Greetings~
I figured we would move this topic out of what Honda should hybrid next
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Electric Vehicle Performance
& Battery Cost Comparison
Educating the public one
step at a time....
The reader will find performance comparisons between electric vehicles made by
Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Toyota and
Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation (EFP) [which has licensed its technology to
Electric Auto Corporation (EAC) in 1994].
These comparisons are based on tests by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors.
In 1969, the best performing electric vehicle on the road was the
MARS II Electric Car produced by EFP, equipped with
Lead Cobalt Batteries, which had a maximum driving range of
146.8 miles on a charge.
In 1997, the best performing electric vehicle on the road was the
EV-1 Electric Car produced by General Motors, equipped with
Lead Acid Batteries, which had a maximum driving range of
90.5 miles on a charge (EFP and EAC were not producing electric vehicles at that time).
It should be noted that Honda and Toyota used Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH) which cost was estimated at $450 per kilowatt hour (
Note 1) as compared to $67 per kilowatt hour for the Lead Cobalt Battery (6.7 times as much). Nickel is ten to fifteen times as costly as lead.
Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are now beginning to install NiMH Batteries in the vehicles (which, until recently, have been equipped with Lead Acid Batteries). This will increase the range of those vehicles, but at a high cost penalty due to the high cost of the NiMH batteries. Those companies will absorb the loss as part of their commitment to the State of California to bring a certain number of EV's to the market before Year 2003.
The new constant speed ranges (under the U. S. Department of Energy Test Program in Phoenix, Arizona) for EV's made by Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, with estimated cost of
Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries, are as follows: (assuming 4 miles per kilowatt hour)
Ford Ranger -- 50 miles with NiMH Batteries:(28.75 kWh x $450/kWh = $12,937)
Chrysler EPIC -- 90 miles with NiMH Batteries:(22.5 kWh x $450/kWh = $10,125)
GM S-10 -- 130.6 miles with NiMH Batteries:(32.65 kWh x $450/kWh = $14,692)
THE COST OF LEAD COBALT BATTERIES FOR THE ABOVE VEHICLES
$1,962 for Ranger, $1,508 for EPIC, $2,188 for S-10.
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EV Pros & Cons
Like anything in life, things can have both its advantages as well as its disadvantages.
The silence of an EV
The first thing that a person will notice as soon as they drive an EV for the very first time is that it is considerately quiet. You can roll up the windows and the noise of everyday life seems to disappear, allowing you to enhance your listening pleasure for music, conversations on your car phone, or just giving you the peace to think freely while driving. The drawback to this is that a lot of drivers depend upon noise in order to control their driving. You know that if you hear the acceleration of a motor rapidly coming towards you, you can react in time to move away. This also applies to pedestrians and can help to keep them out of danger. Engineers and manufacturers are speculating when and whether they should install some kind of device that will produce a noise to warn others when an EV is approaching.
The features of an EV
Like gasoline powered vehicles, most EVs come with an AM/FM stereo and cassette deck, air conditioning (A/C), anti-lock brakes, dual side air bags, and options like tinted windows, cup holders, CD players, car alarms, etc. One disadvantage to an EV however, is that the air conditioning can decrease the vehicle's range as much as 20%. The other electronic devices, however, usually constitute no major change in the vehicle's range.
The performance of an EV
EVs drive very similarly to that of gasoline powered vehicles. The car is a well-balanced structure; the batteries are in the middle of the vehicle, giving the driver great handling ability. Most EVs can perform up to par with gas-powered vehicles, although they cannot achieve the same top speeds. Many EVs can beat gas-powered cars "off the line" because an electric motor produces full torque instantaneously whereas an ICE must build up torque.
The reliability of an EV
Many EVs have been customized with special features such as resealable tires, programmable charging systems, and regenerative breaking. In addition, they have proven to be low maintenance and fairly cost efficient vehicles, with batteries that can last up to four years or 40,000 miles (depending upon the type of batteries being used). Most car companies lease their EVs however, so the consumer never has to cover the cost of replacing the battery pack.
The safety and the concern of an EV
For safety features, circuit breakers and fusible links are installed to make explosions, fires, and electrocution a highly unlikely experience. In car accidents, EVs are considered to withstand impact a lot better than most gasoline-powered vehicles, as the fluid filled batteries help to absorb most of the impact. However, if the sealed lead-acid batteries should some how rupture and a person comes in contact with the fluid, the acid can cause serious harm unless thoroughly cleansed with water very rapidly.
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Who would waste 45k, on a pure ev that can go 100 miles per full charge. Unless your someone that's retired & living in a trailer park with a grocery store around the corner & if you hit the lottery & have money to throw around on what's in at the time and can absorb the costs.
I don't see the sence in it, when you can drive a hybrid and go 4 times as far for 1/2 the money..???
