Electric
Vehicles (EVs) by Dallas Stott
This photo is of an Electric Car that I drove and maintained while working at the Integrated Energy Management Centre (IEMC) in Hobart. It is a Daihatsu Charade, and was converted to electric in Australia by Huntington Enterprises of Sydney. It was one of the first modern commercially-built electric cars in Australia.
Designed for city commuting, the Charade's batteries can be fully recharged at home overnight from a standard 10 amp power point, or plugged into a power point at work for a top-up. The Charade will zip around Hobart streets at 80 km/h.
For More Information on EVs: Australian Electric Vehicle Association Electric Vehicle Mailing List Archives
HISTORY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Electric
cars have been around since 1837, but until recently have not been taken too
seriously. Recent developments particularly in Los Angeles where smog is a serious
problem, have forced the world's major car makers including General Motors (GM), Nissan,
Toyota, BMW, Daihatsu, Mercedes Benz, Fiat, Chrysler, Ford, Renault and Peugeot into
producing electric car prototypes.
Click on the photo of the General Motors Saturn EV at right for more info and driver comments on this EV which is leased in the USA.
Electric cars produce no exhaust gases and can greatly help the noise levels of our cities. But most importantly, they use 50-60% less energy than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Electric vehicles are set to play an important part in Australia's future. There are many benefits to the owner and to our environment from using electric vehicles:
* Quiet operation - used at Western Plains
Zoo to reduce noise pollution
* Lower running costs - recharges from electricity mains or solar cells
* Less maintenance - uses reliable 95% efficient electric motors
* Safer operation - no fuel tank or fuel lines
* Ease of starting - no fuel injection or carburetter problems
* No idling - when the car is stopped, the motor is off
* Long operating life - there are fewer parts to wear out
* Efficient and pollution-free commuter transport - no petrol fumes
* Creates a new industry for Australia
* Reduces Australia's reliance on oil imports
HOW THEY WORK
Electric vehicles use a storage battery which is charged from an external power source. This charge is then used to power an electric motor. New battery technology has reduced the size of these batteries and today electric vehicles can reach speeds of 130km/h with a range of 90 to over 200 kms.
Electric vehicles will play an important part in our future transport industry, but for the moment, range, cost and power constraints will limit their role.
There are also environmental concerns relating to the generation of electricity from coal, and the associated emissions of carbon dioxide. However, Tasmania doesn't have that concern at present due to our clean, renewable hydro-electric system.
OTHER EV WEBSITES
Click on Ask Jeeves or use your favourite search engine to search for electric car or electric vehicle.
EV MAILING LIST
You can subscribe to an Electric Vehicle Mailing List by typing: SUBSCRIBE EV <your name>
in the body of an email message to: LISTSERV@SJSUVM1.SJSU.EDU
BOOKS
Brant Bob 1994, Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, ISBN 0-8306-4232-3, TAB Books McGraw-Hill Inc, USA.
For More Information on EVs: Australian Electric Vehicle Association Electric Vehicle Mailing List Archives