Whether you already own an elctric vehicle (EV) or are considering the purchase, you should know about some of the add-ons and upgrades available. Most of the upgrades hitting the market are geared towards improving mileage or making it easier to recharge your EV.
Take for example the Enginer solar power generator. You install a backup battery system in your car and a solar power system at your residence or office. The system recharges during the day and augments the stock battery system in the EV. The result is dramatically improved mileage with customers reporting doubling their range and the cost of the electricity is free since it’s solar.
(Image Credit: Enginer)
Or for the true EV road-warrior, the Solar Home roof-mounted recharger. You install a series of solar panels onto the roof of your home or office, which charge the EV batteries during the day. The 2.61kW device claims to be capable of producing around 400 kilowatt hours per month.
(Image Credit: Solar Home)
Ford even entered the market with partner SunPower to offer their own version of a solar powered recharger with the SunPower E18 Series. This system generates around 250kW hours per month – enough for around 1,000 free miles per month. The E19 and E20 series offer even more power if you need it.
(Image Credit: HC)
And for the ultimate in ease, check out the wireless recharging capabilities coming to Sears. Evatran’s new system is position right under your EV so you simply pull up to your normal parking spot and there’s no need to plug your vehicle into the wall. The long-term vision is to have units like this installed in parking garages and even stoplights to recharge as you drive.
(Image Credit: EVCarCo)
Qualcomm has their own entrant into the wireless charging phenomenon, which they displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas, NV. The current model is fairly large, but plans are in the works to offer a design that’s about the size of a laptop bag.
(Image Credit: Geek)
With these and other upgrades hitting the market in the near future – or in many cases are already available – the appeal of an EV is ever growing. The cost per mile is already significantly lower than gasoline-only vehicles and solar powered recharging systems promise to continue to reduce the cost per mile.
