Car Solar Power

Electric cars, solar power are here to stay

He further claims that electric car batteries must be replaced every two or three years. In reality, they are expected to last five to 10 years, do not contain harmful chemicals and can be recycled.  Although he was right in pointing out that a substantial amount of energy is wasted to generate and transfer electric power, it’s not as bad as he claimed. In the worst case scenario of an antiquated coal-fired power station, about 35 percent of the fuel energy is recovered as electric power, 93 percent of which then reaches our outlets through the power grid.

That 93 percent initial energy content will charge the car battery with about 75 percent efficiency, meaning that the engine will receive nearly 24 percent of the fuel energy, of which it will utilize about 80 percent to perform mechanical work.

Source: Shore News Today

A Nation with Scarce Electric Supplies Launches Electric Car ...

by Paul Joseph

In India, a few power cuts can drive us mad. We do nothing, but grumble. How many electric cars have we produced? We have launched new cars though. We need to take a few lessons from Africa. Ethiopia, an African with unpredictable power supplies, will be launching an electric car. This is just the second African country, after South Africa, to produce an electric car. Two variants of the Solaris Elettra will soon be produced in Addis Ababa of Ethiopia. The cost, $12,000 and $15,000, is also huge. The two cars will not only be sold in Ethiopia, but will also be exported to Africa and Europe. Africa is neither has reliable power supplies nor does it have the right infrastructure to produce electric cars . The personal wealth levels are not too great either. How is the country going to manage? Freestyle PLC produces the Solaris. This company is very optimistic and feels that the electricity shortage is not going to be a major hurdle in the electric car’s operation. It believes that Ethiopia will have abundant supply of power in future. Generators and solar power are enough to recharge the car. But again, how will the car survive in a country where taxes on cars are over a cent per cent? How will Ethiopians with low income levels afford the electric car? The company plans to solve this problem too by coming up with a credit system for less wealthy customers. In the next three months, Freestyle PLC will produce six Solaris Elettras every week. A little later, when the company’s factory becomes fully operational, it will produce 30 cars a month. Freestyle PLC wants to take the green car from a green country to a green world. The launch of this car has been thought over after launching the country’s first bio-diesel car , the Rwanda last week. Now, the electric car would be okay for the shorter trips, say 40 to 50 km. But, what about the longer trips? African nations do not have the necessary infrastructure. They do not have enough recharge points. Well, the company is positive. We can only wait and see how far the car and its sales go. Ethiopia is currently constructing a gigantic hydro-electric dam on the Omo River and hopes to become a major exporter of energy when that is completed. We too hope all goes well and Ethiopia with the car maker, PLC Freestyle, becomes successful in its initiative of creating a greener world.

Read more...

News

Financial Times - Apr 09, 2010

San Jose Mercury News - Apr 09, 2010

New Mexico Business Weekly - Apr 09, 2010

GulfNews - Apr 08, 2010

New York Times (blog) - Apr 08, 2010