Researchers at the University of California are working on a route system that is GPS based and could potentially allow Electric Vehicles to drive 10 per cent further on a single charge.
Researchers at the Riverside Centre for Environmental Research and Technology are developing an eco-routing algorithm that will be able to select the most energy efficient travel route based on weather, traffic, road type and grade as well as passenger and cargo weight.
Up until now GPS systems would pick the best route based on distance, travel time and on more expensive systems, traffic flow would added to the equation. They have not, as yet taken into account vehicle emissions or energy efficiency when determining the most favourable route.
While it may be some time before we see GPS with energy efficiency calculators hit the market, the development could be a real aid to owners of electric vehicles, as their range can fluctuate significantly. owing to road, traffic and weather conditions.
For example, the Nissan Leaf, according to research, can have a range that varies from 47 to 138 miles, depending on such factors as the above. That would mean that an increase in range as little as 10 per cent, could make a difference to electric vehicle drivers, running out of battery charge on their way back home.
Electric vehicles are still slow to take off in the UK, but in the next ten years they may well be come more common place, with new technological advances in the pipeline, to make them more practical and affordable. The future is definitely here and electric, talking, automatically GPS driven cars, akin to those in the blockbuster film “Demolition Man”, may soon be available in the real world. Thank you for your time citizens 
Article By Paul Patane for Just EPC
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