An electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries or another energy storage device. Electric motors give electric cars instant torque, creating strong and smooth acceleration. They are also around three times as efficient as cars with an internal combustion engine.
The first electric cars were produced in the 1880s. Since 2008, a renaissance in electric vehicle manufacturing has occurred due to advances in batteries and energy management, concerns about increasing oil prices, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several national and local governments have established tax credits, subsidies, and other incentives to promote the introduction and adoption in the mass market of new electric vehicles depending on battery size and their all-electric range.
Electric cars are significantly quieter than conventional internal combustion engine automobiles. They do not emit tailpipe pollutants, giving a large reduction of local air pollution, and, can give a significant reduction in total greenhouse gas and other emissions (dependent on the method used for electricity generation).
As of September 2015, there are over 30 models of highway legal all-electric passenger cars and utility vans available for retail sales, mainly in the United States, China, Japan, Western European countries. By mid-September 2015, about 620,000 light-duty electric vehicles have been sold worldwide out of total global sales of one million plug-in electric cars sold since 2008. The world's top selling highway-capable electric car is the Nissan Leaf, released in December 2010 and sold in 46 countries. Global Leaf sales passed the 200,000 unit milestone in December 2015, and the Tesla Model S, released in June 2012, ranks second with over 107,000 units sold worldwide. In this series, we cover stories covering the development of electric vehicles around the world.
Electric Car Series
S. Korea updates EV rules in line with technological advancements
Jan 15, 2021 14:34 pm UTC|
Business
South Korea has adjusted regulations for eco-friendly vehicles to reflect technological advancements and reduced emissions targets.
Early this week, the government put up a revision notice based on the Automobile...
Electric Car Series
Electric car sales in China reportedly skyrocket by 10%
Jan 14, 2021 10:15 am UTC|
Business Economy
The electric car market in China is growing, and in fact, it was reported that the country achieved a 10% increase in its EV sales last year. The data was only revealed this week as the computation of sales cant be...
Electric Car Series
Volkswagen boosts EV sales by 214% to pose challenge to Tesla
Jan 13, 2021 23:57 pm UTC|
Business
Volkswagen sold 231,600 battery electric vehicles in 2020, representing a 214 percent on-year increase to mount a challenge to Tesla.
According to Ralf Brandsttter, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, the company is on...
Electric Car Series
Tesla to tailor-fit cars for China
Jan 11, 2021 03:52 am UTC|
Business
Tesla Inc is planning to design electric cars tailored to Chinese consumer tastes and is looking for a design director for the full-function studio it would put up either in Shanghai or Beijing.
The companys human...
Electric Car Series
Can a future ban on gas-powered cars work? An economist explains
Jan 06, 2021 04:19 am UTC|
Economy
The U.S. transportation sector is one of the largest contributors of carbon dioxide, the potent driver of climate change.
Transportation accounts for about 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and, since 1990,...
Electric Car Series
Norway's purchase of electric cars hit record 54%
Jan 05, 2021 23:28 pm UTC|
Economy Business
Electric vehicles accounted for 54 percent of cars sold in Norway last year, up 42 percent the previous year, to put the country ahead of its schedule in eliminating polluting vehicles from roads by 2025.
Norway, the...
Electric Car Series
Millions of electric cars will need charging in future – but how?
Dec 17, 2020 11:10 am UTC|
Technology
One consequence of Brexit is that Britain will desperately need a modernising industrial strategy. In Boris Johnsons mind, a key element of this is the recently announced green industrial revolution which included bringing...
Economy
Japan Posts 7.7% Growth in Machinery Orders
In a striking development that looks set to invigorate Japans economic prospects, a key gauge of capital spending in the country has seen its most significant jump in over a year. According to Cabinet Office data released...
A sustainable future begins at ground level
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action in global partnership. By 2023 it appears that our progress has been far from satisfactory in achieving these...
Politics
Who will Trump pick as his running mate?
Being second in line for leadership of the most powerful country in the world is not an easy job. But for Mike Pence, vice president under Donald Trump, things were even harder than usual.
As insurrectionists descended...