Your guide to the ins and outs of electric cars
- By Jeremy Allston
- Published 05/24/2011
- Tools and Resources
- Unrated
Your guide to the ins and outs of electric cars
In a nutshell, an electric car is a plug-in, rechargeable, battery-powered vehicle that is driven purely by electricity, meaning it does away with traditional cars which use non-renewable fossil fuels.
The range that these cars are able to travel plus the top speeds they can reach tends to increase with every new model released on the marketplace.
The following guide will explore what these superbly eco-friendly vehicles are all about, so you can decide whether it’s time to buy one.
How Electric Cars Are Powered
These cars aredriven by an electrically poweredenginefuelled by a battery pack. This is the energy storehouse that propels the car as opposed to the conventional fuel combustion engine. In modern electric cars, the battery system is really a collection of smaller batteries combined to act as one big super battery.
The batteries that electric cars use are currently either Nickel metal-hydride or Lithium-ion. They’re charged by simply plugging the car into an electric power supply. This means these vehicles can either be recharged at home or at a charging station. The higher the voltage of electrical power to the car, the quicker the car will be replenished. As electric cars become increasingly popular, the recharging infrastructure will become much more prevalent nationwide, especially since the government has pledged to invest heavily in eco-friendly transport solutions.
These days,many electric cars also tend to have a regenerative braking system that allows the battery to top-up with a short charge when the brakes are applied.
Electric Cars and the Environment
It must be said that while electric cars emit zero C02 emissions, the electricity required to power them does cause emissions. Also, one cannot overlook the manufacture, usage and disposal of the batteries which are used to power the electric car.
The size of their environmental footprint will depend on the source of power used to charge the car’s batteries. Hydroelectric power is top when it comes to minimal manufacturing emissions.
This being said, after extensive tests the experts have concluded that a petrol
fuelled car must use about 70mpg to be as environmentally friendly as an electric car which uses Lithium-ion batteries and is charged from a typical European electricity grid.
Speaking of Lithium-ion batteries, these offer greater affordability as well as energy conservation – in time all electric cars will be powered in this way and there are further advancements happening at a rapid rate, allowing electric cars to leave traditionally powered petrol cars in the dust when it comes to being ‘Green’.
Electric Cars versus Hybrids
While plug-in hybrid cars, which use a combination of petrol and electricity to power the vehicle, areanother popular ‘Green’ option for transport, they entail a more abrasive use of the batteries than a pure electric car does.
For example, say your particular battery is designed for 500 full charge-discharge cycles:
Electric Car Safety
It’s extremely important to protect the batteries in electric cars, as they’re currently rather pricey to replace. In the Volvo C30 for example, the parts of the car structure that surround the battery pack are reinforced and the batteries are firmly encapsulated in the conventional fuel tank position as well as in the tunnel area.
Many electric cars have fuses that cut their power off immediately if an earth fault is detected, such as due to a damaged cable coming into contact with the body’s frame. Some also provide a crash sensor which controls the fuses and cuts power in seconds when a collision occurs, using the same signal that controls the deployment of the airbags.
Conclusion
With the advent of electric cars , going truly ‘Green’ when it comes to your transport has become a reality. And with the continuing advances in technology, not to mention attractive government incentives to encourage their uptake,this type of vehicle will become increasingly attractive to people from all walks of life.
About the Author: Jeremy Allston is a car repair business owner and fan of electric cars.
The range that these cars are able to travel plus the top speeds they can reach tends to increase with every new model released on the marketplace.
The following guide will explore what these superbly eco-friendly vehicles are all about, so you can decide whether it’s time to buy one.
How Electric Cars Are Powered
These cars aredriven by an electrically poweredenginefuelled by a battery pack. This is the energy storehouse that propels the car as opposed to the conventional fuel combustion engine. In modern electric cars, the battery system is really a collection of smaller batteries combined to act as one big super battery.
The batteries that electric cars use are currently either Nickel metal-hydride or Lithium-ion. They’re charged by simply plugging the car into an electric power supply. This means these vehicles can either be recharged at home or at a charging station. The higher the voltage of electrical power to the car, the quicker the car will be replenished. As electric cars become increasingly popular, the recharging infrastructure will become much more prevalent nationwide, especially since the government has pledged to invest heavily in eco-friendly transport solutions.
These days,many electric cars also tend to have a regenerative braking system that allows the battery to top-up with a short charge when the brakes are applied.
Electric Cars and the Environment
It must be said that while electric cars emit zero C02 emissions, the electricity required to power them does cause emissions. Also, one cannot overlook the manufacture, usage and disposal of the batteries which are used to power the electric car.
The size of their environmental footprint will depend on the source of power used to charge the car’s batteries. Hydroelectric power is top when it comes to minimal manufacturing emissions.
This being said, after extensive tests the experts have concluded that a petrol
Speaking of Lithium-ion batteries, these offer greater affordability as well as energy conservation – in time all electric cars will be powered in this way and there are further advancements happening at a rapid rate, allowing electric cars to leave traditionally powered petrol cars in the dust when it comes to being ‘Green’.
Electric Cars versus Hybrids
While plug-in hybrid cars, which use a combination of petrol and electricity to power the vehicle, areanother popular ‘Green’ option for transport, they entail a more abrasive use of the batteries than a pure electric car does.
For example, say your particular battery is designed for 500 full charge-discharge cycles:
- On a pure electric car that goes 250 miles per charge, the battery pack should last 500 X 250 = 125,000 miles.
- A hybrid car with a 50 mile range will cause the capacity of the batteries to drop much sooner at 500 X 50 = 25,000 miles
Electric Car Safety
It’s extremely important to protect the batteries in electric cars, as they’re currently rather pricey to replace. In the Volvo C30 for example, the parts of the car structure that surround the battery pack are reinforced and the batteries are firmly encapsulated in the conventional fuel tank position as well as in the tunnel area.
Many electric cars have fuses that cut their power off immediately if an earth fault is detected, such as due to a damaged cable coming into contact with the body’s frame. Some also provide a crash sensor which controls the fuses and cuts power in seconds when a collision occurs, using the same signal that controls the deployment of the airbags.
Conclusion
With the advent of electric cars , going truly ‘Green’ when it comes to your transport has become a reality. And with the continuing advances in technology, not to mention attractive government incentives to encourage their uptake,this type of vehicle will become increasingly attractive to people from all walks of life.
About the Author: Jeremy Allston is a car repair business owner and fan of electric cars.
