My love for great cars is so crazy that I have photos of cars as wallpapers on my phones, laptop, on the wall in my room and office. The excitement and joy I feel whenever I Watch documentaries about the operations of new models of cars is unexplainable. But then over the years the cars that I have been most impressed with is the electric car primarily due to the silent operation of engines and fast acceleration. Unlike an internal combustion engine, an electric car’s engine has an almost whisper-quiet sound.
Just take a minute to imagine a World where everyone drives strictly Electric cars, how would traffic be like?
You would agree with me that Traffic would be so much bearable with the Elimination of Noise pollution caused by the internal combustion engine of most cars. The benefits of using this type of cars are so numerous and cannot be overemphasized, aside their silent operation, they are far healthier and more suitable for our environment. The cost of making use of a gasoline powered car is so much higher than using an electric car which requires minimal maintenance cost. So It does not come as a surprise that over the years the manufacturing of electric cars has increased immensely due to its high demand across the globe.
An electric car can be charged at the convenience of the users at their homes, offices or using public chargers in different locations. The daily range an average user drives is about 70 – 100miles and an average electric car battery can be used to cover this range once they are fully charged. In fact, on a single charge some electric cars with sophisticated batteries can travel for 265miles. Unlike a gasoline powered car that requires the user to visit a fuel station to refuel All the time, Electric car offers users flexibility and convenience. Users can simply plug their vehicles as soon as they arrive home after the day’s work and get a fully charged battery in the morning and for cases where there is a large fleet of vehicles a smart electric charging system could be used.
Electric cars are manufactured with different specification and different types of users in mind, they range from the superb luxury models to the economy models. However regardless of the models one thing is certain users would be able to save a reasonable amount of money especially when compared with an internal combustion engine vehicle of the same specification. This is relatively due to the fact that the price of electrical energy is so much lower than that of fuel. Additionally, their engines have fewer parts that moves and as a result, they would require relatively little maintenance and this is very beneficial to users.
The low cost of electrical energy and the low cost of maintenance, makes Electric cars a suitable and economical means of transportation is absolutely effective. Having more electric cars on our roads would ultimately save the ozone layer because there would be a huge decrease in the greenhouse gas emission. So It is not surprising that major car manufacturing companies are making Huge investment in electric cars production to ensure we have a healthier ecosystem with minimal pollution and reduction of diseases.
Additionally, Electric cars make use of heavy battery packs and this makes the center of gravity of these cars much lower. As a result of this the cars are very agile to drive and it would be difficult for it to somersault and roll over in the case of accident especially when compared with gasoline powered vehicles. Electric cars would hardly explode on impact and they are highly improbable to catch fire in the case of accidents.
Now let’s take a closer at this superb automobile.
The primary source of propulsion of an electric car is super efficient electric motor, typically for an electric vehicle to operate effectively it utilizes rechargeable batteries that stores energy. The Electrical engine being used in an electrical car could either use AC or DC current and they are responsible for propelling the car. However, AC current are preferred since they are inexpensive and easier to operate. Mechanical problems would rarely occur since there are just a few moving parts and ultimately less maintenance.
For the power generated by the batteries to be effectively distributed to the motors, there is an intermediary known as the motor controllers, and as their name implies they are responsible for controlling the operation of the vehicle by regulating energy flow from the battery to the motor. Additionally, it regulates the performance indicators of the electric system and allows adjustable speed.
Energy is used up in an electric car as it accelerates and brakes, so to ensure the battery doesn’t get drained quickly Regenerative braking systems are used. Unlike a normal braking system, regenerative braking systems recover close to 15% of the energy used for acceleration and also recaptures some lost energy and transfers it back into the batteries. So when electric car is in motion the batteries get charged when the brake is applied.
The internal configuration of electric cars might differ slightly but generally transmission systems are not required since the drive system transfers mechanical energy to the traction wheels. Some of the battery technology used in most electric cars are Lead Acid Batteries, lithium Ion batteries, Metal Hydride Batteries.
CHARGING
This is a critical aspect of using an electric car, without adequate knowledge of how charging works users might encounter numerous challenges. Charging an electric car is quite easy and straight forward. Once an outlet is available weather at home, offices, parking lots, or gas station the car can be charged.
There is an electric cord that is available in an electric car that is used to plug into the power outlet. The time required to charge a battery is based on the capacity of the battery in the electric car, the charge required and the charger speed.Electrical vehicle charging solutions are classified Based on the rate or speed the batteries are recharged,
Let’s take a look at this classification
LEVEL 1 Charging [120v]: this is the most convenient, cheapest, slowest and easiest method of charging an electric car, an average depleted battery can take over 8hours to fully recharge. in this level of charging the electric car is connected to a standard household (120v) outlet with a corded plug. This method takes quite a long time to charge the electric car so its best utilized in homes, the user can charge overnight and get a fully charge battery in the morning.
LEVEL 2 Charging [240v]: This is a faster and more advanced method of charging because wiring and installation of a station that delivers power at 220/240V and up to 30amps is required. Charging pylon and cord would also be mounted for charging to take place. when the battery of an electric car is depleted it could be recharged in just 4hours. This method is common in public charging locations and in work places, it can also be used in homes by those want to charge their electric cars faster and can afford to install the equipment.
LEVEL 3 Charging [480V]: this is unarguably the fastest and most expensive charging solution for electric cars. A depleted battery can be charged in just 30minutes. Typically, they are used for commercial purpose or installed in transit corridors because the cost of installing level 3 chargers and power requirement is high. This type of charging demands standardized charging protocols, wiring, mounting of charging pylons and cords.
The life span of the batteries in an electric car is of utmost importance and its entirely dependent on how the battery is used, the battery technology and capacity. The life expectancy of batteries that are discharged to about 50% regularly before they are being charged is increased compared with batteries that are regularly completely depleted before they are charged, so it is paramount for users to cultivate the habit of constant partial discharge of the batteries to increase the battery life. Ultimately the way the user utilizes the battery of the electric car and his habit of charging would play a major role in determining the life span of the battery of the electric Car. So it’s of utmost importance for users to recharge their batteries before it gets below 1/3 and not wait till it’s completely drained before they charge.
CONCLUSION
Electric cars are unique automobiles with numerous environmental and operational benefits. The speed and battery capacity of an electric car is determined by the specific model of the car. Nevertheless the most significant weak link in electric cars are definitely their batteries which is a major reason we still have gasoline powered cars dominating our roads because they effectively solve this.
Electric cars are the future and for them to dominate our roads a lot of infrastructure must be put in place and more efficient batteries would have to be produced. However With the huge and constant investment in the electric cars industry one thing is certain we would have more electric cars on our roads in the nearest future.
REFERENCES
How electric Automobile is made
How do battery Electric car work
primary component of an electric powered car engine
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