Electric Cars To Be Auto Show Stars
Electric vehicles are the future of automotive technology. Every auto company is currently doing intense research in the motor-train and battery pack modules that are the center of this modernization. However, this is not the first time this technology has been at the forefront.
During the 1830s, a man named Sibrandus Stratingh displayed the first working electric engine model. The technology was further refined and improved upon by historical figures Thomas Davenport and Robert Davidson only 20 years later. Such vehicles continued to be popular in Europe throughout the 19th century and interest started to grow in the United States in 1895. In the early 20th century, consumers could purchase a variety of vehicles powered by steam, electricity and fossil fuels. However, by 1920, the forerunners of the modern interstate system in America created a need for vehicles that had a longer range before needing to refuel. Gasoline became more affordable as national supplies of oil became plentiful. Gasoline vehicles were also cheaper than other vehicles by a factor of 50 percent. Virtually all vehicles on the road were fueled by gasoline by 1935. In 1960, when concern about the effects of air pollution started to grow, research in alternative fuels began again and the result was an electrical truck. The gas crunch of the 1970s further intensified research in this area. The gas wars have now led to companies striving to produce the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.
The terrorist attack on 9/11 revealed a glaring hole in national security. It revealed to us that we are dependent upon a resource that would become severely limited if international relations were to deteriorate. It would be especially hard if it got to a point where foreign trade became too expensive or impossible. The fear of international oil becoming unavailable drove the current push toward alternative fuel vehicles. Tesla Motors has been a major player in the electric car market since 2003. Currently the Tesla Motor Corporation offers the best electric vehicles in the world if you can afford them. Models available from the company now start at $76,000 and soar past the $100,000 mark. The 2008 oil swindle resulting in oil ranging in price from $100 to $135, as well as concern about peak oil supplies, finalized the determination of the world to break its fossil fuel addiction. Every major automaker in the world started working on affordable alternative fuel vehicles for the masses. Proposed models for 2011 and 2012 start at $40,000 and go upward from there.
As technology improves and research becomes more advance, it is likely that electric vehicles will come down in price and go up in the number of sales.
