The UK’s streets and car parks could see thousands more charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars thanks to £30 million of Government funding.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis today invited cities and businesses to join together to bid for the money which will help fund the installation of charging points on streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities.
This initiative – called Plugged-In Places – will support the development of between three and six electric car cities and regions across the UK which will act as trailblazers for electric car technology. The experiences of these locations will inform the future development of a national charging infrastructure.
Overall, the Government is investing around £400m to encourage the development, manufacture and use of next generation ultra-low carbon vehicles. Delivered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles this support is being targeted to create new jobs in a low carbon automotive sector and to cut carbon from UK road transport.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said “The UK can be a world leader in electric and low carbon cars which is why the Government has already committed around £400 million of support to encourage development and uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles.
“Our aim is for electric and low carbon cars to be an everyday feature of life on UK’s roads in less than five years. There is still a lot of work to be done, however Plugged-In Places is one very significant step putting us firmly on the path to a low carbon future.”
Encouraging companies to get involved, Business Minister Pat McFadden said: “The move to lower-carbon forms of transport is a turning point for the automotive industry, opening up new opportunities for existing UK automotive companies and with the potential to create new jobs and new industries, for example around the charging infrastructure.
“I urge British companies to get involved and seize these new opportunities for growth and jobs.
“Our aim is for Britain to become a global centre for low carbon transport development, manufacturing and delivery – the Government is backing businesses who want to help make this happen.”
The total number and location of charging infrastructure supported by this initiative will depend on local plans and requirements. The intention is that successful applicants will match the Government’s investment.
These plans build on existing measures to support alternative fuels and today the Government is announcing the seven schemes that will benefit from £500,000 of funding through the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Grant Programme. These schemes will see the provision of 72 electric charging points and four gas refuelling stations in areas across England.
The funding, worth up to £30 million, will be made available to consortia in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland made up of local authorities, businesses, electricity distributors and suppliers and other organisations like the RDAs. The funds will be made available in two phases.
Consortia will need to show how their plans fit in with other Government objectives, like improving local air quality, and create local incentives to further encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.
The new Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will deliver the Plugged-In Places Infrastructure Framework. OLEV is a new cross- Government team, bringing together existing policy and funding streams to drive policy delivery. Located within the Department for Transport, it incorporates policies, people and funding from DfT, BIS and DECC.
OLEV’s priorities will be accelerating the uptake and delivering ultra low carbon vehicles into the UK transport mix, with a focus on the opportunities that this will have for UK business.
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Grant Programme is delivered by Cenex (the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technology) on behalf of the Department for Transport. £500,000 match-funding is available in 2009/10 and 2010/11 for bids from public and private sector organisations in the UK. This funding is for a range of schemes to deliver electric car charging points and bio-gas charging stations.
The successful charging points schemes are in London (23 electric charging points on-street and in car parks, and 13 in underground car parks) and 36 in the West Midlands.
Further details on the scheme and an application form can be accessed from the following link http://www.dft.gov.uk/olev
Working on a day-to-day basis with the very latest environmental and climate change issues makes Green-Car-Guide.com very aware of the need to make cars more energy efficient. However we also acknowledge that people love their cars and want progress and a better quality of life.
Filed under electric car how to articles by on Mar 4th, 2010. Comment. 
Man invents 100 mpg carburetor! Disapperats down black hole!
Electric Cars Work! There just aren’t any.
Big automakers are looking out for your future!
Which of the above statements is false? Are any of them false? Well maybe number one is false. For years there have been stories of inventors that came up with a carbuerator that would get 100 miles per gallon but the thing never came to market. I know number three is false because look at our problem, air pollution. Look at our choices for transportation, a bunch of big gas guzzling cars and trucks.
Well, number two statement is true, mostly. In the 1990’s the State of California mandated a small percentage of vehicles sold in the state must release no emissions into the air. Some of the vehicles were leased and some were sold outright. GM had the EV1 which were leased. They canceled the leases and took the cars and crushed them. Perfectly good cars were destroyed.
There was a Ford EV Ranger pickup truck. Most of these were leased vehicles and Ford took most of them back but, I guess some of them are still around and there is a web site for EV Ranger drivers. Also, Toyota made a RAV4 EV which was discontinued in 2003. There are still some of these around and some websites about driving them. And there was a Honda EV car. All of these cars ran on electricity alone. Their range in miles varied but they were more than adequate for commuting, running errands, or just getting about on a daily basis.
I have never seen one of these vehicles. From my reading online about them it seems like they drove and performed about like any other gas powered car. Sure you had to plug them in, but, you have to put gas in a regular car also. What’s the big deal? GM has made lots of claims about why an electric car is not feasible. Since they produced a very capable electric car in the 1990’s and then destroyed them all you would think they know what they are talking about. Now they say they are going to produce an all electric car called the Volt. Well, probably someone else will do it before they do.
It is rumored that Big Oil destroyed the electric car and it was Big Oil that opened the black hole where the 100 mpg carburetor went. It probably is not that simple. But, the electric car threatened lots of entrenched interests. For one thing, the cars required very little in the way of servicing. No oil change, no anti-freeze, no air cleaner, just brakes and tires. So that whole service industry goes out the window with an electric fleet.
In 2006 the ZAP Xebra began importing from China. There is a sedan and a pickup truck. It is a 3 wheeled vehicle that looks like a toy car. In my opinion this is the kind of attempt that will turn the US public off to the whole idea. They do have some interesting features though, like a solar panel on the roof or over the bed of the truck to trickle charge the battery while running. Still, this is not what the American public will spring for in any kind of numbers.
A viable electric car will first of all have to look like a regular car. I would say the range would have to be at least 100 miles before charging. Top speed will have to be at Interstate Highway speeds or probably at least 70 mph. Also, there will have to be reasonable pickup from a dead stop. It seems like we have already had all these features in several of the vehicles listed above but for what ever reason they are no longer available. Contact your local car dealer and complain.
Michael Dappert is a co-founder of Winco, Inc., a provider of wireless internet access to small communities in West Central Illinois. He also administers the web site Musicgig.us and discusses a wide range of topics at Flyoverfolks.com.
Filed under electric car how to articles by on Mar 3rd, 2010. Comment.
Anyone can learn how to build an electric car its easy! Many people have done it already and all it takes is a good electric car conversion manual and some keen DIY spirit.
With the global economy going in a downward spiral it’s not a bad thing to look into.So what things do I need to make an electric car?· A descent workspace e.g. Garage, workshop, even outside is good. ·A good step by step electric car plan or manual on how to build an electric car · Handyman Tools – Drills, Wrenches, grinder, etc…· A friend to give you a helping hand.
A good mate can help you with all the tricky bits of holding things in place and helping you install the other parts that can be difficult on your own.Now there is two ways you can convert your car on run on electricity.
Firstly you can do the complete overhaul and take out the petrol engine drive system and replace it with a DC motor and parts but that can take weeks to do and its a very tedious operation to perform.
Secondly you can keep your current engine and install an electric system that can run along with it making it a duel powered gas and electric hybrid.
This can offer several benefits to the driver especially when you run out of gas there is no need to refuel as you can simply switch to the alternate system of electricity and make it to your destination.
Imagine the feeling to drive past the gas station knowing you no longer need to do any emergency refuelling
.Switching to electricity will make your car eco-friendly and even provide a better driving experience with it being quiet.
Also with electric powered car you can enjoy the same speeds of a petrol based car and not lose any power at all.
Please visit How to build an electric car for more information
Patrick Kaa ,
Energy Enthusiast
Filed under electric car how to articles by on Mar 3rd, 2010. Comment.
Many conventional car owners are fascinated by the idea of driving an electric car and they would like to know how it works. Generally, electric vehicles (EV) are quite simple. Instead of burning fossil fuel to generate force, EV uses the power of magnetic induction to produce torque from the electric motor. The more electricity flowing through the motor, the more force it will generate. Ever since the price of gasoline reached a new height, running a car has become an expensive ordeal. It is understandable that many car owners are expressing their interest on electric car. What would be the process of retrofitting a car into an EV? This article will provide some useful information on the subject.
If you want to modify your car to run on electricity, it would cost you upwards of $4000 to get it done in professional workshop. If you really want to save money, you can actually do the conversion process yourself at home. Generally, the retrofitting process involves removing the internal combustion engine, the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines and radiator. The entire system is to be replaced with an electric motor and lead acid batteries. Imagine replacing all the components that has fluid running through it and changing it with wires connectors.
The existing drive train of the car such as the transmission, drive shafts and clutch system can still used. The electric motor will be coupled to the transmission and drawing power from the batteries. The number of batteries needed will depend on the horse power of the motor and the weight of the car.
If you do not have any knowledge on the electrical and mechanical system of a car, all these information may not make any sense to you. In this case, you can ask someone who has some car maintenance skill to assist you. To start the conversion process, you should first get a good step by step modification guide. Most good quality guides are available online.
Fed up of the high gasoline prices? Why not cut it completely by driving an electric car. Get more information on electric cars and how they work by doing research on the web.
Filed under electric car how to articles by on Mar 2nd, 2010. Comment.
Batteries are used to run electric cars, they are stored beneath the hood and maybe 12 to 24 in numbers.
When it is time to replace them they are all there.
These batteries are similar to those used on cell phones and toy cars children love to drive around in the backyard.Thus, it is not very difficult to get new batteries when we need them.
Actually, electric batteries do not need to be replaced often so replacment of batteries does not happen too frequently.
They cost around $2000 to $5000 , depending on the model and make of your car.
You must be careful about the amount of electricity in the battery before charging it.
Sometimes the batteries have an in built “memory” , and if the battery is not run completely before charging it may lose some of it’s potency.In this situation you may have to spend on a new battery before it is due.
There is alot of research and development underway in the electric cars industry.
New battery technology is being worked on to ensure that your vehicle can get charged faster and hold more power for a longer time.It will not be long before you can drive your car longer without the need for a battery charge.This is really some great news for those who patronise electric cars.At present the cars can run upto 100 miles per charge.There is a strong possibility that by 2010 the car will be able to run 200 miles on new batteries.
Recycling of the batteries can be done when it is time to replace the batteries.
Electric car batteries are recyclable upto 95 percent.Only those who are concerned about the environment and want to protect their wallets against the gasoline price hike will opt for an electric car, since you have, you are sure to be one of them. So, if you can recycle your electric car battery, before buying a new one you have given yourself a new source of power along with peace of mind.
It is advisable to choose the best type of batteries, for the best price, for your car and be assured that you have done the best for yourself and for the environment .
Abhishek is an avid Environmentalist and he has got some great Alternative Fuel Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 70 Pages Ebook, “Energy Conservation And Alternative Fuel” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/643/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
Filed under electric car how to articles by on Mar 2nd, 2010. Comment.