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
Five reasons why you might be driving electric sooner than you think
Jan 26, 2017 14:21 pm UTC|
Insights & Views Technology
There is huge potential for using electric vehicles to tackle climate change, give us cleaner air and grow the green economy. The question is, when it will make sense for most of us to ditch diesel and petrol, and go...
Electric Car Series
Tesla Free And Clear, No Defects Found In Autopilot
Jan 20, 2017 09:58 am UTC|
Technology
For months, Tesla Motors has been under a magnifying glass after traffic incidents occurred involving their vehicles equipped with Autopilot. The car company just had a major thorn pulled from its side with the National...
Electric Car Series
China And Europe Leaves US In The Dust In Electric Car Shift
Jan 16, 2017 11:56 am UTC|
Technology
Tesla may be one of the most recognizable brands in terms of electric cars in the world right now, but according to new data, the U.S. is lagging behind in the adoption of green vehicles compared to China and Europe. This...
Electric Car Series
Plug-in Hybrids Made 30% More Efficient, President Obama Declared Fossil Fuel Industry Dead
Jan 11, 2017 06:21 am UTC|
Technology Politics
Its widely accepted that electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids are more efficient than cars that run on gas. However, researchers recently managed to increase the efficiency of plug-in hybrids by up to 30 percent. This is...
Electric Car Series
Solar Powered Island By Tesla’s SolarCity Initiative
Nov 25, 2016 09:02 am UTC|
Technology
Elon Musk, the famous CEO billionaire of Tesla Motors, has never been shy about expressing ambitious goals. One of his biggest projects is SolarCity, which is meant to be a benchmark for powering the planet using clean...
Electric Car Series
Tesla Will Thrive Under Trump, CEO Elon Musk Says
Nov 21, 2016 08:24 am UTC|
Technology
With the election of Donald Trump as the next to take the seat as the President of the United States, there are fears that he could take away zero-emission vehicle credits. These are basically incentives to help both...
Electric Car Series
Are priority measures for electric cars really a good idea?
Oct 30, 2016 21:36 pm UTC|
Insights & Views Technology
With as many as 40,000 premature deaths linked to air pollution each year, five UK cities are considering a novel approach to reduce emissions. Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton may adopt clean air...
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...