The truth about electric cars

Small, cute and irresistible, and that’s just the columnist reviewing the new electric car

Don't talk to me about the pleasures of driving.

I pay a fortune for petrol.

I pay speeding fines.

I pay parking fines.

I get abuse from young people who blame me personally for global warming.

I was once arrested for a motoring offence.

And I don't even own a car!

*
It's true. I go everywhere by bus. But, for my sins, I have the privilege of having my name on the ownership documents of my wife's car. Yay. Lucky me.

Having just handed over the entire contents of my wallet to a petrol station attendant for the second time in two weeks, I started fantasizing about having one of those electric cars that I keep reading about. The more I thought about it, the more attractive the idea became.

This was the plan. I buy an electric car. I get an apartment where electricity is included in the rent. I stick a cable out of the window and power the thing up every night. At the end of the month, the landlord gets the electricity bill and almost dies of a heart attack, but it's too late: the contract has been signed and we've paid in advance for the next 42 years.

Just think. No more fuel bills. No more speeding fines (most electric cars can't go fast). No more parking fines (they're so small, you can hide them behind a bush or stick them in your pocket). No more abuse from young people for causing global warming. And best of all, I can impress Gadgetman, a friend of mine whose respect can be purchased simply by getting the latest piece of technology.

There are at least three electric cars being developed in Asia. I tracked down one of them. It was called MyCar and it had been created by designers and engineers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

It was so cute! A tiny little two-seater thing, it only had two gears: forwards and backwards. It only takes five minutes to learn to drive it. "And in some places you can drive it without a license," one of the developers told me.

This is because its engine is so small that it cannot legally be classified as a car. It is more like a four-wheeled scooter, a bladeless lawnmower, or an oversized electric razor with wheels.

"I love it," I said. "When can I buy one?"

"Everybody asks that," he replied. "You can't." Although most electric cars are made in Asia, you can't buy them here.
*
I went to see Gadgetman. "I'm thinking of getting an electric car," I said. "I've just been to check one out."

He shook his head. "So old fashioned," he said.

I was surprised by his answer. He went on to explain that the electric car was invented in the 1830s. A century ago, 50 per cent of cars were electric. They held the record for speed and distance travelled until 1900. They died out in the 1920s because businessmen saw more profit in the petrol-engine car.

Anyway, for the time being, we have to stick to our current mode of transport. Oh well.

I suppose there are advantages to having a really old car, like ours. For a start, it's insured against fire, theft and dinosaur attacks.

*

Related items:
Everything I need to know I learned on the road

Car-less columnist detained on motoring charge

20 Rules of the road for Asia

A guide to global motoring styles

Comments

[fardel]

Nury

I can imagine you , driving a flashy yellow car like this !

[angela]

From a young person: To be truly earth friendly, the electric cars should be recharged using solar power. Like those solar power calculators...but then what happens when the sun sets?

To make electric cars more popular they should use them for Formula 1 racing instead of giving them away on lucky draw for shopping at some less known mall :)

[fardel]

A famous brainless guy's secretary was a blonde
When he wanted to develop his policy on the concept: We ARe Trial and ERROR experts , she lost letters and gave WAR ON TERROR transcript to the Mejah.
The financers rushed in, his army too.
His army got stranded in quicksands, his army of financers and industrials got stranded too:
they made two major blunders ,which led his country to two revolutions in 2008

1 They have ripped off everybody ,expecting a revolt that they were eager to squash;
Instead, they got a revolution without one shot being fired:
A minority's "political nobody" raised out of nowhere ;
he is the boss now and is giving them financers hell .
2 they have increased the cost of the fuel so high, that , under the pressure (low pressure , otherwise called depression ) of the people,car makers have now two choices :build electric cars (or alternative fuel vehicles.)and die slowly or disappear now with their zillion employees.
Them automakers , are seeing hell now

In other western countries like this one ( where industrials are friends of the President, ) this electric car business has been set in motion.
(The President will be out in no time if he backs up.and he loves the seat soooo much!)

All financers are not finished yet; they started a new scheme (Go Green ), GO G(et) those R(evolutionary) E(nergy) E(xperts) N(owhere)
otherwise dubbed G(et ) R(ich),E(ngineering) E(lectric) N(ewbys)

Build electric car in Asia , where it is cheaper to produce , and sell it back tenfold in the West.
Sell to Asians what the Westerners do not want:oil
Payoff one or two puppet leader there, and prohibit there the sale of electric cars.
You win tenfold in the West and
Fortyfold in the East
-tenfold selling them unwanted products ,
-tenfold by taxing them with the production of CO2 ,
-tenfold by selling them pollution cleaning Equipement,
-AND tenfold by selling them medicine to cure their pollution related diseases )

And as a bonus you get worldwide popularity

I am lucky.
I live in this country;
AND here, where I live ,there is no tall building to hide the sun .
I can see it shine from 7 am until sunset, 370 days a year.
I am going plug my electric car to it

Hey ,squeaky lady.
Would you like a ride in my electric limousine?
In a year or two, when it is ready?
Do not forget the key !
Not the car key , you silly!

[angela]

He who lives in a place so sunny
Shouldn’t tease this chocolate bunny
With his rhymes so uncanny
He makes her feels oh so funny

[zÆRo]

Kars are overrated.
And the reason it don't go fast is because it's not red.
Da Red Wunz Goes Fasta!!!
Waaagh!!!

[Ricardo Parker]

This is a stupid article and I regret having read it.

EV technology is far superior the internal combustion engine. EVs don't have to be smaller and underpowered, and soon won't be.

EVs are not old fashion. Old technology EVs are old fashion, but the new technology will far outdo gasoline cars.

And if your wife gets all the pleasure and benefits of driving while you get all the tickets, that only makes you a complete fool in my book.

Sorry to be so blunt, but this article is stupid and only propagates lies about EVs (that they have to be small, underpowered, etc). You'd greatly benefit from educating yourself on the subject.

[TS]

It's a mistake to think that electric cars pollute less than normal cars.
You still have to produce the electricity and unless that is done in a sustainable non-polluting way, you're back to square one.

[Nury]

Thanks for your note: I now there are ways of producing electricity which do not pollute the environment.

Personally I recommend that you just put on a hairy jumper and then ask someone else to rub a balloon against it.

If we had a big enough team of people wearing hairy jumpers and a big enough team of balloon rubbers, we should be able to power a small car.

[angela]

Nury, Great idea! this is definitely renewable. I will volunteer to wear a hairy jumper if you can convince that gentleman from the Caribbean to swim to our part of the planet and be my balloon rubber.

[Bala]

one more thing about electric cars is that you are actually wasting mileage when you honk or turn the indicators on.

[angela]

In Philippines drivers stick their left hand out the window and wave to indicate their intention to make a left turn, to make a right turn, the passenger will stick out his right hand and wave. This saves power no? but they like to honk as a greeting or saying thank you for letting them overtake or to scare the buffalo so it will move out of the way.

[fardel]

Heard on the news
It just came out ,Fresh out of the country where the car was invented, the airplane too,
Compressed air car;should be available anytime soon
You just need to hand pump it up,if you want to save the planet

[Stevadore]

I think Angela should get an award for the sexiest comment ever made on this site. i thnk there are lots of guys reading this angela who would like to rub your balloons!!!

[fardel]

Do you mean,angelo?

[Nury]

Come along, boys, behave yourselves. Leave Angela's balloons alone.

[TS]

"Personally I recommend that you just put on a hairy jumper and then ask someone else to rub a balloon against it."

Great idea, I don't have enough hair for that to be a nuisance. But I will have to install a sunroof for the wife's hair though.

[Sen]

Over Christmas I went shopping for a HD TV [this was in Hyderabad] at the local Reliance Digital store and at the next counter they were selling Revas!
So of course I asked for a test drive and away we went.
What a sweet ride! I had to bring on back, and at about HK$58,000 a real bargain.
Only real problem is it uses lead acid batteries which are so retro and so needs overnight charging- doable in India where I have a garage with an outlet but decidely a hassle here.
So I am fitting the latest and most expensive lithium batteries instead. If it still costs under $100,000 a real great buy, and deintly better looking then the HK offering.
http://www.revaindia.com/

[Nury]

Hey, Sen, you are the first person I know who has bought an electric car for personal use. Well done for leading the way. I have also heard good things about the Reva.
I think the day will come when lots of people follow your lead.

Of course, there will be angry sports car drivers behind, honking their horns, but who cares about them?!

[tina juarez]

Nury Vittachi! So glad to see you in the world of EV links... It's harder to find your writing in the USA. EVs are so fun! After living in Bangkok I swore I would never drive gas again, if I drove at all! You MUST drive in the USA, many places have no pedestrian access. I discovered all the EVs were crushed while I was gone, so built one of my own. If Asia builds but doesn't have EVs, Who is getting them?? I test drive any EV I can but they are never for sale...yet. In the mean time, I spend $120.US /year for my electricity so your landlord won't get stiffed too much. I drive Old skool: lead acid, DC drive. never mind, I am grinning as hard as I can. Go for it..I suggest MiEV if you can get one. P.S. Revas were designed in California with taxpayer funding but never allowed to go into production or be registered. Crazy!

[airdrummer]

> They died out in the 1920s

with the invention of the electric starter...seems people, especially the ladies, were getting tired of breakiong their arms on the cranks.

[electric bicycle]

With all the bad effects that the car comes with, we definitely by now can not live without them. I personally believe that a world with no car is just impossible. How will people find money if they do not go to work? I do not know, maybe someone else knows.

[ganhar dinheiro]

Great post ! i've already subscribed to your feed. Thanks.

[Atlanta Car Insurance]

Electric cars may require energy still, but at least it is one step away from dependency and slavery to foreign oil.

[Steering control lock]

Cool car! Come to think of it, it's environmental friendly.. Yea, where can we buy one? This is one good christmas gift to a loved one.

[Ganhar Dinheiro]

Very funny post, congratulations!

[Dinheiro]

Excelent post, it is a good discussion.

[Speeding Offence]

The electric car sounds great! Shame we can't buy them, but at least you meet interesting people on the bus. Really entertaining post- thanks

[Marc Kincade]

Hi-tech gadgetry!The vast number of ways to incorporate todays innovative devices for automobiles is astounding. Thanks for your insight into this growing field. Keep up the good work, Marc

[fardel]

It ,is here
Check it out

www.mdi.lu

[singing lessons]

I like the part where you get an apartment and electricity is included in the rent... hahaha! That made my day! Thanks for this awesome, funny, wonderful post! I will come back.. to read some more and enjoy my laugh. :-)

[e cigarettes]

Electric cars are awesome.

[E Cig]

They're just really ugly looking.

Your girl Mary :)

[Shopalu]

Yeah, better looking electric cars are called for.

[Dinheiro Pela Internet]

amazing!

[André Luiz]

very good!

[como ganhar dinheiro]

Great post! Thanks for the information.

[Renda Extra]

Thks a lot for this post ! I live in Brazil and i love foregin wevsites. Thks