine. The car can then be obtained for next to nothing. Next, the engine and all associated parts are stripped out, and a new electric drivetrain installed.
- Used EVs at Austin EV
- Peruse some used electric vehicles here. Remember, electric vehicles are very reliable, so an old car can still serve you well. Be aware you may need to invest in a new battery pack (about $1000) for some of these.
- Convert your car to electric
- Here's an entrepreneur who will convert your car to electric for a very reasonable price.
- Ampmobile electric conversions
- Another place to get your car converted to electric.
- The EV Album at Austin EV
- Here you can look at the thousands of EV owners and their cars.
- Jerry's EV conversion
- Here's somebody's experience converting a car to electric.
- The ZAP Zebra
- The ZAP is a very fun little EV that only costs $11,700 brand new. You won't be able to take it on the freeway, however.
- Buy an electric Mazda 3
- For just $21,500, you can drive a Mazda 3 that has been converted into an electric car.
- Alaniz Conversions
- For the price of a good used car, you could be driving one of these superb EV conversions.
- E-Volks conversion kits
- Do it yourself! E-Volks has electric vehicle conversion kits for as little as $2280.
- New Electric Vehicle at Miles Automotive
- These cars aren't available yet, but will be for sale next year. These imported Chinese EVs should be introduced at prices competitive with gasoline cars. They are based on new Li-Ion battery technology, and the freeway-speed vehicles run at about 80mph for 200 miles on one charge.
The other vehicles available at the Miles site are NEVs, or 'Neighborhood Electric Vehicles.' These are low-speed electric cars that can't be taken on the freeway. - The Phoenix: The latest and most advanced EV
- The Phoenix represents the latest research in electric vehicles. It can drive up to 250 miles per charge (with expanded battery pack), does 95mph with a full cargo and passenger load, has batteries that charge in only ten minutes, and sports a battery life of 250,000 miles (never replace the batteries.)
Yes, it is a real car, and it is being built for fleet customers this year. It will be available to individuals soon. - Tesla All-electric sports car
- Alas, here we have an EV which is not cheap (it's over $100,000) but it is for sale right now, and it has awesome statistics. The Tesla Roadster can out-accelerate a Ferrari, has a 130mph top speed, and gets about 220 miles per charge.
- The Aptera
- The Aptera is an exciting but unusual-looking car that is expected to retail for under $30,000. It will be available in both electric and serial-hybrid versions.
- The Triac
- The Triac is another tiny EV which is expected to sell for a very reasonable sum.
- Electric Vehicles and Pollution
- Here are a number of studies (warning, this is a PDF file) showing the full well-to-wheels emissions impact of driving electric. The studies have been collected here by Sherry Boschert, author of "Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America."
- Study showing there's enough juice to charge EVs
- "Science Daily - A new study for the Department of Energy finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country's 220 million vehicles if they were plug-ins."
Books and Videos about Electric Cars
Who Killed the Electric Car?
This engaging DVD tells the story of the electric car mandate on the west coast - how electric cars arrived in the late 1990s, how they were loved, and then how they were pried from the hands of weeping drivers and CRUSHED. This is MUST viewing to understand the EV story today.
Amazon Price: $8.49 (as of 11/09/2009) 
Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America
Where hydrogen fuel-cell cars won't be ready for decades, the technology for plug-in hybrids exists today. Unlike conventional hybrid cars that can't run without gasoline, plug-in hybrids use gasoline or cheaper, cleaner, domestic electricity-or both. Although plug-in hybrids are not yet for sale, demand for them is widespread.
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 11/09/2009)
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle
Drivers can enjoy the clean-running convenience and economy of an electric vehicle for as much as it costs to buy a new car. This illustrated guide explains step by step how to build an inexpensive EV from a kit or convert an existing internal combustion engine.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/09/2009)
Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History
Far from being a modern conception, electric cars were among the first vehicles on the road. In the formative days of the automobile, a third of cars were electric, and they challenged internal combustion engine-driven vehicles for primacy. The story of the electric car is a long one, and it is still being written.
Amazon Price: $49.50 (as of 11/09/2009)
Electric car publications on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Cheap electric car feedback
Would you drive a cheap EV?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byWhere's my wallet?
breatheagain says:
Yea for sure..tons of torque at 0 rpm sure sounds appealing especially when stuck in traffic,and not having any exhaust is especially good ,my lungs sure wont complain.
Posted September 03, 2009
Maxine Keeton says:
Sure would
Posted August 11, 2009
Terra-ist says:
I have been getting around by electric bike since 2001 and it's met my transport and fitness needs in one go and was usually the best part of my day. Unfortunately I now live somewhere too steep and mountainous for it and am desperate for for a bike with better range and climbing ability but this doesn't seem to have moved on significantly in the last 8 years. There are several improvements in battery technology that have been devised but it seems a long wait for it to make it into the bike designs (eg using capacitors with batteries, 'breathing' batteries, ceramic lead acid batteries).
Posted August 11, 2009
Don says:
Yes I would drive a EV if it were affordable enough, but it isn't just the cost per mile of use but also the purchase price too. I can still drive a long ways on $12,000. to $20,000 plus dollars. And not to burst your bubble but electric rates are steadly climbing and even though on your electric bill it may say you are paying $0.05 to $0.08 per kW after every other figure is added in it comes out to be $0.12 to $0.16 per kW and here in sunny MN we even have a extra high winter rate thanks to the energy controled people at PUC who allow such false statements of energy cost. This extra cost also has a lot to do with the fact that all major electric power companies are members of Touchstone energy group out of New York, a monoply you can count on for higher cost energy. The major players for electric production also have there fingers in the natural gas distribution and supply here in the U.S.A. and most if not all were part of Enron Energy Group.
The question you have to ask yourself is what is going to keep electric cost low enough to keep these battery vehicles affordable and only China's E6 has affordable and durable batteries. And you will notice this car, along with the air car from India and other proven electric vehicles are not sold here in the great U.S.A.. Because we do not have a level playing feild for business.
And no one really cares about the enviroment if they are not going to make enough money on it. We could of been driving, compared to the crap made here, very good electric vehicles many years ago already and high mileage petro based vehicles decades ago, like asia and europe. Even Brazil is well advanced of us with there tri-fuel system. One more thing for you genius out there. If you put a bushel of corn into a ethanol plant it does not disappear or change into fuel, a bushel of corn comes out the other end as a high protein feed that is used in everything from food for fish farming to dairy cattle and is one of the reasons chicken, pork and beef used to be affordable. And it was the only way that GMO corn, which is what is raised here in the good old U.S.A., was made acceptable for sale to the European Nations. Corn is milled or ground before use all ethanol production did was pay for milling the corn and taking out the G.M. starch content. Too bad most of you never cared enough to really research or even visit a ethanol plant.
Posted August 11, 2009
You're off your rocker!
Hope says:
If you want to build an EV and do it CHEAPLY, check out the websites of the millions of people who have converted a gas guzzerler into an EV for less than $2000, sometimes even less than $1000. The secret to keeping the cost down is to sell everything you don't use. Use a forklift motor, the controller (you can also use the controller off a golf cart or any other motor controller, but make sure it will handle the voltage and amprage your motor needs), and the pot box (throttle) off a broken forklift. And if you have to buy the forklift, sell everything esle. Next get a donor car and tear out its engine and all that was used to run the engine, but leave the transmission in place (preferably manual as you are going to leave it in 2nd or 3rd gear). Sell the things you took out. Attach the motor directy to the transmission, though chances are you are going to need a plate to atach the two shafts (pay a machinist if you don't know how to make one). Since electric motors stop and dont 'idle' at 1000rpm like gas engines, there is no need for a clutch. Get cheap walmart lead-acid batteries in the voltage you need (wire batteries in series to increase voltage). Make sure the batteries will supply enough amps too (wire batteries in parllel to increase amprage. there is such thing as a series-parallel circuit. look it up). Wire the batteries to your controller (observe polarity), wire the pot box to your controller, and wire your motor to your controller. Link the pot box arm with your 'go pedal' (cant call it the 'gas pedal' in an electric car). Make sure everything works and plug in your batteries. I forgot to mention, you'll need a charger. If you use a high voltage motor (60+ volts), then you might consider getting two cheap chargers, splitting the battery pack into two packs, and charging each pack seperately. Check out other people's sites, get ideas, and expiriment. EVs dont need to be complicated and expensive. If you dont know what im talking about, research, research, research!
Posted October 17, 2009
HowToBuyAndSellCars says:
Great Lens! Check out what I have Discovered You Can Actually Use HHO
Technology to Run Your Car On Water! All the best in saving gas in 2009 and on! We must find solutions!
Posted December 04, 2008
Walter says:
Yes...Absolutely!!! Who cares if it doesn't look like a rolls royce. Anything we can do to protect our planet and generations that will follow is worth every effort.
Posted October 14, 2008
jordan_lin says:
i am very intrigued by the electric car that i want to build one for myself.
Posted October 03, 2008
Doubtful says:
"If electric cars were readily available, of course we would all know about them, and where to get them."
Oh really? like the GM EV1?? yah righttttt!
Its only now when the world is so far in the toilet we may never claw our way out that car companies begrudgingly are telling us they will be coming out with new electric cars and even those are SO highly overpriced that only the rich who can already afford to drive around in their Hummers can buy THEM! I am so jaded by fat cat greedy corporate american I don't believe there will ever be an avoidable fully electric car! I would gladly purchase a fully electric car if it didn't cost me as much as a small HOUSE
Posted October 02, 2008
by apeweek
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