The electric car is not a new car design. The power used for the locomotion of the electric vehicle uses electrical energy stored in batteries to power an electric motor or a series of electric motors to drive the wheels of the vehicle.

With this design, there are two kinds of electric cars. The first one is called the hybrid electric car. This car design has both an electric motor powered by an electric battery pack and a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. When the hybrid vehicle is started, it first uses the electric power until it shifts to the internal combustion engine for longer range. During the use of the internal combustion engine, the battery pack is recharged using an alternator when the car is in motion. The second type is the full electric vehicle. In this design, the basic electric motor, battery pack and wheel units are utilized to move the vehicle.

The first issue with the electric car, compared to an internal combustion engine car, is the cost of purchasing an electric car unit. The main reason why there is a major difference between an electric car and an internal combustion engine car is the battery pack used in the electric car. Current technologies use metals that are quite expensive compared to the fuel technology of the electric car. This problem though is offset by current grants provided by both federal and state government for the purchase of an electric car. This would effectively lower the overall cost of the electric car at purchase.

The second issue with the electric car is the charging time and cost for the batteries. Many are afraid that by charging the electric car at home, there is an increased risk of electrical fire due to the increased load. This problem has already been addressed with the proliferation of technology companies providing for home charging units after full review of the electrical wiring set up of the home. Another option is charging your battery in parking garages that have electrical charging stations for electric cars. Another cost issue is the time factor as well as the cost of electricity. Charging uses commercially available electricity, thus the cost is much lower than gas pump prices for fuel. As for the time factor, the electric car can be charged either when you are at home sleeping or while you are at work, when the car is at rest.

The third issue with electric cars is the mileage as well as range of the vehicle. Because the infrastructure for electric charging is not as prevalent as gasoline pumps, the range of the electric car is quite limited. This though is addressed through the use of a portable charging system that can be plugged into a wall socket. This effectively increases the ability of the electric car to travel distances on a single charge, which is from one electrical socket to another.

The fourth issue is the maintenance cost for the electric car. Since this is new technology, the said parts are presumed to be quite expensive to replace or even refurbish. This is not the case as there are very few moving parts in an electric car that need to be maintained, compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle. This would in the long run prove to be cheaper compared to current car engine set-ups.

As can be seen, the major concerns regarding electrical cars have been addressed with the current technologies. The cost is steadily decreasing, the technologies regarding battery power and range effectiveness is increasing and the cost of maintenance will steadily decrease and improve. Soon enough, the electric car would become the standard of transportation for all to use.

For a more comprehensive discussion on electric car technologies, do visit us at Battery Design Can Revolutionize Electric Car Industry please visit the author’s site The Electric Forum