Electric car is an automobile that uses one or more electric motors instead of an internal combustion engine. Most electric cars are powered by rechargeable batteries and so do not consume gasoline. Fuel cells—batterylike devices that store energy in the form of compressed hydrogen—can also power electric vehicles.
Electric cars have several advantages over engine-powered cars. Their operation produces no exhaust, and so their widespread use could reduce air pollution. They use batteries, and so they do not necessarily consume increasingly scarce petroleum resources. Electric cars are quiet, reducing noise in congested areas.
Electric cars also have disadvantages. They often use lithium-ion batteries, which are expensive. Depending on the battery size, electric cars generally have a limited range before their batteries need to be recharged. Most electric cars can travel more than 100 miles (160 kilometers)—and some more than 300 miles (500 kilometers)—on a single charge. However, electric vehicles have more limited ranges in extreme weather conditions that require high use of electric power by the heating or cooling system. Charging an electric vehicle battery with some charging systems can take hours, but refueling an engine-powered vehicle takes only a few minutes. People who park on city streets—such as apartment dwellers—may not have access to an electric outlet for recharging their electric cars.
Although electric cars do not create air pollution in their operation, many electric power plants do. Thus, charging an electric car may still add to pollution. The manufacture of batteries also causes pollution. On the other hand, electric car batteries can store excess energy generated by power plants, which could help the electric power distribution system operate more efficiently.
How electric cars work.
An electric car is powered by one or more electric motors. In many cases, the motors are coupled directly to the wheels. This system eliminates the need for a transmission. The driver uses an electronic controller to control the rate at which energy flows from the batteries to the motor or motors. When the vehicle’s brakes are applied, the motor or motors become generators sending electric power back to recharge the batteries. This process, called regenerative braking, reduces the energy needed to drive the car.
History.
The first electric cars appeared in Europe during the 1880’s. They soon became popular in the United States. Americans drove more electrics than gasoline cars during the late 1800’s. By the early 1900’s, however, gasoline-powered cars had become more powerful, performed better, needed less refueling, and were cheaper to operate than electric cars were. The electric car had almost disappeared by the late 1920’s.
In the 1960’s, increasing concern about air pollution and dwindling petroleum supplies renewed interest in electric cars. In the 1970’s, limited production of electric cars resumed. Since then, interest in electric cars has increased, and a number of automakers have made improvements in the cars’ performance, travel range, and purchase price.
Since the late 1970’s, manufacturers also have combined features of electric cars and gasoline-powered cars. Hybrid cars, for example, have both an engine and a battery-powered electric motor. Hybrid cars benefit from regenerative braking, which can make them much more efficient than cars powered by engines only. In 2010, General Motors released a hybrid electric car, the Chevy Volt, that contained a small gasoline engine. Unlike the engine in other hybrid cars, the Volt’s engine does not directly power the car itself under most conditions. It is generally used only to recharge the car’s battery and extend its range.
