The head of a leading automotive research center believes that the internal combustion engine will become the world's most popular engine for at least the next 20 years.
Peter Frith, CEO of the national R & D network Auto 21 at the University of Windsor, expects,
Fuelledengine is still number one
1 auto engine until at least 2035.
"You should never say forever, but this is a very, very tricky issue, which is beyond doubt," he said of developing electric vehicles . ".
"I think it will cost a lot more money than people are preparing now.
"When assembled, the cost of the battery itself may be higher than the rest of the car itself.
This is not something that people can handle now.
"Some of the world's top automotive engineers have gathered in Windsor, Ontario.
Discuss how to make better batteries.
Experts discuss the latest developments in electric vehicle technology at Ed Lumley engineering innovation center.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers is hosting an international workshop focusing on the components and systems of electrified vehicles.
"It all comes down to the battery.
It's all about energy storage, "Frise said.
"Producing energy or transferring energy from one form to another is something that humans have been good at for a long time.
It is not easy to store electricity.
About 50 km of Canada's car trips are about kilometers long, and usually only one or two people are in the car, Frise said.
An electric car can cope with the workload.
But too many people suffer from "range anxiety," he says ".
Frise says the current Nissan Leaf and Ford electric Focus are great cars in the city.
"But driving to the cottage is not suitable for a long time," Frise said . ".
"Cars of this generation are often unable to meet these needs.
They just don't go far enough when charging, or carry loads that are big enough.
"There are relatively few people who can use them every day.
"The cost is also preventing people from buying all-electric car.
Nissan Leaf, for example, costs about $42,000.
The buyer is eligible for a $8,000 rebate, Frise said, but the rebate means the car cannot be independent.
Frise estimates that a heavy and expensive rechargeable battery accounts for more than half of the cost of the rest of all electric vehicles.
"If you need to replace the battery, will you be prepared to use more than half of the cost of the car for replacing the battery?
"Most people look at this and say, 'I don't think so,'" Frith said '. ".
When the 21st century automobile (Auto 21) opened in 2001, electric vehicles were hardly mentioned, let alone mentioned.
Frise says it now spends billions of dollars on research and development every year.
"The progress made over the past decade or so is absolutely shocking," he said . ".
Narayan Kar said: "Recent advances in power systems and energy storage design have created tremendous momentum in this area, making it necessary for the academic community to have an organized collaborative discussion, "Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Windsor is also one of the main organizers of the conference.