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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday June 24 2017, @10:02AM   Printer-friendly
from the shocking dept.

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles are in the fast lane to wider adoption, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers.

The researchers analyzed the present status of electric vehicles in the U.S., their life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and progress toward lifting barriers to broader acceptance. The study is a literature and technical review that synthesizes and analyzes recent findings from many sources.

"We feel that within the next decade, electric vehicles are positioned to be more suitable for most drivers to use on a daily basis," said Brandon Schoettle, project manager at the U-M Transportation Research Institute. "That's due to recent improvements such as longer driving ranges, faster recharging times and lower vehicle prices."

[...] Schoettle and colleague Michael Sivak, a research professor at UMTRI, found that sales of plug-in electric vehicles in the U.S. have increased by more than 700 percent since 2011.

[...] Other key findings include:

  • Availability: The number of individual electric vehicle models that consumers can choose from has increased rapidly, nearly doubling from 13 in model year 2016 to 23 in 2017. Recent price trends make plug-in hybrid vehicles more affordable and more similar in price to the average internal combustion engine vehicle.
  • Charging infrastructure: The number of public charging stations has grown rapidly since 2010, with approximately 16,000 now available across the U.S., supplying approximately 35,000 individual connections (for comparison, there are roughly 112,000 gas stations).
  • Driving range: The driving distance between charges of battery electric vehicles continues to improve. The range of all electric vehicles has increased to an average of 110 miles. Several studies the researchers cite estimate that a range of 120 miles can cover 99 percent of household vehicle trips.
  • Fuel prices Compared to gasoline, electricity prices have been low and stable over the past decade or more, and they're projected to remain that way over the next several decades.

Getting Americans to give up their cars for public transportation may be a tough sell, but if the study is right getting them to switch to electric cars won't be.


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  • (Score: 2) by KGIII on Saturday June 24 2017, @05:34PM (2 children)

    by KGIII (5261) on Saturday June 24 2017, @05:34PM (#530623) Journal

    For the curious, I'd suggest looking up what "urban" is defined as. Fairly small towns are classified as urban and the numbers were revised prior to the 2000 census. They introduced "Urban Clusters." I know, 'cause I had to deal with this. I modeled traffic and there are different standards for rural and urban thoroughfares.

    It takes only 2500 people to be considered urban. Clusters make this more likely.

    Source:

    Census info. [census.gov]

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  • (Score: 2) by Aiwendil on Saturday June 24 2017, @06:39PM (1 child)

    by Aiwendil (531) on Saturday June 24 2017, @06:39PM (#530647) Journal

    It takes only 2500 people to be considered urban. Clusters make this more likely.

    That is roughly three units [of Alstom Coradia 'Nordic']� (two units can be made into a set) of commuter trains (incl standing passengers)

    So - that means that according to the US gov't if two commuter trains stop for long enough for people to fall asleep and have a coffe it is an urban area :)�

    (Just found that number hilariously low)

    • (Score: 2) by KGIII on Saturday June 24 2017, @07:11PM

      by KGIII (5261) on Saturday June 24 2017, @07:11PM (#530657) Journal

      Probably only if they live on the trains and the trains remain stationary? Though, I guess if you crammed 'em onto one train and they lived there, that might qualify.

      The whole "urban" thing is a way of lying with statistics. Well, it's "honest" but disingenuous. People immediately think of cities when you say urban, that's simply not true. The little podunk town, without even a fire station and maybe one store and post office, is considered urban.

      The number is slightly higher if you have a residential institution - I think it's 3500. So, you can have a prison with 2000 inmates and a supporting town of 1500, and that's considered urban.

      (I modeled traffic. This is why I know these silly bits of trivia.)

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."