 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Shortly after Joseph Henry's invention of the first electric direct current (DC) motor in 1830, engineers became interested in creating an electric powered vehicle that would be a reliable source of transportation. Their early prototypes were in constant change, as engineers tried to make capacity for two passengers, increase the top speed and make the body weather resistant.
Even though the development of electric vehicles began in the early 1800's, the process was not perfected until much later, after the creation of rechargeable batteries by the French engineer, Gaston Plante, in 1859. After this invention, the electric car industry quickly expanded to reach over 50 companies in 1912 and produce over 34,000 electric cars.
At this point in time, gas-powered cars were still very unreliable and required the driver to "crank" the vehicle before driving. Despite the fact that EVs were quieter, more reliable, and more efficient than gas-powered cars, their limited range led to a decrease in their popularity. With the invention of the electric starter for gas-powered cars, a dramatic increase in their reliability, and the cheap price of gasoline, gas-powered cars took over the market and the EV industry vanished.
With the oil crisis of the 1970's, electric cars began to reemerge. Many carmakers, such as Sebring/Vanguard, General Motors (GM) and Ford developed several electric vehicle models. Unfortunately, the high cost of EVs made them very difficult to sell, and most of the carmakers could not afford to make electric cars or could not make a profit, and they abandoned EVs.
As gas and oil prices dropped in the 1980's and gas-powered cars became more efficient, got better gas mileage, and were now being equipped with anti-pollution devices, it seemed like the EV industry would never come back. Fortunately for the EV industry, the pollution caused by gas-powered cars was beginning to get out of hand and the government and carmakers sought ways to improve the air quality. EVs seemed like the perfect solution, but carmakers were not willing to risk entering that industry. As a result, the only EVs on the road were those converted from gas-powered cars by hobbyists.
The 1990's brought around a significant change. New types of batteries were being developed; batteries that would greatly extend the range of EVs. Carmakers began to find ways to increase the efficiency of their vehicles. This increase in efficiency gave EVs the increase in performance and range that they needed. Electric vehicles were once again becoming a viable alternative to gas-powered cars. The high price of the batteries kept car makers from bringing EVs to the average consumer, but companies that needed fleets of vehicles to travel short distances at a time for deliveries and such were quick to buy a vehicle that was quiet, could be refueled for practically nothing, and was nearly maintenance free. States like California and New York realized how much of an effect EVs could have on the pollution level and began legislation to force carmakers to sell EVs.
Realizing that they could possibly be forced to sell EVs, many car companies began researching. Most of the car companies gave little funding to this research however, and most have simply converted one of their gas-powered models into an electric version. GM, however, spent several years researching and built an electric car from scratch. The result was an efficient, powerful, and state-of-the-art vehicle that blew away the competition.
About two years ago, California and New York declared mandates stating that 2% of all vehicles sold in 1998 had to be electric cars. Carmakers spent more money fighting these mandates than they did researching. They finally succeeded in New York, and were successful in appealing the mandate. The California mandate still stands, however, and in fact, that figure jumps up to 10% in 2003. Although most car companies have created simple conversions to meet the mandate, a few, like GM, have spent some time researching and building quality EVs.
Today, most of the 2% Californian mandate is going to company fleets, but we should see more and more consumers driving EVs as we get closer to 2003. EVs are making a comeback, and it looks like this time, they will be here to stay.
 |
© 1998 Thinkquest Team 20463 All rights reserved |
