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Electricity can be used to power electric or hybrid electric vehicles directly from a power grid, with power being stored in the vehicle’s batteries, or from electricity generated on-board through fuel cells. The electricity powers the vehicle's wheels via an electric motor. Emissions are produced from electricity generation supplied through the power grid but the vehicles themselves produce no tailpipe emissions. These vehicles, especially hybrid electric vehicles, are competitively priced and very inexpensive to operate and maintain. Furthermore, there are many federal and state incentives to encourage the use of electricity as fuel. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the internal combustion engine of a gasoline vehicle with the battery and electric motor of an electric vehicle. Hybrid vehicles could also potentially use other fuels besides gasoline, like ethanol, biodiesel, or natural gas. HEVs can also travel much further on one gallon of gas, approximately 40 to 70 miles, depending on the make and model. Plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, like regular hybrid vehicles, combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and a battery. However, the battery can be charged through operation of the vehicle and by plugging into a standard 110-volt electrical outlet. Plug-in hybrids contain a larger battery than standard hybrid vehicles. This allows daily driving to be almost entirely powered by stored electricity alone. The New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition has established a New Jersey Electric Vehicle Working Group as a collaborative effort of Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Stevens Institute of Technology, the NJ Electric Auto Association, and a number of private companies. More information can be found on our wiki site at http://evgroup.wikispaces.com |
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