Top 10 Electric Vehicle Makers in USA

The electric car industry in North American is big. The industry players in the market consist of large mainstream manufacturers that have a dedicated division for electric vehicle (EV) to smaller custom EV retrofitters. The following is a list of top 10 electric car manufacturers in North America.

1) Chevrolet Electric The most existing news from Chevrolet Electric is their Chevrolet Volt Electric Car model. It is a full plug-in series hybrid vehicle to be produced by General Motors. The Volt is expected to be launched as a 2011 model with integration vehicles to be built starting on June 1, 2009. Sales are scheduled to begin in November 2010.

2) American Honda Motor Co. Honda was the very first auto manufacturer to offer a mass-production hybrid model for the U.S. and Europe. They offer a diverse lineup of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles ranging from Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) to Hydrogen Fuel Cell. Based on their track record, a pure electric car should be around the corner.

3) Th!nk North America Think Global is an electric car company located in Aurskog, Norway which has its North American division. The company manufactures cars under the TH!NK brand. The Think Ox electric car is the next EV to be offered in the US market.

4) Phoenix Motorcars Phoenix MC, Inc. is a privately-held Delaware corporation headquartered in Ontario, California that does business as Phoenix Motorcars. The Company develops full-size, freeway speed electric vehicles. Similar to other automotive manufacturers, Phoenix Motorcars partners with other corporations for the development and manufacture of key vehicle components, such as vehicle bodies, battery packs and drive-train components. One of their most popular models is the all electric Phoenix Sport Utility Truck (SUT) series.

5) Electric City Motors Electric City Motors was founded in 2007 by S.T. Tripathi, an experienced automotive professional with 30+ years background managing dealerships in the automotive industry. The company mission is to distribute a line of affordable, highway-approved low emission vehicles. One of their flagship EV is The Current.

6) Tesla Motors Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley automobile startup company focusing on the production of high performance, consumer-oriented battery electric vehicles. The firm was incorporated in July 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in San Carlos, California. Tesla is famous for their super sexy Tesla Roadster electric car. Recently, Tesla has launched its sedan pure electric car, the Tesla Model S.

7) Myers Motors The Myers Motors NmG (formerly the Corbin Sparrow) is a single-passenger, three-wheeled, battery electric vehicle designed specifically for commuting and city driving. It was initially produced by Corbin Motors and now by Myers Motors. The company produces Personal Electric Vehicle (PEV).

8) Chrysler ENVI ENVI is a division of Chrysler LLC whose purpose is creating electric-drive vehicles and related advanced-propulsion technologies.

9) Aptera Motors Aptera Motors, formerly known as Accelerated Composites, is a maker of high-efficiency vehicles, and is located in Carlsbad, California. Aptera’s first product, a three-wheeled two-seater named the Aptera 2 Series, is currently under development, though they are accepting pre-orders from California residents. The name Aptera is Greek for “wingless”, a nod to their light-aircraft-inspired design and construction techniques.

10) Detriot Electric The new Detroit Electric is the revival of the old Detroit Electric that went bankrupt in 1939. Detroit Electric recently announced its Joint venture with Proton Holdings of Malaysia to produce pure electric car. Under the agreement, Detroit Electric will license two Proton vehicle platforms and contract the company to assemble the electric vehicles that will be marketed under Detroit Electric’s brand.

Golf Cart Battery Maintenance

Here’s an interesting web site I found recently that I think will be very useful for DIY electric car Electric Golf Car Battery Maintenance guide. The web site can be found at www.golfcartbattteryguide.info. enthusiasts. This is a relatively new web site what offers

How would the web site be useful to electric car converter? As you may already know, a homemade electric car relies on an electric motor to generate torque. To power the electric motor, you would need a series of battery.

The best battery recommended for EV conversion is deep cycle battery used on electric golf carts. If you are going to invest money on a bunch of deep cycle batteries, wouldn’t it make sense to learn how to maintain them properly? That is where the golf car battery guide will come in handy.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Battery

For a normal sedan electric car, it would require from 10 to 15 units of deep cycle battery. With that amount of batteries, it will give you approximately 60 to 100 driving miles before you have to recharge. If you are using electric golf cart deep cycle batteries, you want to maintain them so to achieve maximum performance and obtain a longer battery life. The end result is saving you time and money when you are using your electric car.

How to ensure the operation of your battery? According to the guide, the first step is choosing the right golf cart batteries. There are many types of deep cycle batteries available in the market. Choosing the right one will lower your expenses in the long run.

Extending The Life Of Your Battery

What are the common breakdown problem with a battery? Do you want to double or triple the life of your deep cycle battery? According to the manual, the key is to know how to have a solid maintenance and servicing program.

Even when there’s no moving parts in a battery, it does have chemicals that have to be dealt with. If you do not pay attention to this area, it will lead to all kind of problems for your electric car.

The E-book Guarantee

One thing that I like about information product on the internet is the guarantees. Since Electric Golf Car Battery Guide is offered under Clickbank, you are automatically covered under their 60 Days Money Back Guarantee policy. If you do not see any value after reading the manual, you can ask for a full refund within 60 Days from the purchase date. Try doing that at a Borders or Barnes and Nobles bookstore. You will have a very different experience.

Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide Review Conclusion

Here’s the conclusion for this blog post. If you are going to spend hundreds of dollar to buy deep cycle battery for your DIY electric car, wouldn’t it make sense to learn how to take care of them. The key is to properly service and maintain them so it will serve you for years to come. For the best information on deep cycle battery maintenance, check out Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide.

==> Click here to get your copy of Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide now!

Where To Find Cheap Electric Motor for DIY Electric Car Conversion

If you are planning to convert your car into an Electric Vehicle (EV), there are two key components of the whole retrofitting process. The first is the electric motor and second are the batteries. The idea of a Do It Yourself (DIY) electric car conversion is to get the project done in your home garage to save cost. It will usually cost your upward of $4000 to get it done in a professional garage. To keep cost down, it is preferably for you to source the parts yourself. This posting will share some information on where you can find relatively cost effective DC electric motor for the conversion process. One of the best place for your to source for cheap DC motor is on auction site such as eBay. The process is quite simple. Just log into eBay and type in “DC Motor” in their search bar. The search results will list out all available DC motor on their listing. The challenge now is to find the suitable motor for your DIY project. What are the criteria in choosing the right DC motor? The attributes you will have to pay attention to are RPM, shaft size, amps and voltage. So what you are looking for is a motor that is rated for high DC voltage, low rpms and high current. You want a motor that will put out over 12 Volts at a fairly low rpm, and a useful level of current. As a general rule of thumb look for DC motor with RPM (revolutions per minute) ratings of under 400. The shaft size should be over 5/8″ because that will insure that your DC motor has adequate bearings or bushings to accommodate the constant spinning and harsh outdoor treatment it will receive. Look for a voltage between 50 and 80 volts. If you do not find the right DC motor on your first visit to eBay, do not worry. You can try again another time. There are many people constantly listing electric motor to be auctioned. With a little luck, you will find the right motor at the right price for your DIY electric vehicle retrofitting.

Electric Conversion Made Easy Review

Review by Jack Marshall

Average Rating : very good

Official Site: Electric Conversion Made Easy

Gavin Shoebridge, an electric vehicle nut and a keen environmentalist, will show you how you can build your own electric car for much less than you might expect. In his Electric Conversion Made Easy ebook and video package, you will see how the entire conversion process is made incredibly simple.

This easy-to-read ebook will take you step-by-step through every single element of planning, implementing, and succeeding with your own EV conversion. You will see how easy it can be to start building your own electric car today and save thousand of dollars in fuel each year while also playing your part for the environment.

Click Here For Electric Conversion Made Easy Instant Access Now!

Using this ebook will also save you time and money on researching answers to questions such as: What battery voltages should you use?, What are the advantages or disadvantages of using a big car?, What performance will you get out of a low voltage system?, How many batteries will you need for your required distance?, What about hilly driving?, How do I cut costs?, What are the rules?, and How do I make an electric car that goes fast? Just name the question, and this ebook will provide the answer.

It will provide solutions to hundreds of these typical common scenarios, such as how to get the maximum range, how to achieve your desired speed, how to save money on voltmeters and ammeters, how to choose an ideal donor car, how to choose a donor car based on aerodynamics, how to make sure you choose the right batteries for your electric car, how to save money on batteries, how to find a decent yet affordable controller, how to choose a controller that has a very low failure rate, how to find a cheap electric motor, how to choose a second hand motor, how to drain fluids, how to remove the gas tank safely and easily, how to remove the gearbox, how to make sure your conversion will be a success, how to prevent short circuits from destroying your batteries, and how to install power steering.

Keep in mind that once your electric car is running, you will have to pass the inspection tests, find insurance for an electric vehicle, monitor the water level in your batteries, and correct potential battery, cabling, and cooling issues. This ebook will teach you how to make sure that your EV passes the inspection and how to get your electric car insured.

As Gavin Shoebridge said, “When armed with the right information, you can build an efficient and reliable electric vehicle from the comfort of your own garage or backyard.”

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Increasing Electric Car Battery Performance

The research was performed at the Stanford University and Hanyang University in Ansan, Korea. The joint effort is between the Universities and LG Chem, a Korean company, who makes lithium ion batteries for the Chevy Volt. In a conventional Hybrid Car, using today's technology, a lithium-ion battery charge only last 30 minutes. A battery is charged by the movement of lithium ions from the cathode to the anode. By replacing the graphite electrode with silicon, much more energy can be stored because the silicon absorbs larger amounts of lithium in the charging process. Because silicon anodes absorb up to 10 times more lithium by weight, its volume also increase by 4 times. This can be a disadvantage as the material becomes brittle and can crack after the battery has been charged and discharged a few times. By developing a nanostructured silicon design, researchers have found that the silicon material can better withstand the stress. There are some major challenges ahead before the silicon nanotube electrodes can be used in electric car batteries. One of the problems is getting back all the energy from the silicon anode after the battery has been charged. The battery must be able to be charged hundreds or thousands of times before this type of battery can be used in electric cars. As of today this has not yet be shown. Electric car batteries, incorporating silicon nanotube electrodes, could be on the market in three years. It's too early to determine whether this new technology will add to the cost of lithium batteries.

Lexsus car LS 600h test drive

If you have decided to buy a Lexus LS 600h for yourself then you will first need to inspect the vehicle. A test drive is the best way to do that. This way, you can understand the vehicle on a personal level and can test all the devices, speed and performance of the car. Test-driving a Lexus LS 600h requires some smart approach from your side. You can look into the braking power and transmission system of the car. Try applying quick brakes in a succession and changing gears rapidly to understand the dynamics of the car. Also, try to look into the steering wheel and its attitude. LS 600h cars have a firm, but comfortable steering wheel that is very easy to navigate. Additionally, the automatic transmission means that you will have minimum hassle in driving the vehicle. Another thing to look for in a test drive is the fuel economy. These cars are equipped with advanced fuel trackers that help you in getting information about the total amount of fuel used and remaining. Additionally, the emission factor is also displayed on special monitors. These monitors are updated as you drive through and give you exact details of the gases emitted from your car. As you will be driving a hybrid vehicle, it would be a best idea to switch quickly to electric mode. After all, hybrid cars are meant to be driven on electric driver-motors in most cases. These electric motors have specially designed batteries that are strong enough to last for 300,000 miles or more. You can test the power of these batteries by taking a longer test drive and fully utilising the electric system to find more about the vehicle. You can check the speed, acceleration, brakes, and transmission system while on the electric mode.

buy lexus hybrid car

Many big companies are manufacturing hybrid cars nowadays. One such company producing hybrids is Lexus. Lexus is well known for manufacturing quality models, which offers mileage that is more enjoyable and enhanced comfort. It is also renowned for manufacturing cars with improved security and safety features.

Lexus has also produced hybrid models. They would of course be up to the peoples’ expectations. It has divided its hybrids into four series: RX hybrids, GS hybrids, LS hybrids and HS hybrids. As always, Lexus has not disappointed the consumers. The hybrids offer increased horsepower. The combined power of the electric motor and the ICE give the V6 engine the power of a V8 engine and give a V8 engine the power of a V12 engine.

The Lexus hybrid creates less pollution. Fewer gases are emitted from the engine, which means that there is less contribution to the green house effect. It emits 76% less smog-forming gases. Thus, there would be cleaner air to breathe in the future. The Lexus hybrids are also more fuel efficient than their counterparts. This is because of the dual engine power. The older models depended only on a gasoline engine. However, the hybrid can run on electric motor as well and thus save fuel. You can thus now have more greens in your wallet.

The battery that is used to provide power to the car is a technologically advanced one, so you can get longer miles. This battery is charged by using the energy lost in braking.

Lexus is renowned for the comfort level of their cars. Hybrids continue their legacy, and are now they are more luxurious and comfortable than before. The smooth ride and acceleration of Lexus is enhanced in them.

Although Lexus is noiseless when on gasoline, it created some noise on the electric motor. However, that was taken under consideration and the noise was reduced. Then there are obviously the great looks of the car, which turns the people’s heads when you pass from the market area. These cars from Lexus would surely benefit the human race, as they would provide a greener and cleaner environment in the future.

Electric Car Conversion Kits.

The growing environmental concerns, continuously increasing oil prices, and impending shortage of conventional fuels, have driven people to look for alternative sources of energy. For some, especially for those who are well-off, it may be easy to buy brand new hybrid or electric cars. But for the majority who cannot afford to do so or even those who do not want to do so, there is a way for them to keep their present car while still drawing the benefits of an electric vehicle. This, of course, is done by using Electric Car Conversion Kits. There are some people who think that electric car kits are not very efficient. These people even think that converting your gasoline-powered car to electric adversely affects your present car?s mechanism. The truth behind this is that electric car kits are in fact very efficient. The continuing advancements in conversion kit technologies allows for more benefits or advantages in using these kits. Cars which are fitted with electric car kits deliver speeds that are at par with most non-electric and standard electric cars. There is no reason to believe that these cars are very slow. They come with very good cruising speeds, which can save you a lot of time and money. But perhaps the major advantage of using electric cars is that they not only significantly reduce your fuel costs, but they also provide a totally pollution-free driving experience. One of the major contributors to the rising level of carbon in the atmosphere is carbon emission from cars, which aggravates global warming. There is just clean emission coming out from electric cars, contributing to zero smog. Purchase electric car conversion kits now and build your own electric car. Rest assured that will be driving your electric car with ease and comfort, confident that you are not causing the environment any harm. This author writes about Electric Car Projects at DIY Electric Car Conversion

electric cars

Mercedes-Benz will be showing a 392-kilowatt concept electric sports car, while Audi is presenting a similarly powerful electric version of its top-of-the-range R8 model. BMW will demonstrate alternative engine systems with its "Vision Efficient Dynamics," a hybrid composed of a three-cylinder diesel engine flanked by two electric motors, which is supposed to have a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour). "Economizing is getting sexy!" is the verdict of the German car magazine Auto Bild.

But before environmental organizations show up to point out the real carbon footprint of such energy guzzlers, the manufacturers would do well to point out an important fact up front, namely that such high horsepower electric cars are not market-ready, and not a serious option even in the long run. Even the best batteries would run out within a few minutes of being driven at full power.

Nissan electric cars

Nissan and ECOtality have announced plans to roll out a ‘fast charge’ electric car network in Arizona, capable of topping up batteries in as little as 10-15 minutes. The Japanese company has teamed up with EV charge-tech firm ECOtality and the Pima association of government’s, (representing the Tucson, Arizona region), to establish a pilot-scale network in readiness for the launch of Nissan electric cars in the US next year. As part of the deal, Nissan has agreed to supply EVs to public and private fleets across the region and publicise the benefits of zero-emission vehicles. ECOtality President and chief executive Jonathan Read used the partnership announcement to take a swipe at recharge infrastructure competitors Project Better Place, arguing that their fast charge system is cheaper and more user-friendly than Project Better Place’s battery swap model. He told reporters, “It takes 10 or 15 minutes to fast charge, which isn’t going to be much quicker or slower than swapping a battery, and certainly a lot less moving parts and potential points of failure. Let alone the capital costs required to build a battery swap infrastructure,” he said. “Batteries are going to get larger. Range is going to get greatly improved. The amount of energy that you’re going to pour into a vehicle in a given timeframe is going to increase shortly.”

Golf cart electric car

The federal credit provides from $4,200 to $5,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, and when it is combined with similar incentive plans in many states the tax credits can pay for nearly the entire cost of a golf cart. Even in states that don’t have their own tax rebate plans, the federal credit is generous enough to pay for half or even two-thirds of the average sticker price of a cart, which is typically in the range of $8,000 to $10,000. “The purchase of some models could be absolutely free,” Roger Gaddis of Ada Electric Cars in Oklahoma said earlier this year. “Is that about the coolest thing you’ve ever heard?”

The golf-cart boom has followed an IRS ruling that golf carts qualify for the electric-car credit as long as they are also road worthy. These qualifying golf carts are essentially the same as normal golf carts save for adding some safety features, such as side and rearview mirrors and three-point seat belts. They typically can go 15 to 25 miles per hour.

In South Carolina, sales of these carts have been soaring as dealerships alert customers to Uncle Sam’s giveaway. “The Golf Cart Man” in the Villages of Lady Lake, Florida is running a banner online ad that declares: “GET A FREE GOLF CART. Or make $2,000 doing absolutely nothing!”

Golf Cart Man is referring to his offer in which you can buy the cart for $8,000, get a $5,300 tax credit off your 2009 income tax, lease it back for $100 a month for 27 months, at which point Golf Cart Man will buy back the cart for $2,000. “This means you own a free Golf Cart or made $2,000 cash doing absolutely nothing!!!” You can’t blame a guy for exploiting loopholes that Congress offers.

The IRS has also ruled that there’s no limit to how many electric cars an individual can buy, so some enterprising profiteers are stocking up on multiple carts while the federal credit lasts, in order to resell them at a profit later. We should note that some states, such as Oklahoma, have caught on to the giveaway and are debating whether to cancel or limit their state credits. But in Congress they’re still on the driving range.

This golf-cart fiasco perfectly illustrates tax policy in the age of Obama, when politicians dole out credits and loopholes for everything from plug-in cars to fuel efficient appliances, home insulation and vitamins. Democrats then insist that to pay for these absurdities they have no choice but to raise tax rates on other things—like work and investment—that aren’t politically in vogue. If this keeps up, it’ll soon make more sense to retire and play golf than work for living.”