an insightful look into the past, present, and future of electric cars
DESCRIPTION
An exploration of the future of electric cars including a look back at the first all-electric vehicle produced by General Motors, the EV1.TRANSCRIPT
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?