Electric Vehicles
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Introduction
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History of Electric Vehicles
Earliest Electric Vehicles
At a time when an ecologically conscious engine consumed oats and barley and the only unwanted byproduct could be scooped up with a shovel. Forward thinking men could see big things for the future of electric powered transport.
1832-1839 - A Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson invents the first electric powered carriage using non-rechargeable primary cells.
1891 - William Morrison from Iowa builds America's first successful electric automobile which was able to carry six passengers.
Over the following few years several electric vehicle makes and models are introduced including the first commercial electric taxis in New York. Believing that an electric automobile is the transport of the future, noted inventor Thomas Edison pursued a long lasting more powerful battery for ten years with little result.
Around the turn of the century of the 4192 cars made in the United States 28 percent were powered by electricity. This all changed greatly with the introduction of the Ford Model T with its mass production and lower cost bringing gas powered cars to the masses. Henry Ford was encourage by Thomas Edison, who he worked for, because the electricity grid was in its infancy. Pounding his fists on the table across from Ford might have been the coffin nails for the electric car if it wasn't for oil's fall. What would the world look like without oil and all electric? Too many wires? Not if Tesla and Edison got together...
The Middle Years
The 60's and 70's were the next decades to even consider alternative fuels again although it had little to do with the merits of the technology. For the first time people were getting impressions that reliance fossil fuels had disadvantages. Somewhat to do with a growing environmental movement but mostly due to the dependence of foreign fuel imports and in 1973 the impact was very apparent. The oil crisis caused by nothing more then foreign politics was for many a wake up call and indeed showed the world what could ever happen if fuel supplies were gone one day.
Two companies were leaders in electric car production during this time. Sebring-Vanguard produced over 2,000 "CitiCars." These cars had a top speed of 44 mph, a normal cruise speed of 38 mph and a range of 50 to 60 miles. The other company was Elcar Corporation, which produced the "Elcar". The Elcar had a top speed of 45 mph, a range of 60 miles and cost between $4,000 and $4,500.
In 1975 Sebring-Vanguard was the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States but once pressure in the oil market settled the companies momentum quickly diminished.
To the Present
The 90's began with several legislative and regulatory actions that renewed efforts for electric vehicle development. Primarily the 1990 Clean Air Act and 1992's Energy Policy Act contributed to a push for more stringent air emission and an overall reduction in gasoline use. Some states including California issued Zero Emission Vehicle requirements in the order of 2 percent initial and later 10 percent ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) within the state. These figures have been contested and reduced to lesser values since but the desire to move to alternative sources of power in vehicles remains.
The car companies got to work and began looking for ways of meeting the demands of policy makers. Most manufacturers took existing models and converted them to full electric drive but produced them in very small numbers. Due to the size of the motors and batteries and other equipment needed trucks and SUVs seemed the only segment suited for the job. Only General Motors produced a completely new vehicle in the form of the EV1 which quickly became the iconic image of electric automobiles. The EV1 was produced from 1996 until 2002 and was classified as a subcompact 2 seat commuter vehicle.
General Motors EV1:
- Front located front wheel drive 3-phase AC induction traction motor.
- 6.6 kW inductive paddle required a specialized 220 Volt charging station.
- 6-8 hour charge time.
- Batteries are either 1310 lb. VLRA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) or 1147 lb. NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) depending on the generation of EV1.
- Vehicle price is unknown as only leases were available but it is estimated and $30,000 to $40,000.
- 1117 vehicles were produced.
A few thousand all-electric cars (such as Honda's EV Plus, G.M.'s EV1, Ford's Ranger pickup EV, Nissan's Altra EV, Chevy's S-10 EV, and Toyota's RAV4 EV) are produced by the big car manufacturers, but most of them are available for lease only. In the end all of the major automakers' all-electric production programs were discontinued by the early 2000s.
That's when the smaller and international companies took over. They produced smaller vehicles that could drive on city streets, but did not need to comply with rigorous safety regulations. Currently, there are several electric vehicles around the world available from under $6,000 to over $600,000. Here's a partial list of the explosive niche: Keio's $400K Eliica (Japan), Axiam, Venturi's $600K Fetish (France), Mitsubishi's Model (Japan), GEM and Smart Electric (DaimlerChrysler Germany), Wrightspeed X-1 (CA), Commuter Cars Tango, $6,850 REVA's EV (India), ElBil Norge (Norway), Shandong Jindalu Vehicle Zebra (China), Phoenix Motorcars $45K SUVs and SUTs (CA), Tesla's $100K Roadster (CA), $70K Universal Electric Vehicles Spyder (CA).
Future Electric Vehicles
The future is here for small global electric vehicles. India's REVA can't keep up with backorders. Tesla's sold out. The question is, will the American consumer accept the 3rd times a charm factor? Customers will need to trade some variables like range, sound and horsepower for acceleration, silence and torque. Customers stuck in traffic in dense societies like India, England, China, France and even U.S. cities like San Francisco, have already decided to jump aboard. When people drive to drive again, rather than complain, commute and get from A to B, electrics should disrupt the subcompact market first and move up the chain.
The future for the electrics will explode when the market is in a state where the benefits outweigh the cost. Due to batteries, that is not true for an all-electric vehicle today. Cost is not a simple dollars and cents value either, the cost also includes the inconvenience suffered by the consumer. Limited range and long charging times associated with battery power are huge, considering the hectic lifestyles many people live today. Advances are being made though that can in the near future make electric vehicles much more practical.
Charging times are being reduced greatly in future batteries. The internal resistance of the chemicals used in the consumer battery is the chief limitation but new chemical batteries are being developed. Nanomaterials and low internal resistance batteries have produced one minute charge lithium ion batteries for products like cell phones and computers. It took 100 years for the NiMh to disrupt the Lead Acid and only 10 years for the Lithium Ion to take NiMh's place. At 5-6% improvement per year, one can predict when all the doubts are erased.
Highly efficient electric motors are being produced that increase the performance upwards of 90% allowing for longer ranges. Coupled with low friction components and configurations like an in-wheel motor where the electric motor in mounted in the wheel hub eliminating much of the friction and mechanical resistance lost through using gears and transmissions. Most modern electrics are using brushless motors which can outlast a consumer's taste.
Regenerative braking is a old technology that electrics have been using. It can help take the friction and energy lost during stops and place some of that back into the batteries. Anything that can help reduce the number of charging sessions will be most appreciated by future electric vehicle consumers. Recapturing energy in anyway possible will be the mantra of a future where resources are very important.
Lighter materials and greater aerodynamics help stop the loss of energy throughout the vehicle. The use of composite materials and aluminum for the vehicle structure is common place in sport racing and will be much more attainable in the future. Even low rolling resistance tires which are produced today by most tire manufacturers can be used to stop energy robbing friction between the vehicle and the road.
Though a universally marketable electric vehicle is not being produced today, there are many diverse options like the electric smart car and Tesla's sold out Signature 100 Roadster. Some actually specialized for their performance which rings well with people who have always seen the potential for the immediate power and torque of electric over gasoline motors. A company called Tesla Motors was created for just such a purpose, a high performance electric sports car that will impress for sure. A 2-seater roadster is soon to be release with a rated 248 horsepower at a cost in energy of about 2 cents per mile. An additional solar system can provide customers with 50 miles per day for free. We can thank the sun for all forms of power including electricity and oil.
