Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Time Has Arrived for the Electric Car

For some time, grandmothers have been coming to church with their electric cars. On many Sundays, there are at least three parked in front of the Church. It seems that Korea is now ready for the family electric car.

A half page spread in The Peace Weekly gave us a run down on the latest car with zero CO2 emissions, the e-Zone. It was a gift to the seminary by the company that is the leader in electric car manufacturing in Korea. In the world of environmentally friendly cars, Korea clearly intends to be among the leaders. .

The e-Zone is already the most popular car on campus among professors, religious and seminarians. And on a recent visit by the writer to a showroom exhibit, he found the e-Zone the center of attention for many of the Japanese visitors. .

With a speed limit of under 60 kilometers per hour and its compact design, the car is ideal for city use. It is powered by an electric motor and batteries, which can be recharged with ordinary electricity. Recharging takes about four hours and will go on a single charge up to 70 kilometers. Car price ranges from $8,000 to $16,000, and less than 10 dollars a month if the car is driven no more than 1,500 kilometers a month.

CT&T, the company that built the e-Zone, has a history of working in this field and is beginning to export and build factories in other parts of the world. That the company is small and not part of any of the established conglomerates is a pleasant surprise. It would be encouraging to all small, independent companies to see such a company competing successfully in an industry that has been dominated by giants for so many years.