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Friday, July 31, 2015

Ultimate Guide to Electrical Car Charging Stations

http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/charging-car-cu-620.jpg
Source : plugincars.com
People who own electric vehicles often buy these products out of environmental consciousness. After all, "green" vehicles reduce a driver's environmental footprint in a number of ways, including putting the brakes on pollution and conserving non-renewable fuel resources. However, this green initiative does require a little forward thinking to ensure that your automobile has the power it needs. From refueling to pricing, electric car charging stations are a crucial part of managing your vehicle's operations.

Private Refueling

Most recharging should occur at home to prepare your automobile for use. This process is simple and fast to perform, as it takes less than a minute to plug your automobile in when you return home.

Public Options

To recharge in public, you will need to find a network that offers it. Networks are available throughout the country, but each one operates independently and uniquely to deliver power. Before utilizing this type of service, it's helpful to learn a basic overview of how they work and how to use them.

Price

Some stations are free, and others involve a fee for use. Fee structure varies, but it generally includes either a pay-as-you-use option or a monthly subscription. If you opt for a subscription service, one option would be an all-you-can-use service. The amount you can add to your vehicle per hour will depend on your car's specific capabilities. A smaller or slower charger will cost more to refuel than a faster charger. Some areas may be more conducive for pay-as-you-go payments, while others will probably have special packages for EV drivers who want extensive plans with more options.

Frequented Routes
Charging Stations
Source : times-herald.com
If you have a regular commute or traveling radius, it's beneficial to explore this area to find the electric car charging stations available. Networks usually have multiple stations in a geographic area to provide EV drivers with plentiful options. Explore networks to learn the number of stations and their approximate locations to decide which one you want to use primarily, especially if you will be purchasing a plan.

Finding Electricity on the Go

When at home with a computer, it's a simple task to view a locator map to find electric car charging stations. There may be times when you are driving and find yourself in need of an emergency charge. When this occurs, use a smartphone to search for charging points in your specific geographic area. The search engine results should provide you with options located near you.

You could also download an app to your smartphone to utilize location services in an even more streamlined fashion for finding the power you need.

If you're lucky, your automobile may even help you with this search. Built-in navigation systems of EVs will often display your remaining range on a map. Also included in the map data will be the locations of all the nearby points for additional electricity.

Don't neglect the recommendations of friends and family as you strive to find the electric car charging stations you want to use frequently. Personal recommendations often help you find the best spots for topping off your vehicle.
When searching for electric car charging stations for sale, customers go to ClipperCreek, Inc. To learn more, visit http://www.clippercreek.com/.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Thursday, July 30, 2015

4 Futuristic Car Technologies in a Science Fiction

Source : scubbly.com
In 2015, we have become accustomed to being surrounded by gadgets that would have seemed a fantasy 50 years ago. From inter-connecting smart phones to fully functioning robotics, we are at the precipice of a technological revolution. For many of us drivers, however, we are firmly rooted in the last generation, driving around in cars that haven't changed much in many years, apart from some new bells and whistles. However, automotive technologies are being developed that will radicalise how we drive and experience driving. Here are 5 that are guaranteed to impress any motor heads.

Augmented Reality Dashboards

At one point, GPS technology would have seemed a million miles away from a trusty atlas or road map, but today we are closer to ever to having a full navigation system built into the windscreen. This will be displayed through different types of glasses that will display different information to the driver in real time. This will display not only directional advice, but will display the speedometer, parking sensors, rev counter, fuel gauge and other aspects of the cars computer. Through touch screen controls, drivers will be able to control every facet of their vehicle from the screen, including air conditioning, radio, windows and headlights. Perhaps the most futuristic is the ability to zoom in on parts of the road so drivers can see obstacles up ahead more clearly. If put into place, this could help improve driveability but also keep drivers and there passengers safer.

Solar Roadways

Solar powered LED roadways have the potential to change the world in a way that many other technologies could only dream of. Designed to not only illuminate our roads and display dynamic traffic information, but actually charge electric cars wirelessly whilst they drive. This would revolutionise how we fuel our cars and completely transform the automotive economy. This would make electric cars a true alternative to petrol and diesel powered cars, and lead towards us improving our carbon emissions by an inexplicable amount. Imagine never having to refuel your car manually while driving around on illuminated LED roads! There are even plans to make the panels heated that will melt any snow or ice that has accumulated on the LED panels, which will then be filter to a water treatment centre to use within the water supply. However, there are some questions about how economically feasible these plans are and how the roads will be constructed and maintained. However, the city of Sandport, US, is going to become the first city to have the panels by installing them within a parking lot.

Fully Autonomous Cars

This has been speculated for a long time but, in 2015, they are finally testing fully autonomous cars on public roads. A recent report suggested that by 2035, nearly 75 per cent of vehicles sold will have automatic driving capability. Google have actually been planning to make it a reality within 5 years, so we could have driverless cars sooner than we think. Whilst we have had components such as self parking cars, completely driverless cars would revolutionise how we navigate our roads and motorways. However, there have been some initial problems; for instance, Google's attempt at a driverless car cannot tell the difference between a rock and a piece of litter that has drifted into the road and subsequently attempts to drive round both of them in the same way. Also, there are some moral questions about how much it will actually improve road safety and whether people will actually want to put their life in the hands of a computer program. Nevertheless, envisioning a future where we are essentially driven around by robots definitely seems like something out of science fiction.

Source : trendhunter.com

External Airbags 

Many of us have been involved in some form of accident on the roads, sometimes costing a lot of money in repairs. However, this could be all change if external side airbags are fitted on cars. Side crashes currently account for around 40 percent of all traffic accidents and we could now see a dramatic reduction in the damage these crashes cause. The airbags are designed to deploy in 20 - 30 milliseconds and protect the vehicle from the impact. This is being developed alongside cameras that will detect the moment the airbag needs to be triggered. When completed, this design could bring about a massive transformation in road safety.