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| Edited By: |Source: PTI |Updated: Mar 11, 2018, 02:14 AM IST
A Chinese car maker is all set to launch a battery-powered car that can travel 400 km on one charge, a vehicle that is capable of revolutionizing the world of motoring.
According to a report by BBC News, the new E6 electric car, developed by BYD (Build Your Dreams), which is due to be out before the end of the year, is able to do 250 miles (400 km) on a single charge. The E6 is roomy with space for five passengers and a good-sized boot. The battery tucks under the back seat.
It needs 7-8 hours with a domestic plug to charge the car but according to BYD, a specially developed fast charging point with a lead the diameter of a fire hose will fill up the car in just one hour. The owners of the wonder vehicle would be able to get half a charge in only 10 minutes.
If these claims are accurate and if BYD can persuade either the Chinese government or a Chinese city to install a network of the fast chargers, then this large hatchback could be the vehicle that makes the breakthrough for electric cars.
The E6 will sell for 30,000 pounds and is aimed initially at the eco-conscious California market. When the price comes down with mass production, it'll be rolled out properly in China.
Whether the claims are accurate to the letter or not, the E6 is a marker that China expects to dominate energy storage technologies, which could become much more important if the world makes a significant shift towards renewable power.
Even if they are run on coal-fired power, electric cars still produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a petrol car because they are inherently more efficient, according to the UK's chief energy scientist David MacKay.
This efficiency is increased if you can run an automobile fleet on either off-peak electricity at night or on intermittent power from, say, wind farms.
