Upcoming Electric Car Models

By Author: Marty Vergel Baes
Total Articles: 423
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The competition for electric car models for this year intensifies. Due to this, most car makers are starting to release their latest electric car models to increase their sales. These cars are mostly propelled by electric motors alone and not by the existing combination of gas-powered engines and electric motors. Although most of these car makers had been very secretive of future designs, some of them were able to relay some of the features as well as the new car prices for their upcoming new car models. To provide you with a brief update about the upcoming electric car models, this article included a few of them and this includes the following:

1. BMW Megacity

The BMW Megacity is a low- slung-four-seat hatchback coupe set to be released in 2013. This car is a small vehicle with a projected range of about 100 miles. In order to maximize its range, BMW reduces the car's weight by using carbon fiber in its body and a chassis made from aluminum.

The Megacity is powered by a lithium-ion battery with an estimated capacity of about 35 kWh. ...
... Its battery pack will be mounted on the car's floor and should deliver a 100 miles range. The power will be delivered to the car's rear wheels through a 150 horsepower rear-mounted electric motor.

2. 2011 Ford Focus EV

This electric car is set to be released in the later part of 2011. The 2011 Ford Focus EV targets a range of 100 miles between charges. It is powered by a 23 kWh battery pack. The Focus EV will not be a pure plug-in hybrid since it will be released with an on-board small engine that will recharge its batteries during the flight.
The small engine is installed to support the car's batteries but not to charge it fully. The batteries need to be charged after covering the 100 miles range. Charging time is expected to take 6-12 hours depending on the outlet used (220 or 110 volts). The MSRP of this car would be released together with Ford's other new car prices for 2011.

3. 2011 Renault Fluence

The 2011 Renault Fluence serves as one of the proof that cars should not necessarily be compact in order to run using an electric motor. Compared to its predecessor, the 2011 Renault Fluence is much longer by 13 centimeters. This excess length is used to accommodate its batteries installed behind the car's rear seats.
This vehicle is powered by a synchronous electric motor with rotor coils. Its peak power is 70kW at 11,000 rpm. It uses a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of about 22kWh. The battery can be recharged using household electric outlets or through fast charge stations.