Tag Archives: electric cars

solar panel charging stations in car parks?

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This year the number and variety of electric cars being produced has gone up significantly, which begs the question how are the cars going to be kept charged?

solar panels for cars

Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is the possibility of including charging points into the petrol stations, however there are talks of a new solar panel technology being used to charge the cars.

The idea is that the solar panels will be fitted in the car parks of companies, supermarkets, even large public car parks which will charge the cars whilst the owner can go about their duties. These solar panels could be fitted into a curved shape which acts as a canopy over the car parking space. The amount of energy that could be harnessed through these panels would charge a car for thousands of miles over the course of a year. As well as using the solar panel technology, charging points could be included into each space so the car can just be plugged in whilst the owner leaves the car to be charged.

The idea of including these in company car parks could be an attraction to consumers. With the potential of more sales of vehicles being done online in the next few years, solar technology could end up bringing people out of their homes and down to the dealerships to view the cars if everywhere the vehicle owner goes, they can keep their car ‘charged up’. If you have bought a car recently and require a car insurance quote then you can get a quote from Broadsure Direct.

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4 x 4 Mini, Electric Volvo & A new range of Hybrids…

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A new year marks the beginning a whole new selection of motor shows. Its not long to go for the first one, based in Detroit, USA.

In 2010 we are expecting to most definately hear about the electric cars finally coming to be on sale but most definately the introduction of even more hybrid cars. In the new year, i’m sure there are going to be plenty of manufacturers showcasing what they have to offer in the electric car world and the hybrids. In the Detroit show there are going to be some big names showing off their fancy new hybrid cars. Volvo for one are going to be introducing their full electric car to come up against the BMW Active E which can be found here. Not much is known yet about the Volvo, all we do know is that its range is that of around 90 miles and can accelerate faster than a snail.

Honda are also going to introduce their new range of hybrid vehicles, promising to look sporty and drive sporty too! The biggest shock and talk of the show is no doubtly going to be the new 4 x 4 Mini Beachcomber. With totally new lights, grille, height and odd scoups in the bonnet, this car surely cannot be put into production at its current look, but we’ll see when its unveiled.

BMW Introduce their first electric Coupe

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Coming next year to the UK, the “1 Series Active E” is BMWs first Electric Coupe. Its only limited to 90Mph but its a massive test for BMW to see if it can really take off over here. Only a few will be able to get their hands on the car but if all goes well, its ready to be put into full production. Because of its 170bhp engine, the 0-60 speed is pretty impressive, under 9 seconds.

With a ‘fast charging’ point, the car only takes 3 hours to charge the battery which gives users around 100 miles. The people that are able to get their hands on the car will have to fork out nearly £600 a month to lease it (insurance included we expect) plus what ever it will cost to keep it fully charged.

Fleet managers – Consider the benefits of going Electric

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With electric cars becoming more and more popular now, fleet managers are having to consider moving over the electric car for their fleets.

To try and push the electric car in the fleet market, there are lots of benefits that are being enforced. This includes saving a significant amount of money as electric cars are exempt from road tax and reduce costs for national insurance. The electric cars themselves are going to go down in price, as much as the thousands not hundreds. At the moment the electric car isn’t quite practical enough with questions being asked about charging stations and the how long the cars can run for. The government is going to lose millions on making the necessary arrangements for car tax etc. as well as installing charging stations at garages and homes.

I believe that these issues will be addressed and fleet managers will be more inclined to move to electric vehicles but at the moment it just doesn’t seem practical.