Cheap electric cars

That's very interesting.

Sounds like a good idea.

Wonderful news.

Interesting! Could be a good idea

At this link, I was struck by reading that soon, the cost of fueling and operating an electric car over its lifetime will be less than the cost of a single year's fuel for an internal combustion engine. If so, it would seem that the time is certainly right for this kind of company.

Sounds great. I currently own a Prius and love it. I average 46 miles a gallon.

neat

Great stuff Sam. The free market at work.

Thanks for the good information.

The only problem with electric cars is that they may not pollute as much but every time you plug it in you're using electricity that by and large is still coming from fossil fuels. But if they get an electric car with the same cargo room and performance as my car I'll be all for it.

Hurray! Now we just have to convert to wind and solar power for renewable electricity.

Electric cars may work well in a lot of cities and urban areas but not well in a city like, well - Seattle or SanFrancisco. So far they don't have one with enough power to pull up steep hills. If they made one that would make it over LoLo pass or Donner pass with plenty of power I might consider one. Out here in Mountian country we need power if we are going to get anywhere.

Let's just hope the electricity doesn't come from burning coal.

The only way I can afford a new (more efficient) car is if it is subsidized. I bought the most efficient car I could afford (a Honda Civic), but I will not be in position to get a new car for about 5-6 more years.

I understand that transportation is a huge source of pollution and better cars will help, but realistically they will only be phased in over 15 years. Most people cannot afford to upgrade now, just because it is the environmentally correct thing to do. Plus, my car should not be a priority, because it is decently efficient. There are very low mileage vehicles that I wish we could get off the roads faster.

Thanks for this information, Sam. I figure that by the time this electric car gets to Mississippi, I will be ready for a trade. By then, though, I also hope fuel cells are on the road.

Sam,
Just to let you know I've relayed information about Project Better Place to the Senior Vice President - Direct Sales of a company I am involved with who's goal is to bring solar P.V. systems to the masses. Go see, www.pacificsunlight.com
He has messaged me back saying he thinks a collaboration of the two companies would be a benefit for both companies. And will contact them,
Always to see good thing happening.
we'll see where it goes.
Dan

cheap is good, and green is better. Good article.

Thanks, Dan, this is indeed a great initiative. Many people cannot afford to buy a new car outright, so getting it at a subsidized price may be just what they need. It may get people over the hurdle of accepting new technology and switching to cheap and clean electric cars. Also, technology is changing quite rapidly (batteries, lightweight materials, video cameras to complement rear-view mirrors, sensors, etc.), so it would make sense to trade in a car more frequently than most people are used to.

Here's an interesting news release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Jakob Axel Nielsen, the Minister for Transport and Energy, says: "Civil servants are currently going through the project. There are some associated legislative issues that need to be considered, but nonetheless I can express a very positive attitude to it.
There are some smart thoughts about using surplus wind energy when we have strong winds".

Esben Larsen of the Center for Electricity Technology at the Technical University of Denmark, says that "electric cars are well suited for a country where a large part of electricity production comes from wind turbines. In addition to cars operating on electricity, they can also become a power reserve for the entire electricity grid. They can be charged during the night when there is not so much demand for the electricity produced by wind turbines. And during the day, the cars can return electricity to the grid that is unused after driving".

http://www.investindk.com/visNyhed.asp?artikelID=18456

Project Better Place seems to be marketing itself in Europe, with small countries like Denmark, Belgium, Estonia, the Netherlands that are all very flat. This would mean that people could easily use electric cars for city commuting, without having to carry hydrogen, since they wouldn't have to drive long distances.

Sam,

Very interesting concept! I wish it success.

I'll check out the link. Thank you Sam.

Interesting concept and article. I also checked out the links and by your and the website for projectbetterplace's admission, this project is several years from fruition.

Robert: "..this project is several years from fruition."

Could well be, Robert, but let's keep an eye open for such developments, I'm convinced they have huge potential.

Robert: "..this project is several years from fruition."

Maybe so, but there are alternatives that can be exercised immediately. Presently in my community (and in several others across the lower 48) modified golf carts or low speed vehicles are becoming more commonplace on city streets.

Obviously this would not be a reasonable option for extensive travel or long distance commutes to and from work or in regions where snow or colder winters are a factor. But it's sure great for in-town trips to the grocer, the fitness center, barber, dropping the kids off at school, etc.

I'm with you, Sam. Any idea, plan or suggestion is worth a look and a listen.

Reuters reports that Renault-Nissan will produce cars in cooperation with Project Better Place for use in Israel. The cars will have a range of about 100 km in city driving and up to 160 km on the highway. The cars will accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 13 seconds and have a top speed of 110 kph. The cars, to be made in Europe, will run on a battery developed by Nissan and Japan's NEC. Israel's government will offer tax incentives on the cars.