Everything You Need To Know About Electric Cars

Everything You Need To Know About Electric Cars Electric cars are often talked about in the media, and the industry has gained momentum over the past few years thanks in part to a UK government grant of £5,000 towards the cost of brand new electric vehicles. Electric cars are not a new invention You can be forgiven for thinking that electric cars are a relatively new concept, because they have probably been around longer than you have! Ányos Jedlik from Hungary invented a scale-model car powered by an electric motor that he designed himself 1828 Scotsman Robert Anderson invented 1832 an crude electric-powered carriage An American blacksmith named Thomas Davenport invented the first US-built DC electric motor and used it on a scale-model car 1835 A Belgian-built electric racing car named "La Jamais Contente" ("Never Satisfied") attained a world land speed record of 68 mph 1899 A fleet of electric taxis were built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, based in Philadelphia, United States 1897 Early electric cars were loved by motorists There were loads of reasons why people loved driving electric cars: They did not have to be manually cranked like internal combustion engines of the time did They weren't noisy like gasoline-powered cars No cumbersome gear changes were required unlike cars which used early petrol and steam engines 1912 Electric car production peaked at around 1912 and well into the early 1920s The only paved roads of the time were in town, which electric cars of the time were perfect for But then oil ruled supreme Unfortunately, electric cars were never the runaway success that they were hoped they would be, because internal combustion engines which used oil-based fuel (i.e. gasoline) were cheaper to buy and were more popular. Why it makes sense to buy an electric car in 2014 There are more benefits to buying an electric car today than there was at the beginning of the 2oth century: The government has pledged a grant of up to £5,000 (or up to 25% of the value) towards the cost of any of the 18 approved electric cars The cheapest electric car on the market is the Renault Twizy, which is £6,895 Electric cars are not subject to any car tax because they produce no co2 (carbon dioxide) emissions There is a growing network of rapid charging points dotted across the UK which can recharge a car's battery by up to 80% in just 3 0 minutes British Gas will install a charging point at your home for free, thanks to a government subsidy Advancements in electric car technology Electric cars are suitable for town and cross-country driving because of their increased range and the availability of charging stations Hybrid-electric cars allow you to drive even further as they have backup petrol or diesel engines The car with the longest electric range is the Tesla Roadster (245 miles) Electric cars can be charged either from a rapid charging station or from standard 230v power sockets Popular Modern Day Electric Cars Vauthall Ampera Vauxhall Ampera Price: from £29,995 Built To Be Strong Breaking The Silence Full Battery Protection Smart Safety Features Nissan Leaf NISSAN Price: from £23,490 Pentagon www.pentagon-group.co.uk Sources: http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/History-Of-Electric-Vehicles.htm https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plug-in-car-grant/plug-in-car-grant-vehicles http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy- saving/electric-vehicles/electric-charging-offers.html http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vehicles/vauxhall-range/cars/ampera/specifications/safety.html