Hasta La Gadget!

There is always a first time for everything, and today, we have word that the first road-powered electric vehicle network in the world has just turned itself on in South Korea. What you see in the image above depicts an OLEV in South Korea, which is all set to drive over an electrified strip of road, now how about that? This particular network will comprise of specially constructed roads that come with electrical cables installed right below the surface, and it will be able to transfer energy wirelessly to electric vehicles using magnetic resonance.

Road-powered electric vehicles could be the future as they require small batteries, which means their overall weight and energy consumption is reduced sharply from a normal electric vehicle. Of course, there is also the benefit of not having to recharge your ride, which means distance should no longer be an issue. Right now, this road-powered electric vehicle network comprises of just 24km, and two Online Electric Vehicles (OLEV), namely public transport buses, are the only ones that will work on this road.

Many other factors will still need to be taken into consideration before it can be implemented worldwide – the cost of a government doing so would be astronomical, as all roads in the city would require an overhaul, and how many people are willing to change their rides to road-powered electric vehicles? It does seem that a Mass Rapid Transport system like trains would still be able to get the job done better at this point in time.

Road-Powered Electric Vehicle Network In South Korea Debuts original content from Ubergizmo.

Electric cars might be silent and do not emit any kinds of smoke which could end up polluting our environment, but this does not mean that they come cheap. While there has been a fair number of incentives introduced by various governments worldwide to increase the uptake of electric cars such as attractive rebates, the lack of an electric car’s range as well as higher than normal entry price points have proved prohibitive factors for the discerning consumer. Perhaps GM’s move to reduce the plug-in hybrid 2014 Chevrolet Volt’s price by $5,000 might sway your mind.

Yes sir, the sticker price will remain the same for the 2012 and 2013 Chevrolet Volts, but GM has made up its mind to offer $5,000 rebates on those cars, alongside discounted lease deals, and the 2014 model will have a $5,000 price cut, which means it will cost you $34,995 per ride – shipping included. This would help narrow the gap against other rechargeable cars, which is always a good thing for the consumer. Although I do not think that this would spark off the start of a price war among electric cars, it is still a good place to begin with. Hopefully with the price cut, this does not mean that quality has been compromised.

Chevrolet Volt Gets $5,000 Price Cut original content from Ubergizmo.

Seeing the sunlight stream through the windows in the early mornings can be quite a tranquil setting, but come mid-day when the sun is at its hottest, maybe then you might be wishing for some curtains. However in Harvard in a bid to lower air-conditioning bills but keeping their windows open, they have developed self-cooling windows which not only let in the light, but also ensures that the heat associated with the light does not come through as well! (more…)

Harvard Researchers Develop Self-Cooling Windows original content from Ubergizmo.

When it comes to electric vehicles, there is one very huge disadvantage that is associated with them – that is, their range, or rather a shortness of it compared to gas-powered rides. Of course, some solutions have been offered up such as the EP Tender that we talked about earlier this morning, but it is still an unsightly addition to the back of your stylish ride. Having said that, a bunch of Japanese auto manufacturers, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi has announced that they will be working alongside the Japanese government of the day in order to deliver more than triple the number of publicly accessible chargers throughout the Land of the Rising Sun, and we are talking about Level 2 as well as DC fast chargers. This would mean approximately 11,000 units and 5,700 units, respectively, now how about that?

In order to do so, the Japanese government also shared that they intend to release approximately 100 billion yen (that would amount to around $1 billion in US dollars) worth of subsidies so that additional regular chargers can be installed in various places such as shopping malls and restaurants, all the while deploying more fast chargers at or near highway rest stops and gas stations.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Some Japanese Auto Manufacturers Team Up With Government To Offer More Publicly Accessible Chargers For Electric Vehicles original content from Ubergizmo.

We did check out the BMW i3 electric car back when it was a concept as well as a prototype, but I guess the day has finally arrived where BMW unveiled its first mass-production electric car, aptly known as the BMW i3. According to BMW, do not thumb your noses down on the BMW i3, as it is capable of accelerating from 0-60 miles an hour in a matter of seven seconds or so, while a full charge of its battery would be able to give you a range approximately 100 miles.

The BMW i3 is tipped to go on sale Stateside not this year, but sometime in the second quarter of next year, with an estimated sticker price of $41,350 before one takes into consideration federal tax breaks and other incentives. There is also an optional “range extender” which comes in the form of a tiny gasoline motor which should see the price tag increase to touch the $45,000 mark. One thing’s for sure, rides like the BMW i3 will be able to meet future emissions regulations in most regions, making it the ideal purchase, but one thing that needs to be worked on would be the range as well as revamping the existing infrastructure of a country to accommodate the presence of electric cars to make them easier to own and maintain.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | BMW i3 Electric Car Unveiled original content from Ubergizmo.