Electric Cars come with varying terminology, some do not go over 25 mph, some go up to 60 miles per hour. Their purposes and primary uses usually go hand in hand with their costs. The main thing they have in common is an alternative means of transportation not dependent on foreign oil or fossil fuels, just recharging from a 110-volt outlet.
One type is an NEV, which stands for Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. It is a street-legal vehicle classification approved in 1998 under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500, defined as a four-wheeled motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 2,500 pounds and a top speed between 20-25 miles per hour. To cover the street legal operation, the NEVS are equipped with standard safety equipment, brake lights, seat belts and headlights, but may not be required to have doors. To be driven on the streets, the vehicle and driver must be licensed and registered. Florida, Arizona, Oregon and California and other states have state laws allowing their use on streets and they were primarily built for the Sunbelt retirement and Golf neighborhoods.
MSEV is a Medium Speed Electric Vehicle and several states are in the process of working on legislation for what amounts to a speed increase to 40 mph, which opens the door for a step up from a neighborhood electric car. Electric cars are best suited to suburban streets, versus interstate travel, but the savings in fuel expense make it a great alternative fuel option for travel to work, the bank or store, and neighborhood errands, or dropping the kids off after school. Used as a second car, the fuel savings would pay for the electric car in a few short years. MSEVs have a few more options, are capable of meeting the minimum 45 mile per hour speed limit on highways, but legislation has been slower to allow them on the higher speed roadways.
Most electric cars are all based on the same principle, and are similar to the hybrids that most car manufacturers have experimented with. The general idea is to operate mainly on a bank of batteries that are recharged using standard 110-volt outlets. The main problem with this is trip duration limitations of no more than 70 miles and sometimes less. This does not lend them to long out of town trips, but they are highly effective for most of the normal daily tasks.
Electric Cars are affordable, as new ones can run from $10,000 up to $32,000 for a sports car, that can carry 4-passengers and cargo. They offer many standard options that normal gas power cars have. There are now many manufacturers of NEVs and MSEV’s-Global Electric Motor Cars, (GEM), which is a division of Chrysler Corporation, Miles Electric Cars, Zap, Zenn, Dynasty and Tiger, are just a few.
Many electric cars are very futuristic and don’t just look like golf carts anymore. There are color options in some brands. Many urban dwellers are able to utilize an electric car for most things, and adapt their lifestyles accordingly, as they have the savings from high fossil fuel costs and vehicle maintenance, since an electric car does not have as many working parts as a traditional gas power motor.
Many organizations are turning to electric cars for their fleet operations such as NASA, Yale and Stanford Universities, large resorts, airports and National Park Systems. The fuel savings are substantial, and the recharging time of 4-6 hours is easily accommodated, as most of these electric cars are used for short errands, security rounds, or deliveries.
Electric cars are being better built, with better engineering and a race is on to become the market leader in this new environmentally preferred mode of transportation. Since pricing has come down, due to some overseas manufacturing or parts, and the heavier competition, it is now possible to convert many gas powered vehicle owners into electric car owners. There are used vehicles available on the Internet, and eBay has a wide variety of Electric Used Vehicles and Cars. This may be the perfect way to get a great deal on an electric car to see if one will work for your needs and start saving on fuel today.