Everything new is well forgotten old. So, it would seem, the modern concept of an electric car became known in the middle of the XIX century. Electric cars in Russia first appeared in 1899. They were designed by the famous engineer Ippolit Romanov in those days, and he borrowed the idea of how to make an electric car from Morris-Salom from American manufacturers.
So what is an electric car? This is a machine that is driven not by an internal combustion engine, but by an autonomous source of electrical energy.
To date, electric cars in Russia in the car market are represented by only three models: Mitsubishi i-MiEV, VAZ Ellada, Edison van or Ford Transit. Other well-known manufacturers are in no hurry to export their electric cars to Russia. Therefore, the question of where to buy an electric car is largely difficult.
Electric cars in Russia - a question about charging?
The car is charged at special charging stations through an adapter. For a full charge of the electric car, no more than half an hour is required.
It is possible to “refuel” an electric car at home using a special charger from a simple outlet. The only minus - the process can drag on for several hours, but the obvious plus is the ability to charge anywhere and not depend on the “gas station” in any way.
Trip duration
Today, one of the weakest links in the use of electric vehicles is the maximum amount of time available for travel from a single charge. According to the stated indicators of electric car manufacturers, mileage at full charge is: Renault Twizy - 100 km, Mitsubishi i-MiEV - 160 km, VAZ Ellada - 150 km, Nissan Leaf - 175 km.
At first glance, this is enough for a one-day trip around the city from home to work and back. But the car is necessary not only for moving within the city, I want to go to the country, visit friends in another city or go out into the countryside. And for these purposes, 150 km is a disastrously meager figure. Is not it?
In addition, a significant part of the energy (up to 40%) is lost in traffic jams or traffic lights, air conditioning, heating, the use of an audio system, etc. All this makes you wonder if it is worth buying an expensive device, so that you can languish in traffic jams, thinking about how to get to the outlet or home.
Issue price
According to many experts, electric cars in terms of functionality and characteristics do not have much difference from the usual car. But prices, which on average fluctuate between 1.2-1.8 million rubles, can plunge a layman into shock. This is when you consider that for the same money you can buy two, or even three modern non-electric cars, not inferior in terms of a set of options and safety. Although many people believe that money is quickly discouraged by the difference in fuel. But everything is far from as rosy as it might seem.
To summarize
The advantages of these cars, such as environmental friendliness and fuel economy, can not in any way cover the costs of maintenance and operation. In addition, the price of electric vehicles compared with other conventional vehicles that run on fuel is much higher, which also can not be called a big plus.
If you look from a different angle, then although today electric cars in Russia may not be very popular, but no doubt the future lies with them. Sooner or later, the price will fall, they will become fast and will be able to drive thousands of kilometers on a single charge.