Plug In Cars

Photo of German electric car, 1904, with the chauffeur on top.

Who invented the very first EV is uncertain and several inventors have been given credit. In 1828, Hungarian, Ányos Jedlik invented a small-scale model car powered by an electric motor that he designed. Between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented a crude electric-powered carriage.

In 1889 a twelve passenger electric car was invented. It became the first viable electric car. You can see a picture of it at Renewable Energy Sources.

In 1835, another small-scale electric car was designed by Professor Stratingh of Groningen, Holland, and built by his assistant Christopher Becker. In 1835, Thomas Davenport, a blacksmith from Brandon, Vermont, built a small-scale electric car. Davenport was also the inventor of the first of the first American-built DC electric motor.

By the turn of the century, America was prosperous and cars, now available in steam, electric, or gasoline versions, were becoming more popular. The years 1899 and 1900 were the high point of electric cars in America, as they outsold all other types of cars. One example was the 1902 Phaeton built by the Woods Motor Vehicle Company of Chicago, which had a range of 18 miles, a top speed of 14 mph and cost $2,000. Later in 1916, Woods invented a hybrid car that had both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

By the 1920s, America had a better system of roads that now connected cities, bringing with it the need for longer-range vehicles.

The discovery of Texas crude oil reduced the price of gasoline so that it was affordable to the average consumer.

The invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering in 1912 eliminated the need for the hand crank.

The initiation of mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford made these vehicles widely available and affordable in the $500 to $1,000 price range. By contrast, the price of the less efficiently produced electric vehicles continued to rise. In 1912, an electric roadster sold for $1,750, while a gasoline car sold for $650.

In spite of this electric cars enjoyed popularity between the mid19th century and early 20th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion, providing comfort and easy operation that could not be achieved by the gasoline cars of the time.

Advances in internal combustion technology soon rendered this advantage moot, the greater range of gasoline cars, quicker refueling times, and growing petroleum infrastructure, along with the mass production of gasoline vehicles by companies such as the Ford Motor Company. Reduced prices of gasoline cars to less than half that of equivalent electric cars, led to a decline in the use of electric propulsion, removing it from markets such as the United States by the 1930s.

However, in recent years, increased concerns over the environmental impact of gasoline cars, along with reduced consumer ability to pay for fuel for gasoline cars, and the prospect of peak oil, has brought about renewed interest in electric cars, which are perceived to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to maintain and run, despite high initial costs.

Electric cars currently enjoy relative popularity in countries around the world, though they are absent from the roads of the United States, where electric cars briefly re-appeared in the late 90s as a response to changing government regulations.

Electric vehicles had all but disappeared by 1935. The years following until the 1960s were dead years for electric vehicle development and for their use as personal transportation.

Early history, before the pre-eminence of internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many speed and distance records. Among the most notable of these records was the breaking of the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed barrier, by Camille Jenatzy on April 29, 1899 in his 'rocket-shaped' vehicle Jamais Contente, which reached a top speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph). Before the 1920s, electric automobiles were competing with petroleum-fueled cars for urban use of a quality service car.

Thomas Edison (and an electric car in 1913, [photo shown below] courtesy of the National Museum of American History) proposed as early as 1896 in order to overcome the lack of recharging infrastructure, a exchangeable battery service was first put into practice by Hartford Electric Light Company for electric trucks.

The vehicle owner purchased the vehicle from General Electric Company (GVC) without a battery and the electricity was purchased from Hartford Electric through an exchangeable battery. The owner paid a variable per-mile charge and a monthly service fee to cover maintenance and storage of the truck. The service was provided between 1910 to 1924 and during that period covered more than 6 million miles. Beginning in 1917 a similar service was operated in Chicago for owners of Milburn Light Electric cars who also could buy the vehicle without the batteries.

In 1897, electric vehicles found their first commercial application in the U.S. as a fleet of electrical New York City taxis, built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia. Electric cars were produced in the US by Anthony Electric, Baker, Columbia,Anderson, Edison [disambiguation needed], Fritchle, Studebaker, Riker, Milburn, and others during the early 20th century.

The low range of electric cars meant they could not make use of the new highways to travel between cities. Despite their relatively slow speed, electric vehicles had a number of advantages over their early-1900s competitors. They did not have the vibration, smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars. They did not require gear changes, which for gasoline cars was the most difficult part of driving.

Electric cars found popularity among well-heeled customers who used them as city cars, where their limited range proved to be even less of a disadvantage. The cars were also preferred because they did not require a manual effort to start, as did gasoline cars which featured a hand crank to start the engine. Electric cars were often marketed as suitable vehicles for women drivers due to this ease of operation.

The Henney Kilowatt, a 1961 production electric car based on the Renault DauphineIn 1911, (shown in the photo below this text) the New York Times stated that the electric car has long been recognized as "ideal" because it was cleaner, quieter and much more economical than gasoline-powered cars. Reporting this in 2010, the Washington Post commented that "the same unreliability of electric car batteries that flummoxed Thomas Edison persists today."

Two companies were leaders in electric car production during this time (1960's to 1970's). Sebring-Vanguard produced over 2,000 "CitiCars." These cars had a top speed of 44 mph, a normal cruise speed of 38 mph and a range of 50 to 60 miles.
The other company was Elcar Corporation, which produced the "Elcar". The Elcar had a top speed of 45 mph, a range of 60 miles and cost between $4,000 and $4,500.

United States Postal Service

In 1975, the United States Postal Service purchased 350 electric delivery jeeps from the American Motor Company to be used in a test program. These jeeps had a top speed of 50 mph and a range of 40 miles at a speed of 40 mph. Heating and defrosting were accomplished with a gas heater and the recharge time was 10 hours.

In the early 60s, the Boyertown Auto Body Works jointly formed the Battronic Truck Company with Smith Delivery Vehicles, Ltd., of England and the Exide Division of the Electric Battery Company. The first Battronic electric truck was delivered to the Potomac Edison Company in 1964. This truck was capable of speeds of 25 mph, a range of 62 miles and a payload of 2,500 pounds.

Battronic worked with General Electric from 1973 to 1983 to produce 175 utility vans for use in the utility industry and to demonstrate the capabilities of battery-powered vehicles. Battronic also developed and produced about 20 passenger buses in the mid 1970s.

Some of this information courtesty of Wikipedia

Some common add-ons to plug in vehicles will be electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), chargers, and software. Please see the chart below for an explanation of these items and a glossary of commonly used terms.

This information focuses on latest revision SAE J1772 and CHAdeMO compliant units that are designed for North American commercial and residential end-users. Prices shown are base (no options) equipment only (many vendors require that installation be done by their own contractors) and are before any applicable credits or rebates.

Make / Model Type Level Maximum Amps Short Description Price Accessory Images Aerovironment EVSE-RS EVSE 2 30 UL listed. Residential unit. Aerovironment is Nissan's EVSE service partner for the LEAF rollout. This is the unit that AV plans to install at the homes of LEAF drivers. $751

Aker Wade Level III Fast Charger Charger 3 125 Commercial DC Quick Chargers. Available in single and dual configurations. 3 phase input (50 or 60 Hz)

ClipperCreek PCS-15 EVSE 1 15 UL listed (see notes). In-cord EVSE. Only currently available for OEM purchase. $1,325
ClipperCreek CS Series EVSE 2 100 UL listed. The CS line is ClipperCreek's line of general purpose EVSE. Clipper Creek was the first company to get UL-listing for a charger with an SAE J1772 connector.

Coulomb Technologies CT2000 EVSE 2 30 UL listed. Coulomb is one of the pioneers in the networked EVSE space. This is their Level 2-only charging station.

Coulomb Technologies CT500 EVSE 2 30 UL listed. Residential. Level 2 charging station manufactured by Leviton for Coulomb. $1,850
Coulomb Technologies CT1000 EVSE 1 16 UL listed. This is Coulomb's Level 1 only charging station.

Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Application Software Locate ChargePoint networked charging stations on your smart phone. Search, find, and get turn-by-turn directions to stations. See if station is Available, or In Use. Start and stop a charging session directly from your smart phone and receive real-time charging status notifications. $0

Coulomb Technologies CT2100 EVSE 2 30 UL Listed. This is a Level 1 and 2 combination charging station.
Darwin 3D EV Charger Finder Application Software Taps the great community EVChargerMaps.com database to help you locate public charging stations for your electric vehicle.

Currently, several EVSE units have obtained UL listing. As the plug-in vehicle market grows, more and more accessories will become available to consumers.

Glossary:
CHAdeMO
A quick charging method backed by various automakers. The Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi iMIEV use the TEPCO port and the CHAdeMO protocol.
Charger

A charger converts AC supply power to DC and uses it to charge the vehicle batteries.
Many modern plug-ins have their own on-board charger. This can be it's own discrete unit, or the electronics can be integrated into the drivetrain or another component. Chargers can also exist off the vehicle, as in the case of DC quick chargers.
DC Quick Charger

An offboard charger that connects directly to a vehicle's high-voltage battery bus. Allows for high power transfer and can charge a battery to 80% or so in minutes instead of hours. Quick charging should be done according to vehicle manufacturers specifications, as this charge method can be damaging to the battery if done too often.

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE)
Not to be confused with chargers, this term refers to any off-board equipment used to supply charging energy to the vehicle. EVSE can take the form of a cord, a box mounted to a wall, pedestal or pole, and even the different outlets and plugs that make up the circuit.

This equipment should prevent energizing of the charge plug until it is seated in a vehicle port. It should monitor for safety hazards. It communicates to the vehicle the amount of current that can be provided by the circuit and gets information about area ventilation requirements.
J1772

An SAE standard that covers AC Level 1 and 2 charging and is the standard in the United States. The latest revision was published January 15, 2010. Work is continuing on a DC charging standard.

The Information Shown Above Is Used For Informational Purposes, thanks to Plug-In America for a lot of this data.:)

The vehicle shown above is the Nissan Leaf and it is availible for purchase. Priced around 25-30 thousand dollars, it is an affordable electric vehicle. The Nissan Leaf will be a game-changer. It is the first fully-electric car from a major automaker that will be sold to the American public (batteries leased) with a sticker price that is comparable to petroleum-powered vehicles.

Nissan's marketing strategy is to target the EV aficionados with the first-generation model and then slowly, over ten years, creep up to 5+ percent of the overall market makes a lot of sense. An electric car that can go 100 miles per charge, seats four and looks OK, explains why excitement for the Leaf has been high since it was introduced. Nissan in their commercials for this vehicle said, and now a car like nothing we've ever done before! I concur, we're evolving!

The vehicles shown below are as follows:

BMW ActiveE
The BMW Concept ActiveE offers the prospect of characteristic BMW driving pleasure without exhaust emissions. The requirements for electro-mobility with characteristic BMW properties are being created based on ongoing development in the powertrain. The latest outcome is a new synchronous electric motor tailored to the BMW Concept ActiveE. It offers a high level of efficiency, power delivery, and compact construction.

The maximum output of the new electric drive is 125 kW/170 hp. The maximum torque of 250 Nm / 184 lb-ft is available from a standstill as is typical for electric motors. The torque remains available over an unusually broad load range. Unlike asynchronous electric motors, the new power unit provides a relatively high level of torque even at higher engine speeds and road speeds; at increased load the torque is not reduced abruptly but decreases gradually. The torque curve at higher engine speeds is therefore much more similar to the pattern familiar from combustion engines.

The vehicle concept and drive system provide the agility and dynamic acceleration performance which are characteristic of the BMW 1 Series Coupe. Based on realistic simulations, a figure of less than 9 seconds was measured for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h (0-60 miles in 8.5 seconds), with the 60 km/h mark being reached after less than 4.5 seconds. The maximum speed of the vehicle is electronically limited at around 145 km/h or 90 mph.

The innovative character of the electric drive is also reflected in the optimized ratio between engine output and space requirements: the compact power package is fully integrated in the rear axle of the BMW Concept ActiveE. Here the drive system occupies the space required in conventional vehicles by the differential, whose function is integrated in the drive system.

Tesla Roadster 300
Compared to the Lotus Elise, the 2011 Tesla Roadster is longer, has a sleeker snout, and sports smoother, more contoured sides-minus the prominent side air intakes found on the Elise-for a low-slung, racy, and revealing style. The look is part futurism, part work in progress-it's handsome, but there's not much brand character yet, and few details are as memorable as its battery-powered drivetrain. Inside, the instrument cluster of the 2011 Tesla lights up when the car is powered up, with a "bong" tone indicating the car is ready to roll.

The driver now faces a combined 150-mph speedometer and rev counter for the electric motor (since the two move in sync) plus a slew of warning lights. A road speed of 70 mph corresponds to 8,000 rpm, and the motor turns slightly over 11,000 at 100 mph. The Roadster's electric motor is redlined at 13,000 to 15,000 rpm, for a quoted top speed of 125 mph. The center of the dash holds a small navigation screen and JVC stereo.

With the maker quoting 0-to-60-mph acceleration of just 3.9 seconds, the Tesla's awesome acceleration comes from a 185-kilowatt (248-horsepower) electric motor. It's powered by a 990-pound battery pack, housed behind the driver, that holds 53 kilowatt-hours of energy. It contains 6,831 lithium-ion "commodity" cells-the ones used in laptop computers-and sits just in front of the electric motor that drives the rear wheels. Electric motors deliver maximum torque at 0 rpm and give a very flat torque curve thereafter.

In performance mode, the quoted 3.9-second time for 0 to 60 mph was entirely believable, though we couldn't conduct formal timing tests. But the 2011 Tesla Roadster has so much raw, relentless power that you have to make sure it's pointed where you want to go before you floor it. At full acceleration, it straightens abruptly and poses the risk of accelerating right through the outside of a curve. Tesla has also added an even higher-performance model, the Roadster Sport, starting at $125,500. Its 215-kilowatt (288-horsepower) motor rockets it from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Drivers can specify one of 10 different suspension settings, and it includes forged wheels with higher-speed tires.

BYD e6

So far, all I know is that the E6 will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology. Range per charge is expected to be 300 km (186 miles).

But most impressive of all:

"BYD projected the battery had a life of 2,000 cycles, for a lifetime range of about 600,000 km (373,000 miles)"

Coda Electric Sedan
The CODA was designed from the battery system up to provide real, usable range in all-weather conditions for Americans' normal daily driving by using active thermal management and increased battery energy.

An active thermal management system is essentially climate control for an electric car's battery. And such batteries, like people, work best in temperate conditions. Not all electric cars feature active thermal management systems. An electric car battery that regularly endures extreme heat will suffer a shortened working life. A battery that gets too cold will deliver reduced range and performance.

Our active thermal management system uses the same heater and compressor that serve the car's passengers, but works independently of the interior climate controls. Thus, CODA Sedan's active thermal management system can send cool air to the battery while warm air blows in the cabin, or vice versa. Our thermal management system is even on duty when the car is off and recharging.

Measured in kilowatt hours (kWh), "battery energy" literally tells you how much electricity an electric car can store. In general, for vehicles of comparable dimensions, which are driven similarly and under comparable conditions, the higher the battery energy the better. Put simply, more kilowatt hours means you can go farther on a full charge. The compact CODA Sedan packs an impressive 34 kWh.

Ford Focus Electric
The Ford Focus EV will be based on the next-generation Ford Focus, a capable if not head-turning car. By choosing an existing platform, Ford will save the expense associated with developing a unique design. Ever since the second-generation Prius, with its iconic design, became a hit, automakers have adopted the idea that a hybrid car with an innovative high-tech drivetrain needs to scream out for attention. That's the direction that Nissan is taking with the Nissan LEAF. The Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, the new Honda Insight, and the Lexus HS250h are also original purpose-built designs.

Ford is gambling that the cool factor lies in the technology and price, not in the car's name or the shape of the sheet metal. Pricing is not yet announced, but trimming the cost obviously will give Ford the ability to aim for affordability and profitability