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 Vehicle Series
How sodium-ion batteries could make electric cars cheaper
Oct 11, 2023 03:38 am UTC|
Technology
Cars that burn petrol and diesel must be replaced with renewable alternatives if the climate crisis is to be overcome. Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely viewed as the best option available.
This is because EVs can be...
Electric Vehicle Series
Why delaying the ban on petrol and diesel cars won't slow UK's shift to electric vehicles
Sep 23, 2023 00:49 am UTC|
Economy
The UK has delayed its ban on the sale of new cars which burn petrol or diesel in internal combustion engines (ICE) from 2030 to 2035.
In some ways, this is no surprise: the original plan was to ban them from 2040, a...
Electric Vehicle Series
The EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles is a risky strategy that may backfire
Sep 21, 2023 01:52 am UTC|
Law Business
In her State of the Union address on 13 September, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced a new anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles (EVs) from China, claiming that the market is being...
Electric Vehicle Series
How electric vehicle batteries could save the UK auto industry
May 29, 2023 05:31 am UTC|
Technology
The UK may have lost Eurovision this year, but it recently beat European rivals for an arguably more valuable prize. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is expected to build a multi-billion-pound electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in...
Electric Vehicle Series
Boosting EV market share to 67% of US car sales is a huge leap – but automakers can meet EPA's tough new standards
Apr 14, 2023 14:11 pm UTC|
Business
One big question keeps surfacing after the Biden administration announced plans to raise auto standards so sharply they would likely boost electric vehicle production to 67% of all new passenger vehicle sales in under a...
Electric Vehicle Series
Electric utes can now power the weekend – and the work week
Feb 14, 2023 13:13 pm UTC|
Business
Four years ago, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously claimed electric vehicles (EVs) would end the weekend. Its not going to tow your trailer. Its not going to tow your boat. Its not going to get you out to your...
Electric Vehicle Series
Electric vehicles are now trending. But where can we charge them?
Feb 06, 2023 05:05 am UTC|
Business
Canada is on the road to transformation in mobility. The federal government recently announced its zero-emission vehicle sales target, which requires all light-duty passenger vehicles sold by 2035 to be...