ELECTRIC CARS

     Now that the hazardous effects of pollution - attributed to gasoline powered cars, have become more than obvious, we are left with no choice but to opt for alternative technology which is not just efficient but environment friendly as well. Among the numerous options put forth, two of the most promising ones are electric cars - which are powered by electricity, and hydrogen cars - which use hydrogen as its on board fuel. So which is a better bet among the two? With both the technologies being relatively new, it is difficult to say which of them has an edge on the other.

ELECTRIC CARS

     Basically, an electric car is a battery powered car which is propelled by an electric motor. In such cars, electric batteries are used to power transmission - which in turn powers the wheels and facilitates propulsion (see how electric cars work). Even though we refer to it as a new technology, electric cars actually made their debut way back in the 19th century. However, the advent of internal combustion engine technology which resulted in mass production of gasoline powered cars towards the end of 19th century and beginning of the 20th century resulted in decline in the electric cars production. Come 21st century, electric cars seem to make a comeback - this time more as a need of the hour with pollution eating into the environment. Manufacturers argue that the electric cars which are in production today are not just environment friendly but also much more efficient than their predecessors. They seem to be more than confident that there is no way by which gasoline cars can oust electric cars this time around.

HOW DO ELECTRIC CARS WORK

     If you are wondering how do electric cars work, this article will be an interesting read.  Here u will find an explanation of the working of an electric car in a nutshell.

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          Gas guzzling automotive may be a thing of the past some day, when they are replaced on a large scale by vehicles powered by alternative technologies that do not rely on gasoline for power. Their replacements are already around on streets, in the form of electric cars. If you always wanted to know how do electric cars work, this article has answers for you. I explain the working of electric cars as simply as possible. 

     If you understand how does a car work, (a gasoline powered car), you will be in a better position to understand the working of electric cars. You will be able to comprehend how the electric car design mimics the working of a gasoline powered car and yet, is vastly different from it internally. Gasoline cars are converted into electrical cars by running a complete redesigning and transplant operation. 

How Does an Electric Car Work?

     While gasoline cars run on internal combustion engines, that convert the chemical energy locked in gasoline into mechanical energy, electric cars run on AC and DC motors, powered by rechargeable batteries. The difference in the power sources that provides the motive force of operation, leads to a substantial difference in the internal machinery, in an electric car and a gasoline car. 

     While the insides of a gasoline car are characterized by plumbing, electric car insides are known for their extensive wiring. Compared to conventional cars, electric cars are less polluting and more efficient. Let us see how do electric cars work. 

     Electric Car Power Source: Rechargeable Batteries

     The power source of electric cars are rechargeable lead acid, lithium ion or nickel metal hydride batteries connected in series. To power up an electric car, you do not have to visit a gas station. Just plug it into an electric socket like your cell phone and it gets recharged. Solar powered electric cars use solar cells to charge up the car batteries.

     Other technologies that are used as power sources for electric cars are fuel cells which are special electrochemical cells that can produce electricity. Many other alternative mechanisms are being developed that can run an inbuilt electrical generator by harnessing the motion of the car itself. It will be difficult to differentiate an electric car from a conventional car, just through external appearance. However, one way of identifying them is the absence of sound of operation. Compared to gas guzzlers who have clanking engines and moving parts, electric cars are smooth in functioning and silent.

Electric Car Engine: DC/AC Motor

Let us now see how do electric cars work without an internal combustion engine. The electric car engine is not a combustion engine but a DC or AC electric motor. The same kind which powers a fan or a compressor. The motive force for motion of wheels is provided by the DC motor that is driven by power delivered by rechargeable batteries. However, power isn't directly fed to the motor, but is mediated by an AC or DC controller mechanism.

Speed Control Mechanism: DC/AC Controller

     The speed control of an electric car is made possible by a DC or AC controller device. The controller device decides how much power is delivered to the main electric motor that drives the wheels. The accelerator pedal is connected to potentiometers, which are further connected with the DC controller.

Depending on how much you press down on the accelerator pedal, the potentiometers deliver a proportional current to the controller. Depending on the current supplied, the controller delivers power to the motor. This is how speed is regulated by the controller. To understand how do electric cars work, you need to know the working of a controller.

When electric cars are created by conversion of gasoline cars, the manual transmission is kept intact and usually locked in the second gear. The electric motor drives the transmission which ultimately delivers power to the wheels. All other systems that are usually powered by the car engine, are replaced by electric motors. Heating is driven by electric heaters. This is how an electrical analog of a gasoline powered car is created. Electric cars can attain speeds of 100 miles per hour. The only problem with electric car remains is that their cost of production is high, which makes them substantially costly.

Hope, this straightforward explanation of how do electric cars work has stimulated your curiosity to know more. The explanation must have given you a basic idea of how to build an electric car. Future research in electric car design will focus on developing technologies to bring down the cost of production and creating more efficient ways of harnessing power from alternative energy sources. The trend has already started with the use of hybrid cars all over the world. Opting for electric cars is a smarter and more eco-friendly option for the future.

BUILDING AN ELECTRIC CAR
     First thing to do is to look for a gasoline car to be converted. The choice is entirely yours, but look for some car which has manual transmission and is roomy enough, as the batteries take up a lot of space. Do not go for a very old car and if you do, make sure its gear transmission and assembly is intact.

     Next thing to decide is, at what voltage or power do you want the car to run. The range could be from 90 V to anything up to or more than 190 volts. The amount of voltage you decide to have, will tell you how many batteries you will require. It will also decide the specifications of the controller and the AC motor. 

     Decide what kind of a battery you need. There are several options like, marine deep cycle lead acid batteries and high output sealed batteries. There are further more types to choose from, depending on the kind of electrolyte they use. They may be flooded, absorbed glass mat (AGM) or gelled batteries. The flooded ones are the cheapest but also the ones with the lowest output. Depending on what power you want, do the math and buy those number of batteries. Connect the batteries in series.

     Then begins the transplant operation of the gasoline car. Detach the gas engine, the gasoline tank, the exhaust mechanism, the catalytic converter, the clutch and even the radiator. 

     Before going for the electric wiring, draw a proper circuit diagram. Keep the manual transmission intact and attach a motor to it by using an adapter plate. You will require customized brackets to fix the motor in place.

The electric motor requires a reduction gear which will customize the gear mechanism for maximum efficiency. This can be achieved in two ways. Either build a new customized reduction gear or permanently fix the existing gear system into first or second gear. The first option is better but costly, the second is cheaper.

     Then mount the batteries and the controller. The controller that is normally used is the same as that used in the forklifts. Smartly place the batteries by using space economically. Strap them and bracket them in place.

     Then comes the wiring part of the operation. Connect the controller and the battery to the motor and to each other by using high power cables. If it so happens, that the original car had a power steering mechanism, then install a separate motor for it. If the car has air conditioning, you must mount another motor for the working its compressor. A vacuum pump must be installed to operate the brake booster. Next, a small electric water heater must be installed into the heater core to drive the heating mechanism.

     To power all the accessory batteries, a DC-to-DC converter must be installed. You do not need the gas gauge anymore! Replace it with an appropriately calibrated voltmeter, which shows the charging level of the batteries in your car. Connect the accelerator pedals to the controller with a potentiometer in the middle, as a connection link. The other accessories like car lights need to be rewired to the new battery set.

     The pre-existing reverse gear in the manual transmission, can now be operated by the AC motor. The gear changing mechanism that is the gear stick, must be replaced by an electric switch. Last but not the least, one has to install a relay switching mechanism that connects or disconnects the car from its battery pack. In short, it is the switch that turns the car 'on' or 'off'. The relay will have to be a high powered one, that can switch off the car at high voltages without sparking. Then connect your ignition switch to the relay, so that the relay is operated through the ignition switch. Install a separate charging mechanism for the car batteries. Put a charging socket on car exterior and wire the charging mechanism to it.

     If you manage to pull all these things off, then your car is at least ready for testing. Test every part of assembly, individually. Test the operation of the controller, in synchronization with the accelerator pedal. Once you finish the stage testing, you are ready for the test drive. Once that goes successfully, you are ready for a smooth pollution free drive in your very own electric car! The total cost for this whole procedure including all the supplies could be around US$10,000 or more. Price may vary according to the quality of the individual parts you buy. Hope this article has given you a rough idea of how to build an electric car on your own! Once done with that, if you want to go for a long drive, just plug in the power cord, charge your car and you are ready to go!