 |
||
How Do Electric Cars Work?How Do Electric Cars and other Electric Vehicles Work?Now I know this section isn't for everyone! Do you really CARE about How Electric Vehicles Work? - yeah - maybe you're curious at first, but then you're sorry you asked the question!  Well - let's see if we can stick to the basics. When I started to look at this - it became quickly apparent that an equally important question was "What DOES NOT work about Electric Vehicles?" as there seemed to be all sorts of hype and claims. Let's start with how they are MEANT to work:  You get up in the morning - you plug out your Electric Car - or pick the bicycle battery off the charger. You go to work - or go about your business for the day. You're feel SMUG for lots of different reasons:
Maybe this is how they ACTUALLY DO work - but - why doesn't everyone have one??? Well - at this stage it seems there are a number of reasons - WHAT doesn't WORK about Electric Vehicles (although they MIGHT JUST change some day):
I realise that a lot of the comments are a "little" unfair - but the funny thing is that most dealers/manufacturers I have spoken to agree with most of them. Until Electric Vehicles go more mainstream - a lot of these problems will stay in place.  Also - I have found that Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters have overcome a lot of those problems and are becoming very close to beating mainstream scooters and bikes - but it seems Electric Cars have a bit to go... -  ...at least until 2010 until cars like the Mitsubishi MiEV come onto the market (I think it will be a Renault/Citreon in Europe.) So - let's have a look at this wagon to see more about how Electric Vehicles work, on a ahem!, "Technical Basis". Most cars and motorbikes are powered by the internal combustion engine - which runs on petrol or diesel.  Electric cars like the Mitsubishi look like these
“normal” vehicles from the outside - except for the
exhaust pipe.
Inside there is no petrol/diesel tank and they are replaced by Electric Car Batteries which provide the electric "fuel". These are typically found under the vehicle to keep the centre of gravity low.  You need quite a few batteries to store enough energy to power the vehicle and give it a good range. A regulator is connected to the battery pack to ensure the amount of energy used is constant and prevent battery burn out. The next thing that is different is the "engine" - you won't find one. At least not one you are familiar with. But, before we go on, I'd like to point out that almost everything else is the same as that in a petrol-powered vehicle. The transmission, brakes and various electrics all work in the same way. Now - what drives the wheels?  The Electric Car Motors are what REALLY makes the difference. The motor is located close to (or in) the wheels and drives the wheel axle directly (rear wheels for the MiEV). When you press on the accelerator pedal a connected potentiometer measures the force and sends a signal to a controller that tells it how much energy the battery should give the electric motor. This happens in a smooth fashion with great torque available from standing speed. (Electric cars often have Ferrari-like acceleration).  Right - what else? - oh yes. Recharging. Plug it into a standard household system for full recharging over about 8 hours. And - fast rechargers are being developed for 80% charge in 30 - 60 minutes. The last thing about the Mitsubishi is that it is being developed as a car that can be All Electric OR Plug-in Hybrid OR Fuel-Cell Driven. Now that sounds like the Car of the Future! Back from How Electric Cars Work to Electric Cars Back from How Electric Cars Work to All Electric Vehicles Homepage |
|
|
|
Enjoy This Site?
Then why not use the button below, to add us to your favorite bookmarking service? |
||
|
| ||