Electric Powered Cars: A Primer

There are a number of advantages to owning an electric car. The cost to run an electric car is by far cheaper than having to put fuel in your gas powered car. It is also an environmentally friendly alternative to a standard car that is run on gasoline.

An electric motor is used to power the car instead of a standard gasoline engine. Most electric cars are standard cars that have been converted, therefore, you can't tell from the outside that the car is electric. A big difference is that you can hardly hear the noise of the engine. The electric motor gets power from a controller, and the controller gains power from set of rechargeable batteries.

One particular study that was performed on a converted electric car showed that the car had a range of about 50 miles. It took up to 12 kilowatt hours to charge the battery, after a 50 mile trip. The electric car could get from 0-60 in 15 seconds. The battery weighed 1,100 pounds, and lasts for 3 or 4 years. The cost to replace the battery can work out to be quite expensive with prices starting around $2,000, but in comparison to fuel prices this may be no big deal.

AC or DC motors can be used to run the electric car. The electric forklift industry provides the majority of DC motors for the electric car. Installation of a DC motor is easier and usually less expensive. This type of motor has an overdrive feature that can be used for a short time, this is good if the driver requires short bursts of acceleration. AC motors allow the use of almost any industrial three-phase AC motor, which can make finding the size and type a lot easier. If an AC motor is installed the motor turns into a generator during braking giving power back to the batteries.

The batteries in the electric car can be a major problem, this may be why the car has not completely taken off in the sales department. The batteries are too big and they weigh too much. The range of only 50 miles may be ideal for some, but to others this may not be enough mileage on a daily basis. The batteries take between four and ten hours to charge, which could be a hassle having to recharge every day for this length of time. They have a short life span, and as mentioned before, are expensive to replace. This is providing the battery is acid-free, as you can buy NiMH battery packs which will be longer lasting, but cost more than 4 times as much to buy.

In summary, there are pros and cons to both the electric car and the fuel powered car. It all depends on what suits your needs, and what you can afford. There are bound to be advancements in technology in the future, leading to a more effective way of buying and using these electric powered environmentally friendly cars.