One
million plug-in hybrid vehicles on America's roads by 2015 – what
seemed utopian just a few years ago is now President Obama’s stated
goal. The world’s rising demand for energy, limited oil resources as
well as stricter environmental and climate protection regulations are
causing us to rethink our driving habits in order to achieve sustainable
transportation and energy efficiency.
Electric vehicles,
powered largely by electricity generated from renewable sources of
energy, meet these objectives extremely well. Electric vehicles are
destined to eventually conquer the last great bastion of conventional
fuel consumption – road traffic.
Green transportation: Electric cars and vehicles in urban traffic
Particularly in cities,
quiet,
emission-free electric vehicles are ideal green transport solutions.
Public urban transportation, such as trams and trolleybuses has been
part of our lives for many decades. Electric cars and vehicles are the
only forms of transportation that provide a clean solution for
individual mobility. Electric cars, electric bicycles, and electric
scooters are therefore gaining in popularity. For electric cars to make a
real breakthrough, the automotive and electrical industries will have
to come together and jointly create the necessary infrastructure for
electromobility.
Fit for everyday use
Siemens
started writing the book
on the electric car in 1905, when it produced about 50 “Electric
Viktoria” cars, which were used in everyday traffic as elegant hotel
taxis and delivery trucks. They moved at a speed of up to 30 km/h,
traveling about 80 km on one battery charge.
Today,
Siemens is again a pioneer in electromobility. Though Siemens does not
produce electric cars, it has established a separate business unit that
develops key components for the drive train of electrically powered cars
and light commercial vehicles. The portfolio includes electric motors,
power electronics, and smart on-board charging technology.
Siemens
researchers are also working together with the German company RUF
Automobile GmbH on innovative concepts for the high end car market. They
are building ten test electric cars based on the Porsche 911 focusing
on modular drive trains and intelligent charging. Findings from field
testing will be used to further improve the entire vehicle and
sustainable mobility.
Pioneer: The “Electric Viktoria” in 1905
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