TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS:

AFV Alternate Fuel Vehicle - Generally a car that runs entirely or partially using a form of propulsion other than or along with a gas/fossil fuel combustion engine.

CHARGE LINE - A power cord which connects an EV to it's transformer for the purpose of recharging. (Automated charge lines which will require no effort on the part of the driver to connect will become reality someday)

ELECTRIC CONVERSION - Process of replacing a gasoline powered engine with an electric motor & battery pack.

ENGINE - Device that converts matter into motion. As with vehicles usually burning or igniting (See Motor).

EV / EC Electric Vehicle / Electric Car - An automobile that uses an electric motor either to propel it or to aid in producing power which directly propels it.

GAS HOG VEHICLES - ElectricCars.com 2003 Any vehicle that huge and is driven by someone who does not require it's massive size. Usually found on highways commuting one 140 pound human miles to work or sticking annoyingly out parking spaces designed for "normal vehicles".

GREEN STREETS - ElectricCars.com 2001 Any area, zone or street in a city designated specifically limiting vehicle to lower "safer" speeds. Thus making smaller cars, especially electric NEV's and LSV's more practical and safe to drive.

GREEN VILLAGE - Greenstreets - Westwind/Trinity Project Any city or town designed specifically to be a "Clean Environment" including limiting modes of transportation (usually for smaller cars), layout of shopping, residences,etc

"STANDARD" HYBRID CAR - Vehicles that use an electric motor along with both separately and simultaneoulsy with another type of power source and/or motor.

LSV - Low speed vehicle - Typically judged by governments to include cars that have top speeds between 20 - 25 MPH.

MOTOR - Device that converts energy into motion. As with electric vehicles usually by using eletricity induced magnetic opposition and attraction. For decades people referred to the motor in their automotbiles but this was incorrect. Gas "engines" are in gas cars. (See Engine) .

NEV - Neighborhood electric vehicle Car that is normally smaller than most and restricted to lower speeds (usually 25 MPH) to conform with goverment issued safety mandates.

NHTSA - National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. US government agency in charge of regulating the construction of vehicles to meet standards of safety.

PHOTO VOLTAIC - A unit that uses solar technology to generate electric power.

PHOTO VOLTAIC PAINT - Future advanced automotive paint that recharge an EV by generating electric power directly from the sun.

PLUG IN HYBRID CAR - Vehicles that use an electric motor along with another type of motor but differ from "standard hybrid cars" in that you plug the car into a power source to recharge the batteries. The car usually runs off the electric power and motor until it needs the other motor as a "backup" power.

SG Hybrid - Self generating hybrid car (also called a series hybrid) that has an onboard energy generation unit (usually gas powered) to recharge itself.

SOLAR CHARGE UNIT - A system which uses a bank of photo voltaic cells and a processing unit to make electric power and manage the recharging of EV's.

SHOWROOM SHARKS - Unscrupulous car salemen known to prey on customers and use unethical practices to sell cars.

ESUV Electric Sport Utility Vehicle - Including but not limited to 4 wheel drive vehicles generally driven by people who want to dispose of as much fossil fuel as possible.

RANGE - Distance an EV will go before recharging is necessary.

RECHARGE - Process of replenishing electric power stored in onboard batteries.

REGENERATIVE - Process of recharging a power system by the use of a secondary generator - IE Many EV's engage a generator each time you hit the brakes thus expanding your range before recharge by using energy that is normally lost.

SELF GENERATING HYBRID CAR - Vehicles that use an electric motor along but differ from "standard hybrid cars" the car uses another source of electricity (usually a gas powered generator) to recharge its batteries.

V2G Vehicle to Grid - Electric car with power generation unit (usually solar) that while not in use produces energy that is induced into the public power system.

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How Do You Recharge?

A modern battery pack requires 4 to 10 hours to recharge. This technology is improving every year and we foresee many advances coming soon. Including EV's that are painted with photovoltaic paints to capture electricity from the sun and systems that use onboard alternate engines to recharge the batteries and cover you when your batteries are depleted.

Most EVs have on-board standard 110 volt chargers, and major cities around the world are making public charge units available for next to no cost. Many are provided free to EV users to influence more people to use this clean means of transportation.

Most owners report a monthly expense of about $3 to recharge their EV.

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EV Ranges are increasing every year. Today most EV's are designed to go 50 to 75 miles on a single charge. Predictions are that EV's will go more than 1000 miles by the year 2010. 

70% of drivers in cities drive less than 25 miles per day; 90% drive less than 50.  Half of all urban trips are less than 5 miles.  The average urban car trip is less than 10 minutes; measured in time, an EV's range in typical city driving is less than 30 minutes and the majority of us could meet our daily transportation requirements in an EV with mileage to spare.

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Just a few years ago General Motors introduced their EV-1 for $30,000.  When you factored in a short battery life of 2-5 years and a replacement cost of $10,000 you can see where they failed to meet the expectations of the public.

Today almost every major car company in the world has an EV in their showroom. With the increasing number of vehicles being produced the average cost per unit is decreasing at am impressive rate. GM only made a very small number of EV-1's and if they had made the same number of Corvettes the average price of a Corvette would have been over $150, 000.

Many different EV models are available ranging from "on street carts" in the $5,000 to $7,000 price range, Stylish Coupes and useful small trucks ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 on up to specialized "head turning" EV's that cost above $30K.

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On June 17, 1998 a major breakthrough occurred in the NEV market as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created a new class of motor vehicle, the Low-Speed/Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). - Developed to meet the public's demand for local area transportation and decrease the unnecessary waste of energy used by single passengers on short trips.

The average trip in a vehicle is less than 3 miles and it makes much more sense to not have to fire up a gas powered vehicle weighing thousands of pounds if you only want to go to your corner store.

This new category of motor vehicles has catapulted EV's into the forefront of alternative transportation. EV's offer safe transportation while addressing the significant issues facing our planet today, from urban sprawl to air pollution.

NHTSA requirements to qualify as a low-speed vehicle are that the vehicle must be equipped with automotive safety glass windshield, turn signals, mirrors, wiper blades, head and tail lights, and seatbelts.

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Some people envision a place to live where asphalt does not cover the beautiful natural earth. A place where you can ride your bike anywhere you want to go without being run off the road by large cars traveling at high speeds and fearing for your life.

In 1990 the founder of ElectricCars.com began to plan a place called  Westwind / Trinity and plans to make this ideal community a reality in the future. Plans include lush green surroundings, pathways to walk everywhere you want to go, and "Autopaths" for you to ride in small open air vehicles to your job, school, home or nearby stores etc.

Larger "Long distance" transportation is located aboave and under the ground and links residences to the outer word.

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Most sealed deep-cycle batteries require little or no maintenance.  Tires, brakes and suspension, are on par with most any vehicle.  Some EV's boast to require no tune-ups, oil changes, coolants, mufflers, emission tests, etc. In fact, the biggest hassle you may encounter owning an Electric Vehicle is convincing DMV that you don't need a smog test!

Electric motors are expected to last over a million miles!.  Electric motor have very few moving parts compared to an internal combustion engine which has hundreds. Electric connections will need to be checked for corrosion about every 3 years... You will tell your wife "Honey, will make a note for me to check the EV after the next olympics!

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Unfortunately, EV's are still weighed down by the same massive batteries you buy for your gas powered vehicle.  6V, "golf-cart" deep-cycle batteries require less stowage space and can last 3 to 5 years.  12V deep-cycle batteries are very dependable and although they will require more space it is comfort to leave your home with a full bank of power to get you through the day.

Most power packs will last approx. 5 years and can be replaced for $300 to $700 dollars

Lead-acid technology is the only affordable choice at this time.  However, as the number of EV's on the road increases more research & development will be justified by the large auto companies. Currently in testing are nickel cadmium, nickel metal-hydride and lithium-ion. Hydrogen fuel cells and a new lead-acid design using absorbed glass mat (AGM) technology.

These batteries will be virtually maintenance-free and promise to last over a decade before replacement is required.

Many people feel that the large auto manufacturers are holding up advances in this area of EV's development because it is "not profitable to produce a product that requires no maintenance". But the public is demanding cheaper, cleaner and more environmentally safe means of transportation.

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Many companies are emerging around the world that specialize in removing standard engines, gas tanks and replacing them with EV powerplants. In general, you will want to select a smaller car to start with. Weight is a vital factor, and it is not wise to select a car which has low storage capacity being that conversion require truck space for the batteries. Some models that we have been impressed with are porsche's, Vette's, and even vintage Model T's...

We're building an online database of companiees that do "Electric Conversions" and have even created a separate category for the Constuction and Conversion of Electric Vehicles.

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Dealers worldwide are making efforts to sell EV's. However we have found that most auto salespeople are more interested in selling you a vehicle that is Sittingg on their lot. When you ask for info on purchasing an EV you will be shuffled off to a lonely person Sitting in a dark back office who will point to a few posters of EV's they "might be able to get" for you.

Things will get better! Just a few short years from now the world will be phasing out combustible engines completely as we are depleting our oil reserves and the costs of fuels increase.

We were the first website in the world to make a 100% commitment to Electric Vehicles and today we are building our Dealers Section by including basically ANY auto dealership that shows a commitment to providing quality EV's to the public.

We Need Your Help! Please tell your local dealer that you are an EV customer and have them contact us if they feature EV's in their stock.

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What is a "Hybrid" Electric Vehicle?

In the early "0's" manufacturers of AFV's are still faced with one problem... How to produce an AFV that will go as far once "Filled up/charged" as a gas powered car. Battery technologies have made huge advances but still can not retain enough energy to push an EV over 200 miles. (Most gas powered cars are designed to have a 300-500 mile range per tank)

The Solution "Use the Best of Both Worlds!" The logical step for EV makers at this time is to use a small gas engine along with an electric motor. When the car is in idle or negotiating city driving & low speed accelerations the EMotor will economically be in control of the car. (Emotors are very good at starts, Stops and slow speeds) Then, once the EMotor has gotten the car up to cruising speeds the GMotor will kick in and propel the car. (GMotors generally operate more efficiently at cruising speeds)

Wait, It gets Better! The number one concern of EV buyers is "How do I charge the car up?". Hybrids cured this problem in an ingenious way... Since most GMotors cruise along and have extra horses to spare at normal driving speeds the hybrid EV will actually "flip a switch", (unknown by the driver) and kick in a small generator that CHARGES THE BATTERIES!.

At this dark time during the early "0's" companies have still not developed roof top solar stations and automatic charge links so people are worried they will not be able to plug their EV's charge line into their AC outlets when they park the car. This is a process that takes approximately 10 seconds to do but, after a busy day even this can be a grueling task.

The average stop into a gas station takes 7 minutes, involves paying an attendant or debiting your bank account and given certain conditions may involve danger, adverse weather conditions and inconvenience... Now consider taking 10 seconds to plug your EV's charge line in when you get home at night.

These "Hybrid" vehicles boasted incredible economy & longer ranges between charges. Some as much as 90 miles per gallon! (At the time 40mpg was considered "economical")

Future Advances? GMotors will be completely phased out as EMotors are becoming more energy efficient AND batteries are getting small, cheaper & easier to charge.

 Click Here to Read this FAQ  Hybrid Cars

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What is a "Hydro" Electric Vehicle?

Scientists have devised an ingenious device that uses raw hydrogen to generate electric power. This technology was used way back in the 1970-80's by NASA as a power source for the Apollo Moon Missions. The only byproduct of this hyrdo chemical conversion is pure water. Sounds good? Read on....

Don't Let them Make Us All "Jump from the Fryer into the Pan!" The fact is, petroleum companies know the earth's oil reserves like all natural resources will eventually be exhausted. When you combine diminishing supplies with greed, stock/profit motivations and monopoly markets we all know some time in the next 50 to 100 years gas prices will skyrocket. (One of the major causes of the "great recession of 2002" was high gas prices)

So a simple chemical machine that produces electricity sounds attractive. But really, when you think about it the petro companies are just changing our thirst for gas into "A thirst for Hydrogen". They propose spending BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to convert gas stations all over the world into Hydro Stations.

Stop! We all have a clean source of power within 10 feet of our faces... If you are on a computer look at the wall... There's enough clean, cheap electricity available at your wall outlet to power an electric car. Better yet, in the near future that wall outlet will be hooked up to solar panels on your roof. Your car will be powered by FREE electric power generated from the sun. (Which is in itself a "Hydrogen Powered Fuel Source" that creates more power per millisecond than humans will ever need!)

Electric Cars promise to eliminate our yearly gas bills 100% by 2020 Prices of Hyrdo power will continue to increase over time much like gasoline did. Hydrogen is a man-made commodity like oil and water... In the 1960's you could drive into a gasoline station, pay less than 50 cents for a gallon of gas, have an attendant pump the gas for you, check your oil and clean your windshield... Now, we pay $1.50 to $4.00 per gallon and you're lucky the attendant even acknowledges your existance!

PHOTO: The Hindenberg was a hydrogen filled blimp, and the world's first transatlantic "lighter than air" craft. Built in Germany in the 1920-40's Blimps were said to be "The safest means of transportation". While landing on it's maiden voyage to the United States the Hindenberg's crew strung a tether line down to the awaiting ground crew which was intended to be used as a pull rope to bring the massive vehicle to a safe docking... At that moment the vessel burst into flames with a violent and deadly explosion.

It is presumed that an electric charge was generated due to negative ions caused by air friction (much like the spark you get when you touch a door knob after walking on carpet) However, at the time the world was under political pressures after world war I and many people believed the Hindenberg was blown up by the Americans to send a message to Germany... A world war almost broke out because a couple scientists forgot about static electricity...

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Hackleman, Michael.  The New Electric Vehicle--A Clean And Quiet Revolution, Home Power, 1996.  (A good survey of the great variety of  EVs, especially the more exotic and experimental.) 

Brant, Bob.  Build Your Own Electric Vehicle.  Tab Books, 1994.  (An excellent introduction to the subject.  However, despite the title, the book is about converting, not really building.) 

Schiffer, Michael Brian. Taking Charge: The Electric Automobile in America. Smithsonian, 1994. (A wonderful social history of the electric car and its place in the culture.) 

Wakefield, Ernest H. History of the Electric Automobile SAE International, 1994. (Full of interesting if little known facts, though somewhat poorly written.)

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