Topic: future development of electric cars

[piersdad]

Future trends of electric cars in New Zealand

As a long time amateur developer of electric cars and at one time commercial manufacturer  of NEEV natural energy electric vehicles
I would like to put down some comments on the future of cars here
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Batteries.
When any electric vehicle whether mobility scooter or giant forklift the batteries have to  be replaced at some time.
This is the equivalent of driving 10 000 km  on one tank of petrol and then having to fill it up all at once

It is my firm belief that if these batteries were leased and a proper structure was set up then the true cost of driving an electric vehicle will be apparent on an everyday realization.

A firm that leases the batteries will do their own research and find out and purchase the most efficient battery for its purpose.
They will get through the false information given by sellers of mobility scooters battery sellers  and electric vehicles in general.

Batteries that give a good return from kilometers per life will get the go ahead.
Fitting the type of battery to the type of vehicle will get paramount consideration with max km  per life time of the batteries
Odometers will become part of the EV’s essential gear so that trips can be gauged and run out of power  situations reduced.

No longer will scooter  sales persons say that this scooter will range at 40 km
I.e. 5 hours at 8 km p h when the actual range is only 5 to 8 km.
As the true range will have to be known and monitored  for the lease battery company.
 
The potential in the near future  for a number of least battery companies will be a benefit to both mobility scooter owners and any battery powered or assisted  vehicle.

The Toyota  Prius is and example of the sellers not  telling the new owners the true cost of the eventual battery replacement in the cost per km.(? $5,000-10,000???)

Recently a hydrogen fuel celled  scooter by suzuki was displayed and amazing enough it did not have tiller steering.
Hurray they have realized that tiller steering was abandoned by cars 100 years ago and to date there is not one commercial  mobility scooter will conventional  steering and with it, total restrictions  on the design of the front of the scooters.
My own experimental designs  have a front rigid bib and the steering gear supported by this, and able to me moved  back and forth to suit the rider.


Doing away with the tiller type steering gear will enable the designers to progress past the 1906 mark and become more acceptable to the general public as a short journey shopping cart for one person and perhaps a child.
From this  will eventual by demand a bigger and more  versatile car get developed for the general public.

After all there are 1 in 5 vehicles on the road are 4 wheel drives and this is in reality that the owners are too lazy to walk a few hundred meters.

So when you want a pint of milk at the local supermarket then leave the 4 w drive at home and take the scooter.

City development.
As electric vehicles become more popular the shopping malls will get wise and cater for them by having special parking places where they can charge up their vehicles and then use public transport if further field  shopping is needed.

This is apparent in Switzerland where some places have  electric vehicle  all day parks next to their highly efficient rail system.

If the demand is there then public transport will  follow the customers.