Articles by Mark Hovis
General
Can Hybrids Still Compete With Plug in Hybrid Vehicles in Long Distance Travel?
Prius owners made their purchase mostly for fuel efficiency. The Prius and other HEVs however are slowly giving up sales to the plug in hybrid (PHEV) and upcoming 200 mile battery electric vehicles (BEV). 23 November 2015
Charging
Goodyear Concept BH03 Electricity Generating Tire - A New Form of Range Extender?
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company introduced the BH03, a radical concept tire at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show that directly effects the plug-in electric car and hybrid markets. This tire generates electricity through both static and dynamic actions through materials that transform the energy created by heat when it flexes as it rolls during normal driving conditions as well as heat from light when it is stationary. 10 March 2015
EV- Fleet Inc. Readies For 2015 Launch of 100 Mile Purpose-Built BEV Truck
EV-Fleet Inc (EVFI) is currently taking orders for their MY2105 Condor light weight BEV truck. The Condor is a purpose built 300Ah (50kWh) BEV truck. It is roughly the size of a Ford Ranger, will have a 1000 pound load capacity, and a range of more than 100 miles between charges. 26 August 2014
Charging
At What Point Does Chevy Volt Battery Show Signs of Range Loss?
At what point will the Chevy Volt show signs of range loss? This has been a question for some time in the EV community. GM made a bold and brave move to limit access to the Volt's 16.5kWh battery to around 10kWh. The brilliance of this move both protected the battery from overcharging and left Volt drivers with the same driving experience with zero loss of range for years of ownership. 18 June 2014
General
Attention Chevy Volt Owners! Here Are Some Mods That'll Transform Your Volt
Chevrolet Volt Z-Spec - Unfortunately, This Mod Package is Not Available to Purchase Well maybe those who lease too, but mostly the 5% that bought into the EV movement through Chevy Volt ownership. Chances are you have seen a number of things change in newer models, or you skimped on some of the features only to find that they are not available from GM. Here are some item... 03 February 2014
General
Op-Ed: Top 10 Causes of Automobile Fires - EV vs ICE
A Tesla Fire In Early Fall Prompted A Lot More Scrutiny From The Wider Media On EV Fire Safety Recently I was attracted by an article headline written by Cherise LaPine for HowStuffWorks.com titled “Top 10 Causes of Automobile Fires". I was intrigued on how the data was submitted so I thought I might score them between ICE vs EV. In other words, which is the least likely to ... 01 February 2014
General
Number of Tesla Fire-Related Deaths Per Year Equals What?
Tesla Model S Fire Aftermath Updated July 15,2014 Due to the continued questions of safety surrounding the five fires with the American manufactured Tesla Model S, it seemed time to address the ultimate measures of safety. Life, and Injury. For this we start with the data U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 152,300 automobile fires per year in th... 10 November 2013
General
EV vs ICE Maintenance - The First 100,000 miles
Maytag or EV serviceman? If you drive an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and have a service file, take it out for comparison. If you own an ICE and don’t have a service file, you should start one, for you will be shocked with how much time and effort you really spend on your vehicle. You may find the service costs found here higher or lower. They are listed as a reminder of ho... 09 March 2013
Charging
Power Your Car For $125/Year, Every Year, For 25 Years With DIY Solar
The emergence of the EV market and its battery technology are certainly exciting. As the number of EVs increases, so does the awareness of energy independence. For many enthusiasts DIY solar is on the rise. What if you could pay $4000 for the life energy of your new EV and all your EVs to follow for the next 25 years? Would you? So what is involved? What size system do you need? What will it c... 01 July 2012