Electric vehicles: are they for real or just a fad? Can they satisfy the needs of the daily commuter? Can they match the performance we鈥檝e come to expect from their fossil fuel driven counterparts?
With the arrival of the Nissan Leaf and the much-hyped Chevrolet Volt, electric vehicles are back on centre stage after a decade of being relatively silenced. The idea of owning an electric vehicle may seem novel to some, while others may wonder if such a machine could actually meet their day-to-day needs. So, now that they鈥檙e arriving in North America, can they?
鈥淎bsolutely,鈥� says Mechanical Engineering professor Lukas Swan. 鈥淓lectric vehicles are smooth, silent, produce no smell or emissions, and are safer.鈥�
Dr. Swan is no stranger to electric vehicles. In addition to focusing on renewable energy in his studies, and now as a professor, he and his father, David Swan, a graduate from TECH, own DHS Engineering which provides consulting services to the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors.
Older models, still going strong
Dr. Swan and his father have three electric vehicles 鈥� two 2000 Ford Ranger EV trucks and a 2002 Toyota Rav4 EV. All three run on nickel-metal hydride batteries, which was the leading technology a decade ago. Despite being 10 years old, he says they outperform their gas counterparts in nearly every way.
鈥淭hey have electric motors coupled to single-speed transmissions with high torque at low speed and very good power at high speed, which matches well with vehicle requirements,鈥� explains Dr. Swan. 鈥淚n gas vehicles we鈥檙e constantly shifting and that鈥檚 complicated. But with electric, the moment you push the pedal you鈥檙e already at high efficiency. They accelerate and travel at highway speeds the same as any gas vehicle.鈥�
While their only limitation is range 鈥� the Rangers go about 100 kms on charge and the Rav4 goes 170 kms - Dr. Swan says he has no 鈥渞ange anxiety鈥� as he rarely uses a full charge in a day.
He uses a Ranger to get to work and hauls any cargo or trailers he needs to; in fact, the truck pulled the 新加坡六合彩开奖直播 Architecture and Engineering float in the Parade of Lights, winning awards in 2009 and 2010. For longer trips he plans accordingly to stop and recharge, which can be done with most 220-volt appliance outlets in a house. 鈥淚f you need to get to Montreal over night, you may have to rent a car, but the electric vehicle performs superbly for the majority of your trips,鈥� he says.
Considering the footprint
But isn鈥檛 electricity generated from fossil fuels? Do these vehicles really have a smaller footprint that conventional ones?
鈥淏ecause electric vehicles are so efficient, they are responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions than gas vehicles, even though Nova Scotia electricity is predominantly produced from coal. Furthermore, every day that goes by the electricity in Nova Scotia is less carbon intensive because we鈥檙e installing more wind turbines that feed into the grid. So the car鈥檚 footprint gets cleaner,鈥� explains Dr. Swan. 鈥淚n contrast, every day that goes by, extracting oil becomes harder and consequently has more emissions. So if we project in the future, electric vehicles are getting cleaner, while the gas cars are getting dirtier.鈥�
Depending on your province, the footprint may be dramatically smaller says Dr. Swan. 鈥淲orldwide, gasoline is the dominant fuel for vehicles so emissions from the cars are similar everywhere. However, as you move to different jurisdictions, electricity is generated by different means. In Nova Scotia, we use coal, natural gas, hydro and increasingly wind. But in Quebec, most of their energy is hydro. So when you drive electric there you are driving completely emission free. In Ontario, their electricity is primarily nuclear, so again limited emissions.鈥�
Also a professional wind developer in Nova Scotia, Dr. Swan knows the benefits that come with renewable energy and their role in our life.
鈥淚t was renewable energy that created fossil fuels, but it took millions of years and we happily extract them over a few centuries 鈥� there鈥檚 something wrong with that. We need to go back to the renewable energy that created fossil fuels in the first place. We need to reduce energy use and transition it to renewable energy, and electric vehicles and wind turbines can help us do that.鈥�
Managing the cost
Dr. Swan acknowledges that electric vehicles cost more than gas cars to purchase but says, like everything, economies of scale mean the price will drop with increasing sales. He cites hybrid cars that were much more expensive when they first arrived than today. 鈥淭he Toyota Prius is on its fourth generation with increasing efficiency and amenities while the price continues to drop.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a pride that comes with driving an electric vehicle as well,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚t makes you feel good about your transportation. It鈥檚 like buying a nice home appliance that is quiet and uses less resources, you quickly forget about the cost and focus on enjoying the product.鈥�
For two car families, Dr. Swan suggests a fully electric model like the Nissan Leaf for commuting and general purposes, stating, 鈥測ou will be surprised how much you use it and how little you use your gas vehicle.鈥� However, if you are a one-car home and do long-distance traveling, a Chevrolet Volt may be more appealing at this time.
鈥淭he transition to electric vehicles is occurring simultaneously with the installation of renewable energy,鈥� says Dr. Swan. 鈥淭he Nova Scotia Government鈥檚 renewable electricity plan has legislated 25% renewable electricity by 2015 and has proposed 40% by 2020. It鈥檚 a tremendous opportunity for the province to get these efficient electric vehicles and to clean up our electricity grid, a win-win situation.鈥�