Electric Cars

[Agoraphobic]

Not long ago, I posted two articles on the Toyota Prius. My reason was because of an alternative to the gasoline engine. With green-consciousness growing, tired of the politics of oil, consumers of the world are looking for an alternative to the gasoline engine, and there are more options now. And not just the category of economy models, but some luxury and performance models have jumped onto the bandwagon as well. Here are some examples of what's available out there now. Some time in the near future, hope to be posting some article(s) on the hydrogen-fuel cell as well! Watch for it! BTW, heard over the BBC news this morning that PRC produced and is marketing a double-decker electric bus! Bye-bye petrol engine!

Cheers!


11 of the World's Finest Electric-Powered Performance Cars

The thought of a partially or wholly electric-powered performance car was laughable just a few years ago, but the technology for this kind of vehicle has advanced in leaps and bounds since the turn of the current decade. From a little $20,000 Japanese coupe, all the way through to a newly-released $1 million Croatian supercar, here are 11 of the world's finest electric-powered performance cars:




Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid

Who Says Electric-Powered Cards Have to Be Boring?


Type: Gas-electric

Porsche’s green version of its four-door saloon car can be plugged into a wall outlet in order to recharge its battery and travel 20 miles on electric power alone, however, it also has a 3.0-liter engine, which can be used in parallel with the car’s electric motor. The engine also charges the electric motor’s battery when the car is low. The car is capable of a 167mph top speed.



Tesla Roadster

Type: All-electric

The first offering from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s car company was based on a Lotus Elise, but powered by an all-electric drivetrain. Despite its steep price, the Roadster gained a substantial celebrity following, with the likes of George Clooney purchasing one. The 248 horsepower base car can accelerate to 60mph in 3.9 seconds. Production of the Roadster ended in 2012.



Tesla Model S

Type: All-electric

This is the second Tesla Motors model to go into production. The Model S is capable of traveling 160 miles on a single charge, can accelerate to 60mph from standstill, and has a 130mph top speed. It does not have a conventional combustion engine, and is charged by plugging into household electricity.



BMW i8


Type: Gas-electric

It looks like something out of 2025, and many people believe that this car is the blueprint for the green sports cars of the future. Currently, you need to wait almost a year to get your hands on one due to high demand. It has a turbocharged 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder engine that powers the rear wheels, while it also has a 130hp electric motor that powers the front wheels. The 357-horsepower i8 is electronically limited to a 160mph top speed.



Honda CR-Z
When the CR-Z went on sale in 2010, it became the world’s first production sports hybrid car. Based on a shortened Honda Insight platform and taking its styling cues from the legendary Honda CRX of the late 1980s, the CR-Z has a 113-horsepower, 1.5-liter conventional engine together with an electric motor that produces another nine horsepower to give the driver an extra boost of torque when needed.

BMW ActiveHybrid 3

Type: Gas-electric

The 3-Series saloon has been around for a few decades now, however this is the very first one to be powered by a gas-electric drivetrain. It isn’t slow either – the combined power output from its 6-cylinder engine and electric motor is 335 horsepower. One of the driving modes that you can put the car in actually coaches you on how to drive more economically, giving you hints and tips on how you can tweak your driving style accordingly.



Acura NSX

Type: Gas-electric

The second-generation of the Acura (or Honda outside the USA) NSX has supercar performance in spite of its rather heavy weight. The 3,800-pound car can accelerate to 60mph in just 2.9 seconds, and keep on accelerating all the way to 191 mph. Power comes from a 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine and three electric motors, for a combined power output of 573 horsepower. An unusual feature of this car is its nine-speed, dual-clutch gearbox.



Lightning GT

Type: All-electric

Going on sale at the end of last year, this low-volume, all-electric sports car was conceived and developed in the UK. It has two electric motors that produce a combined 400 horsepower. The GT’s top speed is not particularly high, reaching 125mph, however it can accelerate to 60mph in under five seconds. It can travel 150 miles on a single charge, and apparently only takes 10 minutes to recharge when the batteries are low.



Audi R8 e-tron

Type: All-electric

Many consider the Audi R8 to be the quintessential everyday supercar, however, the German manufacturer wanted to push the boundaries even further, so they created this – a 456-horsepower all-electric version. The e-tron will only be made to order, and in very limited numbers. The car’s two electric motors, powering each of the rear wheels, allow it to accelerate to 60mph in under four seconds, and its top speed is 125mph.

 

[sleaguepunter]

looking down the list, most of the vehicles are hybrids, there still a combustion engine to produce the electricity to power the car. it a LPPL solution, and made worse by the highly polluting methods to mine the nickel ores to produce the batteries. Even the full electric cars get it power from the mains ie from coal burning or nuclear power station. How clean can that be?

 

[Leongsam]

looking down the list, most of the vehicles are hybrids, there still a combustion engine to produce the electricity to power the car. it a LPPL solution, and made worse by the highly polluting methods to mine the nickel ores to produce the batteries. Even the full electric cars get it power from the mains ie from coal burning or nuclear power station. How clean can that be?

Nuclear power could not be cleaner... as long as the radiation does not escape either during generation or during decay of the waste.

 

[sleaguepunter]

Nuclear power could not be cleaner... as long as the radiation does not escape either during generation or during decay of the waste.

the key words are "as long as"

 

[frenchbriefs]

Nuclear power could not be cleaner... as long as the radiation does not escape either during generation or during decay of the waste.

agreed,nuclear power produce almost no pollutants and very little emissions except for the nuclear waste.or we can move to solar power which has even less of a carbon footprint.its already been determined by elon musk that a solar farm the size of a small square in nevada could generate enough electricity to power the whole world.....the problem with electricity is not the generation but the distribution and storage.....unfortunately battery technology is still limited.

 

[Agoraphobic]

Yes. Battery technology still has a long way to go. The internal combustion engine (for transportation) is still more useful because it takes a long time to charge a battery, and society is used to quick top ups at gas stations. Well, Formula E will develop batteries which will require less time to charge, and last longer as well. Power still has to come from somewhere that isn't going to be as environmentally friendly as say, solar energy, as possible, and nuclear seems to be an alternative, (going by standards and what's availalble today). But whichever way it takes, we have to be less dependent on the old trusty internal combustion engine.

Cheers!

looking down the list, most of the vehicles are hybrids, there still a combustion engine to produce the electricity to power the car. it a LPPL solution, and made worse by the highly polluting methods to mine the nickel ores to produce the batteries. Even the full electric cars get it power from the mains ie from coal burning or nuclear power station. How clean can that be?

 

[sleaguepunter]

Yes. Battery technology still has a long way to go. The internal combustion engine (for transportation) is still more useful because it takes a long time to charge a battery, and society is used to quick top ups at gas stations. Well, Formula E will develop batteries which will require less time to charge, and last longer as well. Power still has to come from somewhere that isn't going to be as environmentally friendly as say, solar energy, as possible, and nuclear seems to be an alternative, (going by standards and what's availalble today). But whichever way it takes, we have to be less dependent on the old trusty internal combustion engine.

Cheers!

less dependent mean ride bicycle. I used to ride on the roads in the early 2000s but I stop as there a number of close call and I seen my fellow motorists behaviour on the road.

"bus 11" is a good choice while not rushing for time.

 

[frenchbriefs]

Yes. Battery technology still has a long way to go. The internal combustion engine (for transportation) is still more useful because it takes a long time to charge a battery, and society is used to quick top ups at gas stations. Well, Formula E will develop batteries which will require less time to charge, and last longer as well. Power still has to come from somewhere that isn't going to be as environmentally friendly as say, solar energy, as possible, and nuclear seems to be an alternative, (going by standards and what's availalble today). But whichever way it takes, we have to be less dependent on the old trusty internal combustion engine.

Cheers!

no matter what materials u use to produce the batteries,or what method to generate the electricity,a electric car can never be as pollutive as a car that burns fossil fuels every day.......besides electricity is dirt cheap,would u rather spend 20 minutes and $2($5 if u are going by singapore electricity prices) charging up ur car or 5 minutes and $70 just to fill up a tank of gas?

 

[Leongsam]

the key words are "as long as"

"As long as" applies to any scenario.

 

[Leongsam]

no matter what materials u use to produce the batteries,or what method to generate the electricity,a electric car can never be as pollutive as a car that burns fossil fuels every day.......besides electricity is dirt cheap,would u rather spend 20 minutes and $2($5 if u are going by singapore electricity prices) charging up ur car or 5 minutes and $70 just to fill up a tank of gas?

How do you know that unless you have actually measured the whole process from start to finish. It all depends upon how the electricity is generated.

http://www.startribune.com/your-all-electric-car-may-not-be-so-green-says-new-study/285860511/

 

[Agoraphobic]

Most people would compare the economics of operating a vehicle to judge its worthiness. But look at the pollution this has cost our world (eg. air pollution in China, India), waste products occupying what was once pristine beaches. This has come to a point where we look at non-economical factors to judge the worthiness of how we do things. In this view, the internal combustion engine is passed its apex popularity. Our societies (or at least much of it) has passed the point of basic necessities and we look towards a better quality of life. Fresher air, cleaner water, less rubbish in our streets, and try to achieve them, just too bad that some of us still shit on the streets! So much for greener living!!

Cheers!

no matter what materials u use to produce the batteries,or what method to generate the electricity,a electric car can never be as pollutive as a car that burns fossil fuels every day.......besides electricity is dirt cheap,would u rather spend 20 minutes and $2($5 if u are going by singapore electricity prices) charging up ur car or 5 minutes and $70 just to fill up a tank of gas?

 

[sleaguepunter]

new technologies do not mean confirm green. i believe if i owned a Honda civic since 1990, the carbon footprint is still much lesser than my neighbour who trade in his car every 5 years for a new model despite having the same amount of usage everyday.

 

[frenchbriefs]

Most people would compare the economics of operating a vehicle to judge its worthiness. But look at the pollution this has cost our world (eg. air pollution in China, India), waste products occupying what was once pristine beaches. This has come to a point where we look at non-economical factors to judge the worthiness of how we do things. In this view, the internal combustion engine is passed its apex popularity. Our societies (or at least much of it) has passed the point of basic necessities and we look towards a better quality of life. Fresher air, cleaner water, less rubbish in our streets, and try to achieve them, just too bad that some of us still shit on the streets! So much for greener living!!

Cheers!

dont blame the people that shit on the streets,the countries that pollutes the most,consumes the most and waste the most are still the richest countries.america a country with 350 million population can burn twice as much fossil fuel,consume nearly as much electricity as china with 1.3 billion population.

 

[Agoraphobic]

Wealth can be measured by "per capita energy consumption." Example - a poor man goes fishing, with a handline, a hook and and worm as bait, a rich man goes fishing, powers up his luxury sportfisherman cruiser, trolls for marlin, with a top-end carbon fibre deep ocean rod, armed with titanium hooks, using some complex polymer line that is "invisible" to the fish, and he uses sonar to locate the fish. Who uses more energy? In this day, China is still a third world nation. And her people's habits reflect their standard of living. But industrialization and growing affluency is contributing much of the pollution in Tiongland. That's the price she has to pay. Some of them are super rich though.

Cheers!

dont blame the people that shit on the streets,the countries that pollutes the most,consumes the most and waste the most are still the richest countries.america a country with 350 million population can burn twice as much fossil fuel,consume nearly as much electricity as china with 1.3 billion population.