Electric Car Buying Tips: 9 Things To Know Before Purchase (PHOTOS)

From The Daily Green:

The buzz in 2011 is about all the new electric cars on the road, led by the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. But because these are new products to the U.S. market, TheDailyGreen.com asked Nick Chambers, who has written about next-generation automobiles for the New York Times, Popular Mechanics and others, to cut through the hype and offer some practical electric car buying tips. He came up with these nine things you should know about electric cars before making a purchase:

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1. There Are Two Kinds of Electric Cars

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Turbocharger? What's that? In this new world of plug-ins there are really only two types: all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. All-electric cars are solely powered by large batteries charged from the grid; when they run out of juice they can't move anymore. The Nissan Leaf (left) is an example of an all-electric car. Plug-in hybrids have a shorter all-electric driving range using a smaller battery pack. After the battery pack is drained, they can either revert to being a normal fuel-fed hybrid, or they can use fuel to run a generator and recharge the batteries on the fly. The Chevy Volt (right) is an example of a plug-in hybrid. > The Fisker Karma and 6 Other Electric Cars Hitting the Road in 2011

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Turbocharger? What's that? In this new world of plug-ins there are really only two types: all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

All-electric cars are solely powered by large batteries charged from the grid; when they run out of juice they can't move anymore. The Nissan Leaf (left) is an example of an all-electric car.

Plug-in hybrids have a shorter all-electric driving range using a smaller battery pack. After the battery pack is drained, they can either revert to being a normal fuel-fed hybrid, or they can use fuel to run a generator and recharge the batteries on the fly. The Chevy Volt (right) is an example of a plug-in hybrid.

> The Fisker Karma and 6 Other Electric Cars Hitting the Road in 2011

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Comments

[aligatorhardt]

11:41 AM on 03/24/2011

This article has some interest, but the power calculation must be some kind of new math. 50 miles for 4 cents a mile adds up to 200 cents a day, which is $60 a month if you drive 50 miles a day every day, which is unlikely. The average person doesn't live that far from work. For city residents that work in the same city, the cost would be about half, or $30 a month-less than 8 gallons of gas. Think of the air in town when these cars become widely used, and the lack of roaring exhaust from passing vehicles. You might be able to hear yourself think for a change. I would speak to a electrician you know as the price of charging outlets seem excessive. After all a stage two charger supply is similar to an electric dryer or range 240V outlet.

On the subject of pollution, if a person was to use any form of clean, renewable energy to charge the battery the pollution would be eliminated. Also a coal plant is supposed to be around 70% efficient in electric production, where a gas engine is only about 35% efficient, so due to that, even when charged by coal power the overall pollution is less than gas powered cars.

[Genders]

07:30 PM on 03/26/2011

To me, the coal plant is a separate issue, we all know they have to go.

[Samual Warn]

05:17 AM on 02/17/2011

Thanks for posting such a good article! This information is really helpful for me...
http://www.usedtrucksdeal.com/

[ClimateHawk]

07:54 PM on 01/31/2011

Update on lithium-ion battery recycling:

http://i.green.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/tesla-teams-with-umicore-to-recycle-battery-packs-in-europe/

[Genders]

07:31 PM on 03/26/2011

Good link, Europe requires manufactures to recycle their good. Still I was surprised they let Lithium be lost and "used" for roads.

[Kenz300]

06:25 PM on 01/30/2011

Consumers need a choice. The oil monopoly on transportation will soon
price itself out of the average persons reach.

If those that believe in PEAK OIL theory are correct increasing demand for oil
from China and India for their billion plus populations will soon exceed the worlds supply
raising the price for all.

Bring on those electric, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles. Gas prices are going up.

[ClimateHawk]

08:12 AM on 01/30/2011

Here's something else you will want to know before you buy an electric car.

Most people are curious about them.

You might as well print up a card that says how far it will go on one charge and how long it takes to charge.

When you show your car to the curious, a majority will immediately figure out if it would fit their own lifestyle or not, and often tell you why not with an almost apologetic tone.

And you might encounter a very few people who actively oppose the whole idea and consider it un-American or something to have a car that costs less to run and cranks out a lot of torque at any speed without huffing and puffing.

[BlackbirdHighway]

02:33 PM on 01/30/2011

Very true. A 5 minute stop at the hardware store often turns into 20-30 minute discussion about electric cars with curious people in the parking lot.

[ClimateHawk]

06:51 PM on 01/29/2011

"The one company that has any experience­, Toxco, experience­d an major plant explosion and hasn't really gotten back into. "

They have experience doing it, but it can't be done.

They aren't really doing it any more.

or maybe

"Last year, the Energy Department awarded Toxco $9.5 million to expand its Lancaster, Ohio, operations — currently used to recycle nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride and lead-acid batteries — to handle the expected influx of depleted lithium-ion batteries."

So maybe you can give us an update on the grant.

It does not seem like the issue is being ignored.

And it does not seem like there is any reason it can't be done.

[ClimateHawk]

06:51 PM on 01/29/2011

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/automobiles/13RECYCLE.html

[ClimateHawk]

06:47 PM on 01/29/2011

"Currently, you can not recycle a lithium battery. "

or maybe

"The procedure currently used to recycle lithium-ion batteries at Toxco’s facility in Trail, British Columbia, begins with a deep freeze to minus 325 degrees Fahrenheit to stop the chemical and electrical activity. After shearing and shredding, the metals, plastics and chemical compounds are separated for sale or disposal. A chemical reaction converts the lithium to lithium carbonate, which has multiple uses in medicine, as an industrial chemical and to give fireworks and flares their brilliant red glow. "

Source: NYT, June 11, 2010

[BlackbirdHighway]

04:31 PM on 01/29/2011

Some people just don't want to be BFFs with Exxon, Chevron and BP. Those folks should have a choice.

[TheCarCzarsPage]

04:23 PM on 01/29/2011

Top EV Investments for 2011 - http://carczarconsulting.com/01/29/top-automotive-investments-of-the-year-announced-all-electric-evs-top-list/

[Aquest]

12:52 PM on 01/29/2011

There are 3 types of electric cars. The type not covered in this article is the one that actually will work. It is the one that when you stop the car, the combustion engine is turned of. When you step on the gas, the engine starts again. It uses a different battery pack (becuase it demands intense use of a battery) and saves in the area of 20%-30% gasoline. It is by far the best combination of all worlds.

[ClimateHawk]

03:58 PM on 01/29/2011

The others don't work?

Darn, how come mine says I went 14,000 miles and when I open the hood there is not a single spark plug, carburetor, fuel injector, gas line, air filter, timing belt, manifold, head gasket, starter, alternator, distributor, crankshaft, or piston?

Must be 14,000 magic miles.

I didn't know my car didn't work. Thanks for informing me.

[Genders]

07:33 PM on 03/26/2011

The Plug in hybrid with a commuting range is the best. It should have on board generator for long trips.

[gaydood]

12:00 PM on 01/29/2011

why not just convert an old car? the kits apx $3k when i googled

[ClimateHawk]

10:15 AM on 01/29/2011

TIP: don't let your battery drain down to zero. You might need the juice if your power goes out.

The day I picked up my electric car, I drove it around as long as I could. When the meter showed I was almost out of charge, I pulled into my driveway, opened the garage door, backed in, and EXACTLY at that moment we had a power blackout.

My wife looked at me as if to say, "... and whose brilliant idea was this electric car?"

LOL.

Plan ahead and you should be able to prevent this scenario.

[Genders]

07:35 PM on 03/26/2011

That's why the plug in hybrid is the best choice. A small hydrocarbon powered generator allows you to go the occasional long distance.

[jackiekt]

12:18 AM on 01/29/2011

I'm not well versed on electric cars. Zero emissions. Where does the electricity come from that fuels these cars? Is it from coal burning power plants? Nuclear? How do you safely dispose of the batteries? Are electric cars better for the environment in the long run?

Oil dependent vs. Mountaintop coal removal vs. nuclear waste. There has to be a better way.

[DesperOde]

08:03 AM on 01/29/2011

Yeah you could put a small wind turbine to charge a small battery pack (that you recycle which you do now with your batteries I assume).

You could also pressure the power plants to change power production methods. Preheat with solar thermal so you wouldn't use as much NG or whatever to make steam to turn the turbine to make electricity. I vote for smaller neighborhood electric coops.

[Aquest]

12:55 PM on 01/29/2011

Currently, you can not recycle a lithium battery.

[ClimateHawk]

08:49 AM on 01/29/2011

Here is a cool interactive map showing sources of electricity for each state in the U.S.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

One big advantage of electric cars is flexibility in the source of the power. You could charge the car from solar panels, hydro-electric, or wind power.

In many states, people have the option of using electricity from cleaner sources for just a few cents extra per kwh, and no upfront cost:

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml

[BlackbirdHighway]

04:29 PM on 01/28/2011

I am not quite following the logic of some of the comments here. How exactly is being dependent on other countries to keep supplying us with oil good for our economy or national security?

Those folks seem to have it exactly backwards.

[DarkStar]

05:27 PM on 02/01/2011

T. Boone Pickens agrees:

T. Boone Pickens' long-standing warnings that our addiction to OPEC oil is a national security issue has attracted new attention as the unrest in Tunisia and Egypt threaten to spread to the oil producing nations of Nigeria, Angola and Algeria.

"They think it could go to the ultimate conclusion and that is that Saudi Arabia could be overthrown," Pickens said. "And that's the largest supply of oil in the world." Saudi Arabia shipped 367 million barrels of oil to the United States in 2009.

"The transportation sector needs to be weaned off oil, increasing public transportation, shifting to electric vehicles, and natural gas engines for large trucks."

Pickens thinks the situation in Egypt could get worse - a lot worse - for crude oil and gas prices and that reinforces his message to wean ourselves off of foreign oil imports. "We've already said that something like this was likely to happen and it has. If it's not now, that civil unrest will happen again."

"You're seeing a dry run of sorts with unrest in countries like Tunisia and Egypt that are not big on the oil market," he said. "And you better watch close because the next one may be Algeria or Libya or God forbid Saudi Arabia." "And if that happens," he said, "you're really going to have a mess on your hands."

[Onertwo19]

04:22 PM on 01/28/2011

People should be charging these cars with solar shingles on their roofs.

[DarkStar]

05:08 PM on 01/28/2011

Many are:
http://www.jjhamilton.com/solar/

[ClimateHawk]

08:29 PM on 01/28/2011

Absolutely. There is even a web site for the concept: http://solarchargeddriving.com/