an insightful look into the past, present, and future of electric cars

AnInsightfulLookIntoThePast,Present,andFutureofElectricCars

By:MichaelChanceforSolarEnergyUSA

ThereisanewfilmoutentitledRevengeOfTheElectricCarwhichdocumentstheexcitingjourneyofthethreemajorelectricvehicle(EV)manufacturersTeslaMotors,Nissan,andGeneralMotorsastheyeachattempttoremoldtheautomobileindustryandthefutureofpersonaltransportation.AndwhileRevengeillustrateshoweachcarcompanyintroducesanEVmodelthatistrulyuniqueandinnovative,thefirstmodernelectricvehiclewasactuallyproducedoveradecadeagobackin1996.

MeetTheEV1

TheGeneralMotorsEV1wasanall‐electriccarproducedfrom1996to1999.TheEV1hada60‐milerangeandwasonlyavailabletothepublicunderaspecialautomotiveleasingprogram.ActorDannyDeVitohasacameoinRevengetalkingabouttheEV1heusedtodriveandpointingoutthatitwasa“fun,fast,zippylittlecar.”AlthoughcustomerreactiontotheEV1wasoverwhelminglypositive,thevehicleleaseprogramwasphasedoutbyGMandthemajorityofEV1sweredestroyed.RickWagoner,CEOin2003whentheannouncementwasmadetocrushallEV1s,wouldlaterciteaninabilitytosellthecarsat

aprofit.CriticsofGMquicklypointedoutthedurabilityandlowmaintenancequalitiesofelectricvehicles,whichmostlikelyposedathreattoGM’slong‐termrevenuemodelbyeliminatingtheneedfortune‐upsandservicerepairs.

ToyotaRAV4EV

Toyotaalsoproducedanall‐electricvehicleinthelate1990stoearly2000s–theToyotaRAV4EV–thathadabatteryrangebetween80and120miles.In2010,recordsshowtherewere750RAV4EVunitsstillinuse,butthemajorityofToyota’sRAV4EVswerediscontinuedin2003afteralawsuitforcontrolofthespecialRAV4EVNiMH(nickelmetalhydride)batterieswasawardedtoChevron‐Texaco.

ElonMuskandTeslaMotors

ElonMuskisanAmericanengineerandaserialentrepreneur.HefoundedSiliconValleystartupTeslaMotorsin2003using$7.5milliondollarsofpersonalmoneyhehadearnedfromrunningtwoothercompanies,PayPal,nowownedbyebay,andSpaceX,specializinginprivatizedspaceexploration.HealsositsaschairmanoftheboardofSolarCity,aphotovoltaicintegratorhopingtobringsolarpaneltechnologytotheforefrontofAmericanenergy.MuskisalsorumoredtobetheinspirationbehindIronMandirectorJohnFavreau’scharacterizationofTonyStark,theprotagonistinthemodernIronManmovieseries.

Teslaismostfamousforitsfirstproductionvehicle,theTeslaRoadster,whichisanall‐electricsportscarpositionedintheluxuryautomobilemarket.TheRoadsterhypes0to60mphaccelerationin3.9secondswith244milesofbatteryrange.

Tesla’spopularityintheluxuryEVmarkethasnotcomewithoutstruggle.Thecompanyrestructureditsleadershipboardin2007afterfacingcripplingproductionissues,andbyFebruary2008Muskhadinvestedareported$70milliondollarsofhisownmoneyintothecompanytokeepitfromcollapsing.ThereisasceneinRevengewhereMuskisshownmeetingwithTeslaownersangryaboutnotyetreceivingthecarstheyhadpreordered.Muskappearsverysomberasheapologeticallyaskseachyet‐to‐beRoadsterownerformoremoney.

InJune2009TeslawasapprovedforaUnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergyloantotaling$465milliondollars.ThisloanissaidtobethelifelinebehindTesla’snewestEVmodel,theTeslaModelS.

TeslaModelSSnapshot:

Full‐sized4‐doorall‐electricsedan

Deliveryexpectedmid‐2012

Basemodelwillhave160‐milerangewith0‐60mphaccelerationin5.6seconds

Extendedrangemodelsavailablewithbatteryrangesof230and300miles

BobLutzandtheChevyVolt

ItissaidthatBobLutz,GeneralMotorsViceChairmanfrom2001to2010,drewhisinspirationforthemodernChevroletVoltafterseeingtheTeslaRoadsteratthe2006DetroitAutoShow.Lutz’sinitialideawastodevelopanall‐electriccar,buthelaterchangedhismindafterhearingthehistoryofGM’sEV1experience.Hisfinalproduction‐designedVoltincludesanelectricbatterypackwithanaverage40milesofdrivingrangecomplementedbyagasoline‐burningenginewith9.3galloncapacity,or300milespertank,whichGMincludedtoaddressanybattery“rangeanxiety”concerns.

IfLutz’snameringsabell,itmightbebecauseofhisexecutivetiestoanumberofverypowerfulautomobiles.LutzwastheheadofChryslerCorporation’sGlobalProductDevelopment,whichverysuccessfullyoversawtheimplementationoftheDodgeViper.HewasanExecutiveVicePresidentatFordMotorCompanywhereheinitiateddevelopmentoftheFordExplorer.PriortoworkingwithFord,LutzwasanExecutiveVicePresidentatBMWforthreeyearswherehehelpeddevelopthepopularBMW3‐Seriesautomobileline.AndduringhisfinaltenureatGM,LutzhadahandindevelopingthePontiacGTO,themodernChevyCamaro,theCadillacCTS,andanumberofotherveryfavorableandiconicautomobiles.Amanofvastautomobileknowledgeandvision,Lutzwasquotedin2008sayingthat“theelectrificationoftheautomobileisinevitable.”

TheVolthasreceivednumerousawardsincludingbeingnamedthe2011MotorTrendCarOfTheYear,2011CarAndDriverTenBestCars,2011AutomobileoftheYearbyAutomobileMagazine,andthe2011NorthAmericanCaroftheYearannouncedatthe2011NorthAmericanInternationalAutoShow.TheVoltalsoearnedthe2012BestResaleValueAwardinthecategoryofelectriccarsbyKelleyBlueBook.

CarlosGhosnandtheNissanLeaf

ThecurrentCEOofNissanMotorsandthemanwhohasoverseenthedevelopmentoftheNissanLeaf,CarlosGhosn,hasanautomotivebackgrounddatingbackto1981astheheadofresearchanddevelopmentwithMichelin.HeworkedhiswayuptheMichelincorporateladderuntil1996whenRenaultthenhiredhimtooverseeoperationinSouthAmerica.In1999,Renaultpurchaseda36percentstakeinNissan,andGhosnsoonbecametheheadofbothcompanies.

TheNissanLeaf,liketheTeslaRoadster,isazero‐emission,all‐electricautomobile.ButunlikeTesla,Nissanpositioneditselfastheproducerofamass‐marketEV,creatinganelectricvehicleaffordableenoughforthemasses.

AccordingtoNissan,theLeaf’sexpectedall‐electricrangeis100miles.However,mostindependentdrivingreportsshowaslightlyshorterrangewhichiscloserto70milesunderrealisticdrivingconditions.NissanhasNorthAmericanmanufacturingplansfortheLeafslatedtobeginproductioninlate2012inSmyrna,Tennessee.TheSmyrnaplantisexpectedtoproduceupto150,000vehiclesand200,000batterypacksannually.

OtherEVOptions

ToyotaPriusPlug­InHybrid

Traditionalhybridvehiclewithplug‐incapabilities

14.3‐mileall‐electricrange,475‐miletotalrange

MitsubishiiMiEV(MitsubishiinnovativeElectricVehicle)

All‐electricvehicle

62‐milerange

Zeroon‐roademissions

WheegoWhipLiFe

All‐electricvehicle

100‐milerange

FiskerKarma

Serieshybridvehiclewithdualelectricmotors

32‐mileall‐electricrange,230‐miletotalrange

Solarglassroof

Finalthoughts

Hopefullythisarticlehasinspiredyoutorethinkthefutureofpersonaltransportation.Andhopefullyithasgivenyousomeperspectivebehindchoicesthatweremadeinthepastrelatedtodevelopingtechnologies.Weendthisarticlewithsometoughquestions:

First,whywouldbigoilcompaniesfearwidespreadadoptionofelectricvehicles?

Second,whywouldalargeautomotivecompany,suchasGM,fearwidespreadadoptionofall­electricvehicles?

Finally,isitpossiblethatthesesamecompaniesfearthedevelopmentofalternativeenergysolutions?