Gangstar

Gangstar 3D on Iphone

Gameloft has stated that the rumour about releasing of GTA: Chinatown wars is a totally hoax, nothing but a false rumour, but now, the same action type of gameplay that definitely will be released on Iphone is Gameloft's Gangstar: West coast Hustle. [...]
Terminator

Terminator on Iphone

By the way, Gameloft president Michel Guillemot, Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, has unveiled that his studio will be releasing the official Terminator Salvation iPhone game on the same day of the movie's US release, May 22nd. [...]
Doom

Doom Resurrection on Iphone

Doom Resurrection is now on Iphone. Doom is very famous First Person Shooter games in consoles, and now this game is ready to take charge the mobile games industry [...]
ipod

Cheaper Iphone soon

Recently, Apple plans to introduce a cheaper version of its iPhone as soon as June 8, 2009, the Financial Times reports. The new device might be priced at either $99 or $149 [...]

Friday, July 3, 2009

Electric Cars Lighting Up Again

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — There are growing signs that the electric car, once on the road to extinction, may jolt back to life.

Several small, independent automakers are juicing up electric cars as an environmental statement amid renewed concern about global warming and dependence on imported oil.

The latest is a Silicon Valley start-up called Tesla Motors, which is taking orders for a $100,000 electric high-performance sports car that it hopes to deliver by next spring.

PHOTO GALLERY: Electric cars coming back

Tesla unveiled its roadster, billed as capable of a Ferrari-like zero to 60 mph in four seconds, last week in a converted aircraft hanger here. The cocktail-swilling crowd featured an odd coalition of environmentalists and sports car enthusiasts. Even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Hummer-loving Republican, took a spin.

Observers say the varied assortment of vehicles in the new electric-power generation — from racing-style cars to around-town jalopies — have a shot at success if they can create some excitement.

"There's no question" that success is within reach, says Dick Messer, director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, which has chronicled the attempts at electric car production through the years. "Nobody has connected the dots."

The winner will be the company that ties together the finances, engineering, battery range and other assorted technical features to make a sustainable business, Messer adds.

Among the companies trying to lead the charge:

Tesla. The car was designed in California but will be built by Lotus in Great Britain, which is basing it on its two-seat Elise model.

The company says its sophisticated lithium-ion battery will allow a range of 250 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 130 mph.

Tesla is largely bankrolled by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, who says he kicked in about half the $60 million capitalization, so far. Musk, Tesla's chairman, also has a rocket company called SpaceX.

By producing expensive cars in a small quantity to start, the company hopes to bankroll future production of more-affordable, mass-produced electric cars. Musk compares next-generation electric cars with the personal computer industry in its infant stage in the early 1970s.

"Our goal is to become one of the great car companies of the 21st century," producing a car that's competitive against Porsche and Ferrari. And "by the way," Musk adds, "it's electric."

Wrightspeed. Another Silicon-Valley-based start-up hopes to produce its own, $100,000 high-performance car within two years. It will have about a 200-mile range.

Ian Wright, who heads Wrightspeed, is a former computer-industry engineer and amateur racer. He says electric cars promise "extreme performance" through advanced electronics and software.

He says the new breed of electric cars could have three times the energy efficiency of gas-electric hybrids.

"You can build something that's seriously fast and a lot of fun to drive," he says. "We're building different cars aimed at different people."

Zap. At the other end of the performance spectrum, specialized-auto importer Zap last month started selling a three-wheel electric "city car" imported from China that it says is capable of a top speed of 40 mph.

Priced at $9,000, the Xebra has a range of about 40 miles using a conventional lead-acid battery. So far, it's being delivered to five dealers on the West Coast and Florida.

Xebra seats four — and even has four doors — although it is classified by regulators as a motorcycle because of its three wheels. It comes in four colors, including a zebra-striped version.

Tomberlin Group. An Augusta, Ga.-based company plans to sell three versions of electric cars.

The E-Merge E-2, a two-passenger car, is expected to be on sale early fall, followed by E-Merge E-4, a four passenger, and Anvil early next year. Prices will range from $5,000 for E-Merge E-2 to $8,000 for the four-seat Anvil.

Anvil's speed will be limited to 25 miles an hour, and because of that, it must be driven on streets with speed limits less than 35 mph. But "it handles like a Corvette," says Tomberlin Vice President David Hamilton. "It pulls a corner that will blow your mind."

Marketed as an "aggressive neighborhood vehicle," Anvil will go about 50 miles between charges. It will be sold through a network of about 450 dealers, Hamilton says.

The electric revival comes as an opinionated new documentary film, Who Killed the Electric Car?, has started playing in theaters in selected cities around the country.

The movie alleges that big automakers, oil companies and the government sank promising electric-car technology that was taking root in California in the mid-1990s.

At the time, the state was mandating that automakers make zero-pollution cars available for sale — and electricity was the only technology at the time that filled the bill.

The film singles out General Motors for special grief for having created a futuristic electric car that became a Hollywood enviro-darling despite its limited driving range and other drawbacks. When leases ran out, GM collected its Saturn EV1s and sent them to the crusher.

Fighting back, GM has bought a paid-search link on Google.com that shows up whenever the name of the movie or one its stars is typed into the search engine. The blog item says the EV1 was a commercial flop and that its engineering advances are being incorporated into GM's next wave of hybrid and other advanced vehicles.

Buyers were passionate, "but there were never enough of them," GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss said in an interview.

"They were forced to make too many tradeoffs" in convenience and range.

So far, major automakers are showing limited interest in a new round of electric cars. DaimlerChrysler has a fleet of vans converted to run on electricity.

Toyota's U.S. chief, Jim Press, says the Japanese automaker is "pursuing" a plug-in hybrid, which can be charged overnight to extend the range of the electric motor part of its gas/electric powertrain.

But Micky Bly, engineering director of GM's hybrid programs, says the lithium-ion batteries required by the plug-ins drive up costs, making them difficult to market.

For the most part, automakers are showing more interest in other gas-saving technologies, such as ethanol and fuel cells.

But guests at Tesla's unveiling were enthusiastic about the possibilities of a new round of electric vehicles, especially the high-performance ones.

"I love it," says Bradley Ross, a Los Angeles business manager who drives a turbo-charged Porsche. Going electric "is not a big compromise."

And Alexandra Paul, a former Baywatch star who has become an electric-car activist, says performance electrics will change minds, blowing the notion "to smithereens that an electric car is pokey or doesn't have range."

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

17 Electric Cars You Must Know About

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.14.08





Tesla Roadster Electric Car photo

Update: See also our slideshow on 23 Electric Cars that are Driving the Revolution!

Electric Cars: You Want 'Em? We've Got 'Em!
Over the past 3 years, we've written about many electric cars here on
TreeHugger. We think it's time to look in the rearview mirror, so here's an overview. If you see anything you like, just follow the links to see the original articles.

Electric Roadster by Tesla Motors

The electric car that made a lot of people do a double-take (in a good way). Yes, it's expensive, and yes, it's only a two-seater, but it can make people want it like few other green cars, and someone has to pay the early-adopter 'tax'. Our first post about it was in two years ago. Since then, we've written about the opening of the first Tesla Motors store in California, about what happens to a Tesla battery pack at the end of its life, and recently about Tesla's hiring of a new VP of Engineering and Manufacturing. Update: The Tesla electric Roadster has just started shipping to customers and Martin Eberhard Blogs About Getting his Tesla Roadster.

Tesla Motors Logo photo

Model S by Tesla Motors

We don't really know much about Tesla's second car yet, so no picture. It used to be known as the 'Whitestar' but is now the 'Model S'. A 5-seat, 4-door sporty sedan in the vein of the BMWScryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating 5. Should sell for about $60,000 and manage 225 miles on a charge.


E6 Electric Car by China's BYD photo

E6 Electric Car by BYD

BYD is China's biggest battery maker, and that gives them an edge over most automakers when when it comes to electric cars (the battery's always the big challenge). The E6 electric car was introduced at the 2008 Beijing International Auto Show. We don't know yet when the company will start selling it, but its F6DM plug-in hybrid is scheduled for 2010 (probably to be followed by the F3DM plug-in hybrid). Range for the E6 should be 300 km (186 miles).


XS500 Electric Car by Miles photo

XS500 Electric Car by Miles

When we first wrote about the XS500 by Miles, it generated quite a bit of excitement because of its relatively low price tag for a highway-capable electric car: $30,000. We then got more information about the XS500 and confirmation that the target price was now "$30,000 to $35,000" for the 2009 XS500 in the US. The XS500 should have an all-electric range of about 120 miles.


Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car photo

i MiEV Electric Car by Mitsubishi

We've written a lot about the cute little i MiEV electric car by Mitsubishi. It seems relatively close to commercialization. Mitsubishi even announced that it was 1 year ahead of schedule, and it has plans to sell it globally. For more, you can see photos of the i MiEV at the New York Auto Show and three Japanese commercials.

Subaru R1e Electric Car in New York photo

R1e Electric Car by Subaru

The R1e by Subaru is kind of a cross between the i MiEV above and Toyota's iQ urban car (spy shots of the Toyota iQ here). For more, you can see photos of the Subaru R1e driving around New York City, and more info about the two R1e electric cars that will be tested by the New York power authority. Our guess is that the R1e won't be commercialized - it's probably a learning platform for Subaru - and the Subaru G4e electric car has more chances of making it to market.


Hybrid Technologies supercar image

Electric Supercar by Hybrid Technologies

This one is still a concept, and who knows if it will ever be sold, but we're told that a prototype should be on the road next Autumn. It was designed by Hybrid Technologies and doesn't seem to have a name yet. They have planned two version: All-electric, and plug-in hybrid. The latter will try to compete in the Automotive X Prize.


Electric Mini Cooper photo

Electric Minis by PML and BMWScryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating

This is actually two different electric cars. The first one is a normal Mini that was modified by PML (pictured above). They added electric motors in the wheels and it could apparently do 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds! The second version of the electric Mini has been announced by BMW, but unfortunately they're only going to sell them in California, and they're only going to make 500.


GM EV1 Electric Car photo

EV1 Electric Car by General Motors (RIP)

Next we have the now defunct EV1 electric car that was manufactured by General Motors between 1996 and 1999, and leased in California and Arizona. A good way to get more background info on it is to watch the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?. Some people have questioned how good it actually was, but even if it had big flaws, that's a little beside the point. It was a first, and should have opened the floodgates for more. Instead, the cars were crushed and even removed from museums.


Mercedes F700 Concept car photo

Electric Car by MercedesScryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating (2010)

We don't yet know what this one will look like (pictured above is the F700 concept), but Mercedes has announced ambitious plans to eliminate fossil fuels from its car lineup by 2015, and that includes an electric car in 2010. We'll have to wait and see.


Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn photo

Electric Car by Nissan (2010-2012)

Similarly to Mercedes, Nissan has announced an electric car to be introduced in 2010 and mass-produced in 2012. We don't know yet what it will look like or what it will be called. Pictured above is Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in front of a test-car (not electric).


REVA Electric Car photo

REVA Electric Car

When we dig a bit deeper in the archives, we find the REVA electric car. It's not exactly going to set the mainstream car market afire, but it has the benefit over many other electric cars to be available now. In fact, you can probably see some driving around London.


ZENN Electric Car photo

ZENN Low Speed Electric Car by Feel Good Cars

According to the makers of the ZENN electric car, the name is actually an acronym for "Zero Emissions, No Noise". It is a "low speed neighborhood vehicle" with a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 40 miles.


George Clooney with Tango Electric Car photo

Tango Electric Car

Mostly known as "That small electric car that George Clooney drives!", the electric Tango is faster than you might think: With a 0 to 60 time of 4 seconds, it can smoke quite a few sports cars. Bonus: You can park 3-4 of them side by side in a regular parking spot.


Eliica 8 wheels Japanese electric car photo

Eliica Electric Car by KEIO University

A few years ago, this 8-wheel electric monster got segments on evening news all around the world. Even Japan's then prime minister went to have a look. The Eliica electric car is a true speed demon. In the right conditions, it can do 400kph (250mph), and 0 to 100km/h (0 to 60 mph) in 4 seconds. It is powered by li-ion batteries, and the only thing is can't do is go back to the future.


Wrightspeed X1 Electric Car photo

Wrightspeed X1 Electric Car

The fastest electric cars mentioned above can do 0 to 60 mph in about 4 seconds. That's fast, really fast! But that's not enough, apparently: The X1 can do 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, leaving the competition in the dust. There's even a popular video of the electric car beating a Ferrari and a Porsche.


Converted Electric Saturn SP1 photo

Saturn SP1 Electric Car Conversion by Students of Napoleon High School

It's no the prettiest of most high-tech electric car featured here, but we've got to give some kudos to teachers and students of Napoleon High School in Jackson, Michigan. This 1995 Saturn SP1 was converted to run on electricity as part of a school project for the automotive-technology students. Now that's the kind of homework we wish we had in high-school!

Hybrid and Electric Cars Slideshows
New 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid (3rd Generation)
23 Electric Cars Driving the Revolution

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Electric Car Conversion - Follow These Four Steps and You'll Do Great

For your first Electric car Conversion you'll have to follow these four crucial steps:

1. Buy Detailed Plans. Obviously if you do an conversion on your own you need a step by step instruction. I can tell you that this step is the most important. If you don't have enough details in your plans you will fail. Building your new electric vehicle is not that easy. But if you follow good and detailed plans you will succeed.

2. Find a good car. The right vehicle for your conversion is also very important. I suggest that you take a small truck. Why small trucks? Small trucks offer a lot of space for the batteries. Actually I had 24 batteries in my first electric car. Furthermore small trucks aren't too heavy. You have to consider the weight of the vehicle. The heavier the car is the faster you'll have to recharge your car.

3. Follow the plans and buy the parts and tools which you'll need. This part of the Electric Car conversion is the easiest in my opinion. The parts and tools can be bought in every store actually. There's nothing special needed. You'll need drills and wrenches and some other tools which you probably already own anyway.

4. Create your own electric vehicle with your detailed plans! Follow the plans step by step and you'll do great. I've done my first electric car conversion within two weeks. Really there's no rocket science.

So I suggest that your start right now! It is really not that hard!

"Electric Car Conversion Lists" is the best place to learn a lot about electric car conversions and detailed electric car plans.
They even offer a complete plan for converting you car into an electric vehicle.
Click Here to visit "Electric Car Conversion Lists"!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Consumer Energy Tax Incentives

What the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Means to You

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343). Businesses, utilities, and governments are also eligible for tax credits.

See the summary of the energy tax incentives included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

About Tax Credits
A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government.

Fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-efficient appliances and products provide many benefits such as better gas mileage –meaning lower gasoline costs, fewer emissions, lower energy bills, increased indoor comfort, and reduced air pollution.

In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also be eligible for utility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment. Each state’s energy office web site may have more information on specific state tax information.

Below is a summary of many of the tax credits available to consumers. Please see the ENERGY STAR® page on Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency for complete details.

Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits
Consumers who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in existing homes can receive a tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, for improvements "placed in service" starting January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. See EnergyStar.gov for a complete summary of energy efficiency tax credits available to consumers.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.

Automobile Tax Credits
Hybrid Gas-Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Individuals and businesses who buy or lease a new hybrid gas-electric car or truck are eligible for an income tax credit for vehicles “placed in service” starting January 1, 2006, and purchased on or before December 31, 2010. The amount of the credit depends on the fuel economy, the weight of the vehicle, and whether the tax credit has been or is being phased out. Hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline than the average vehicle of similar weight and that meet an emissions standard qualify for the credit.

This tax credit will be phased out for each manufacturer once that company has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. At that point, the tax credit for each company’s vehicles will be gradually reduced over the course fifteen months. See the IRS's Summary of the Credit for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles for information on the status of specific vehicle eligibility.

Alternative-fuel vehicles, diesel vehicles with advanced lean-burn technologies, and fuel-cell vehicles are also eligible for tax credits. See the IRS summary of credits available for Alternative Motor Vehicles.

Plug-In Electric Vehicles
Plug-in electric vehicles also qualify for a tax credit starting January 1, 2010. The credit for passenger vehicles and light trucks ranges from $2,500 to $7,500, depending on batter capacity. The first 200,000 vehicles sold by each manufacturer are eligible for the full tax credit; the credit will then phase out over a year.

Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Kits
Hybrid vehicle owners who purchase a qualified plug-in hybrid conversion kit are eligible for a 10% credit, capped at $4,000, through 2011.

* Sources: ENERGYSTAR.gov and IRS.gov
** The IRS will determine final tax credit amounts. As more information becomes available, it will be posted on our website.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Electric Cars Lighting Up Again

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — There are growing signs that the electric car, once on the road to extinction, may jolt back to life.

Several small, independent automakers are juicing up electric cars as an environmental statement amid renewed concern about global warming and dependence on imported oil.

The latest is a Silicon Valley start-up called Tesla Motors, which is taking orders for a $100,000 electric high-performance sports car that it hopes to deliver by next spring.

PHOTO GALLERY: Electric cars coming back

Tesla unveiled its roadster, billed as capable of a Ferrari-like zero to 60 mph in four seconds, last week in a converted aircraft hanger here. The cocktail-swilling crowd featured an odd coalition of environmentalists and sports car enthusiasts. Even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Hummer-loving Republican, took a spin.

Observers say the varied assortment of vehicles in the new electric-power generation — from racing-style cars to around-town jalopies — have a shot at success if they can create some excitement.

"There's no question" that success is within reach, says Dick Messer, director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, which has chronicled the attempts at electric car production through the years. "Nobody has connected the dots."

The winner will be the company that ties together the finances, engineering, battery range and other assorted technical features to make a sustainable business, Messer adds.

Among the companies trying to lead the charge:

•Tesla. The car was designed in California but will be built by Lotus in Great Britain, which is basing it on its two-seat Elise model.

The company says its sophisticated lithium-ion battery will allow a range of 250 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 130 mph.

Tesla is largely bankrolled by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, who says he kicked in about half the $60 million capitalization, so far. Musk, Tesla's chairman, also has a rocket company called SpaceX.

By producing expensive cars in a small quantity to start, the company hopes to bankroll future production of more-affordable, mass-produced electric cars. Musk compares next-generation electric cars with the personal computer industry in its infant stage in the early 1970s.

"Our goal is to become one of the great car companies of the 21st century," producing a car that's competitive against Porsche and Ferrari. And "by the way," Musk adds, "it's electric."

•Wrightspeed. Another Silicon-Valley-based start-up hopes to produce its own, $100,000 high-performance car within two years. It will have about a 200-mile range.

Ian Wright, who heads Wrightspeed, is a former computer-industry engineer and amateur racer. He says electric cars promise "extreme performance" through advanced electronics and software.

He says the new breed of electric cars could have three times the energy efficiency of gas-electric hybrids.

"You can build something that's seriously fast and a lot of fun to drive," he says. "We're building different cars aimed at different people."

•Zap. At the other end of the performance spectrum, specialized-auto importer Zap last month started selling a three-wheel electric "city car" imported from China that it says is capable of a top speed of 40 mph.

Priced at $9,000, the Xebra has a range of about 40 miles using a conventional lead-acid battery. So far, it's being delivered to five dealers on the West Coast and Florida.

Xebra seats four — and even has four doors — although it is classified by regulators as a motorcycle because of its three wheels. It comes in four colors, including a zebra-striped version.

•Tomberlin Group. An Augusta, Ga.-based company plans to sell three versions of electric cars.

The E-Merge E-2, a two-passenger car, is expected to be on sale early fall, followed by E-Merge E-4, a four passenger, and Anvil early next year. Prices will range from $5,000 for E-Merge E-2 to $8,000 for the four-seat Anvil.

Anvil's speed will be limited to 25 miles an hour, and because of that, it must be driven on streets with speed limits less than 35 mph. But "it handles like a Corvette," says Tomberlin Vice President David Hamilton. "It pulls a corner that will blow your mind."

Marketed as an "aggressive neighborhood vehicle," Anvil will go about 50 miles between charges. It will be sold through a network of about 450 dealers, Hamilton says.

The electric revival comes as an opinionated new documentary film, Who Killed the Electric Car?, has started playing in theaters in selected cities around the country.

The movie alleges that big automakers, oil companies and the government sank promising electric-car technology that was taking root in California in the mid-1990s.

At the time, the state was mandating that automakers make zero-pollution cars available for sale — and electricity was the only technology at the time that filled the bill.

The film singles out General Motors for special grief for having created a futuristic electric car that became a Hollywood enviro-darling despite its limited driving range and other drawbacks. When leases ran out, GM collected its Saturn EV1s and sent them to the crusher.

Fighting back, GM has bought a paid-search link on Google.com that shows up whenever the name of the movie or one its stars is typed into the search engine. The blog item says the EV1 was a commercial flop and that its engineering advances are being incorporated into GM's next wave of hybrid and other advanced vehicles.

Buyers were passionate, "but there were never enough of them," GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss said in an interview.

"They were forced to make too many tradeoffs" in convenience and range.

So far, major automakers are showing limited interest in a new round of electric cars. DaimlerChrysler has a fleet of vans converted to run on electricity.

Toyota's U.S. chief, Jim Press, says the Japanese automaker is "pursuing" a plug-in hybrid, which can be charged overnight to extend the range of the electric motor part of its gas/electric powertrain.

But Micky Bly, engineering director of GM's hybrid programs, says the lithium-ion batteries required by the plug-ins drive up costs, making them difficult to market.

For the most part, automakers are showing more interest in other gas-saving technologies, such as ethanol and fuel cells.

But guests at Tesla's unveiling were enthusiastic about the possibilities of a new round of electric vehicles, especially the high-performance ones.

"I love it," says Bradley Ross, a Los Angeles business manager who drives a turbo-charged Porsche. Going electric "is not a big compromise."

And Alexandra Paul, a former Baywatch star who has become an electric-car activist, says performance electrics will change minds, blowing the notion "to smithereens that an electric car is pokey or doesn't have range."

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars

Electric cars and their advantages versus their disadvantages are an ever-increasing debate. In a country that is so dependent upon petroleum products and convenience it is hard to convince people that there are alternatives to the way we use transportation.

For instance do we really to travel at 75 to 80 miles per hour? If you owned a car that was powered by electricity that you converted yourself from a gas-powered car, you would still get to where you were going just at a bit of a slower speed maybe 50mph instead.

The trade offs to an electric car are, a bit of a slower speed but in turn no emissions, fewer moving parts to wear out, no muffler or fuel tank. You would also have a limited range of about 100 miles between charges. I really don't need to drive more than 100 miles per day unless I am going to go out of state and then I can always rent a vehicle.

There is also the added advantage of not having to get a tune up or a new muffler. A disadvantage is the cost for a new electric car it is at least in the twelve thousand dollar range. But, if you are even a bit handy you can convert a car using used parts for under one thousand dollars.

Don't forget the savings in fuel costs. Electricity is a cheaper fuel that gas so you will be driving miles for pennies instead of dollars. This alone would offset the expense of renting a car for longer trips on occasion.

These are just a few of the advantages and disadvantages of owning an electric vehicle.
http://www.squidoo.com/prosandconsofelectriccars has some more pros and cons and links to other information about converting your own electric car.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Partha

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Car that was GM’s Electric Car: EV1

I found a great article about GM and the electric car at this site...written by Ashley A. Icamen http://www.articlepoint.com/authors/50/Ashley-A-Icamen

ENJOY!!