An electric car charging port
its hefty price tag. Over 200,000 have been sold worldwide. Their portfolio now includes other models such as the Model X which is a crossover SUV and the Model 3, with Model Y tipped to be their next release.
Where Tesla differ from traditional manufacturers is they operate as an OEM, producing powertrain components for others in the automotive trade. Partnerships with well established Daimler and Toyota mean cars such as the Mercedes A and B Class, Toyota RAV4 as well as Smart Cars boasting electric powertrain features use Tesla components.
Hydrogen cars are a fairly new technology which is expanding in the shadows of the aforementioned hybrid and EV technology. A further look at Hydrogen technology can be seen on the next page.
Renewable energy alternatives and technological advancements have lead to the new wave of ‘green’ cars being seen as an everyday car, and less of a gimmick as the consensus may have been before. Drivers may have felt that special permutations had to be ad held to in order to operate a car not using the traditional petrol system.
Greener technologies on the rise and a spotlight on the benefits to the environment, as well as the consumers means going forward – the grass really could be greener on the other side, and hopefully, on all sides.
One car manufacturer that has become synonymous with electric cars are the Elon Musk owned super brand, Tesla.
Tesla specialize in electric vehicles with their Model S car being the world’s highest selling electric car in 2015 and 2016, despite
The Toyota Prius is commonly used by taxi companies
due to it's effective mileage and fuel efficiency.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | MANE AUTOMOTIVE, F1 & MOTORSPORT | 9
DID YOU
KNOW
Experts predict that Electric Car Charge points could rival the number of petrol stations in the UK by 2020
Much like mobile phones can be charged wirelessly on docks, research is going into wireless car charging from the road.
Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created the first electric car prototype over 200 years ago.
Hybrid Cars
A common perception is that all hybrids need to be charged. Most are actually charged by petrol and gain power when drivers brake.
PHEV cars are plug in hybrid cars. They operate the same as hybrid cars, but can have their electric power topped up to run like an electric car.
Having been around 21 years, Toyota have sold an estimated 4 million of their Prius model, contributing to over 10 million hybrid sales worldwide.
Electric Cars