EVs practical?

An electric car is practical for missions requiring the capabilities of that vehicle.

Every type of vehicle has a unique combination of capabilities.

Yes, they fill a niche. However, for most one-car families, they need a single vehicle that will perform like an IC car and cannot afford to have both an IC car and an EV. Anyone know of an EV the size of a Hyundai Tucson with the same range at the same price? Any idea of how to get the range and convenience and still keep the price and fuel consumption down, even on a hybrid?

Today, an EV is probably not a realistic choice for a single car family. For many two car families, even today's low range EV's (like the few RAV4s that are left) make sense, except for the price.

If ZAP were a reputable company (see article in this month's Wired) they could probably make a go of selling a three-wheel low performance vehicle for short, non-highway commutes. Their Zebra has an advantage over other small electrics in that it can go a little faster than a neighborhood vehicle (because it is classified as a motorcycle, and can meet motorcycle standards for road use).

The Tesla may realistically get 180 miles on a charge. That's far enough to be useful most of the time for most people. Unfortunately, right now, even at wholesale prices, L-I batteries are about $1 per watt hour, so the 56kWh batteries in the Tesla are about $56,000 worth. To be economically viable, the price of batteries would need to fall by a factor of at least 4... which could happen, but it is a chicken and egg problem: you need volume for lower prices.

If the Volt is successful, then realistic full electrics could follow, as a result of the Volt volume driving down battery cost.

for those of us who live in northern climates an electric vehicle is not going to be very practical. In the winter we need the heater and window defrosters, yet in the summers it can get warm enough to make an air conditioner desirable. Add to this the low temperature behaviour of the batteries and we have a loosing combination.

If I lived in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. then maybe an electric vehicle might make sense for the commute to work and the trip to the Mall or church. An electric vehicle might make a lot of sense in these areas as the only vehicle in a one car family. If they want to go on a trip then they could rent a conventional vehicle. We have used this approach when a small car satisfied most of our needs but for highway trips we would rent a larger car, it worked out well.

Taganan,

Currently, Toyota has buried the only deep cycle LiIon battery capable of making EV's cost effective. Like the other big auto makers - EV's replacement parts life cycle appears to make them decide to opt out of the EV market. (After market replacement parts is the REAL secrete to auto profitability, as is well known. EV's last 3 - 4 times longer than conventional gas burners.).

However - a new "Suburban EV" category with ranges around 100 miles which satisfies the "average" city dwellers'30 miles per day needs is in the wings, in two or three flavors. A sort of battery powered urban surey is coming via China next year. A compressed air car from TaTA in India is going through vehicle certification for one of its CAT cars and should be offered end of 2008 and won't break your pocket book to buy it. Has a plug in air compressor for self filling and in major cities in India there are standard 3600 psi fill stations being built at large gas refill stations, too for 3 minute recharge services costing a buck or so at a go. Here are links to that area of expertise: http://www.green-metroplex.com/EVs/Index.html or http://www.green-metroplex.com/CAT/Index.html

In addition a compressed air/gas combo that gets 100 mpg is coming in 2009 to the U.S. but will probably cost just shy of $20K bucks is also undergoing certification as we speak. The "conventional" auto builders are interested in that one because of their interest in after market replacement parts options.

Near as I can tell - EV's are currently NOT cost effective but only because they are all almost exclusivly hand built. When we, the car buyers, wake up to the fact that the major automakers OWN our policymakers and make a concerted effort to make it clear that the waffeling about mileage efficiencies are to CEASE, and are a function of re-election for our elected auto emission legislators will we see a leveling of the vehicle playing field. Only mass production will ever make EV's cost competitive with gas powered cars.