The first cars with engines that do not require gasoline, quietly rolled into Jacksonville, Florida this past weekend. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are slowly being distributed out to consumers, and Jacksonville is one of the first cities to be chosen.
The Nissan Leaf can travel 73 miles on its battery. It is equivalent to driving 99 miles to the gallon, while having zero emissions. The environment friendly car also uses a solar-powered radio along with a system called “Carwings,” that shows charging stations on a map and tracks energy consumption. Due to the quiet nature of the electric car, it has a system that sends a warning sound to alert pedestrians of its presence.
The Chevy Volt can travel 35 miles on its battery until a gasoline generator can provide the car with 344 more miles. This is equivalent to receiving 94 miles per gallon on the battery and 37 miles per gallon through generated power. The car holds 9 gallons of gas, which is only used when the battery is low, and produces low emissions while the generator is in use. The Volt has regenerative braking which can charge the battery while the brakes are applied.
The government is offering tax credits and rebates for customers of a Nissan Leaf or a Chevy Volt. Also, a Jacksonville area energy company is offering free charging equipment these cars.
No comments:
Post a Comment