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DRIVING ON IDEA / INNOVATION

WHAT?   Electric vehicle (EV)

Electric vehicle (EV) is vehicle powered by an electric motor instead of internal combustion engine. EV uses electricity as the fuel instead of gasoline or some other combustible fuel. The electric motor in an EV converts electricity, usually from battery pack, into mechanical power to turn the wheels.

WHAT?  Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) or low-speed vehicle (LSV), such as those manufactured by North Dakota’s Global Electric Motorcars are compact one to four-passenger vehicles powered by rechargeable batteries and electric motors. They have been recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a form of transportation since 1998. Over 45 states allow these vehicles to be driven on roads with posted speed limits of 35 miles per hour or lower. 

Clean running and compact NEV’s are cost-effective solutions for short commutes where traffic, parking, and air pollution pose significant problems.  NEV’s (like full size EV’s) are zero emission vehicles that produce no tailpipe or evaporative emissions. 

As the Department of Energy’s website asserts: 

  • NEV’s emit zero tailpipe emissions or evaporative emissions that contribute to air pollution and global warming. 
  • They can be charged easily, saving owners the need to queue at gasoline stations.
  • NEV’s are smaller and take up less space on the road, so they help reduce traffic congestion.
  • They are inexpensive to fuel because the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour usually compares favorably to that of gasoline. 
  • More than 95% of the electricity used to recharge NEV’s originates from domestic resources, so driving an NEV reduces the nation's dependence on imported oil. http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/atv/tech/nev.html; a survey of models is available at http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/progs/afdc/search_type.cgi?1/NELEC

 

About Electric Vehicles

In an electric vehicle (EV), batteries and other energy storage devices store the electricity that powers the electric motor in the vehicle. EV batteries must be replenished by plugging in the vehicle to a power source. Whether charged with an on-board charger or through an external outlet, EV's are powered from the electricity grid.

Although electricity production creates (highly-regulated) emissions, an EV is a zero emission vehicle and its motor produces no exhaust or emissions. In addition, EV's have the potential to reduce Thailand’s dependence on foreign oil. 

WHY?   Electric vehicle (EV)

With depletion of oil reserve and increase in pollution levels all over the world, communities turn to the benefits of EV technology that are:

  • They are non-polluting and quite
  • They can be charged easily, saving owners the need to queue at gasoline stations.
  • EVs are mostly charged at night, when power consumption is low, thus making more efficient use of our power plants.
  • They are easy to service and maintain.
  • Most EVs are compact in size and are easy to drive, maneuver and park in congested cities.
  • EVs have a very low operating and maintenance cost.