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.
