Green - ecologically-clean and emission free – electric cars were developed at end of the 19th century. However, they were manufactured and used only till the World War I got over.
The reason for appearance of so-called green cars in the US these days are, first of all, related to ecological problems. However, when this factor is examined deeper, it becomes obvious that the greatest effect have economical factors.
The First Green Cars of the US
The first green cars (electrical) appeared in the United States at the end of the 19th, beginning of 20th century. Interesting is the fact that in 1910s there were around 70,000 electric cars working as taxis in New York only. Also, widely used were electric trucks and buses.
The peak of sales of electric cars was during the World War I and was related to deficiency and high prices for gas. The major group of customers was made up of women, among whom was Clara Ford, the wife of Henry Ford. However, it was not related to the ecological efficiency of such transportation – it was just much simpler and easier to start the engine of an electric car.
After the First Wold War was over, prices for internal combustion engines got down because the level of technologies improved. In addition, prices for gas lowered. As a result, almost all the companies-manufactures of electric cars went bankrupt during the Great Depression.
The 90s – Green Cars Reinvented by General Motors and Toyota
Electrical engines appeared again in the 1960-70s due to ecological problems. This problem became even more significant in the beginning of the 1990s, because prices for gas started growing again and many ecological movements started fighting for protecting the nature.
In the beginning of the 1990s, in California, the level of pollution related to car emissions was critically high. As a result, the state government took a decision to have 2% of zero-emission transportation in the state by 1998. By 2003 10% of Californian vehicles were supposed to have no emission.
So, in 1997 General Motors starts manufacturing electrical cars EV-1 – electric vehicle 1. Celebrities become the first owners of such cars. 5500 of electric vehicles of different models were sold, including around 1100 of EV-1. The automobiles were very popular and it seemed that they were to be manufactures in great numbers.
However, by 2003 all these cars, excluding RAV-4 of Toyota, were taken back from owners by the manufacturers. This happened, as an official version says, because accumulators had worn out. An unofficial version is that large manufacturers and oil companies, being afraid of low sales of traditional automobiles, got a change in legislation that allowed minimal emission instead of zero emission.
Modern Ecologically-Clean and Emission FreeCars of Tesla Motors and Phoenix Vehicles
A few years ago an active serial manufacture of electric cars was renewed. However, these were not large companies who started it. Small companies, the most famous of which are Tesla Motors and Phoenix Vehicles, started the trend.
Large companies are working on development of so-called hybrid cars (they have both traditional and electric engine, plus an accumulator that gets charged from traditional engine or even home electricity). Ford is manufacturing Ford Escape Hybrid, GM develops Chevy Volt.
Still, though much later than electric engines were developed, large car manufacturers finally got involved in the development of ecologically-clean and emission free – green – cars. However, the leaders in manufacturing of electric cars are small companies.
The US Department of Energy reports that nearly 60,000 electric cars are now driven in the US. Besides, a great number of cars that use electricity were created on the basis of traditional automobiles. Many companies offer ‘kits’ for re-making ordinary cars for using electricity (such a kit costs around $1500), according to Seattle Electric Vehicle Association.
Alla Kondrat - Alla Kondrat+ is a Feng Shui topic editor at Suite101.com, as well as a full time freelance writer and translator (Russian and Ukrainian). ...
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