At the turn of the 20th century, 38 percent of vehicles on the road were electrically powered. However, the electric car industry experienced a big decline between the early 1900’s and the mid 1980’s because of advances in internal combustion engines and the of cheaper gasoline vehicles. Nevertheless, many of the fundamentals developed during the early production of electric cars are still applied today. In this Blog I will compare some of the electric vehicles from the early 1900’s to those manufactured today. I will also address the effects of non-electric versus electric cars on the earth, such as the production of pollution and smog.
One of the earliest electric vehicles was the 1898 Egger-Lohner automobile, C.2 Phaeton model, also referred to as “P1.” The vehicle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the age of just 22. The P1 weighed 2,977 pounds and had a top speed of only 21 miles per hour, with a range of 49 miles. It had a rear mounted electric drive unit that produced 3 horsepower, and was controlled by a 12-speed controller.
In 1904, the Baker Motor Vehicle Company produced new automobile models that showed advancements in electric car production. The first car sold was to Thomas Edison, who invented the nickel-iron battery that used in some of Bakers vehicles, and is actually still used today. There were two models created in 1904—the runabout and the Stanhope. The runabout weighed 650 pounds and put out .75 horsepower. The Stanhope weighed 950 and put out 1.75 horsepower, and had a 3-speed transmission, which allowed the car to peek at 14 miles per hour. Both vehicles ran on a 12-cell battery. The Baker Company went on to build 800 vehicles just two years later in 1906, and boasted to be the largest electric company at the time. The Baker Company made its last electric vehicle in 1916.
The next car that I think was important in the development of electric vehicles is the 1901 “Semper Vivus” by Porsche. This automobile was the first hybrid vehicle, meaning it ran on electric and gas. It ran on a 2-cylinder combustion engine and had an electric motor at each wheel. This vehicle weighed 1.7 tons, and had an output of 10.4 horsepower. It topped out at 22 miles per hour and had a range of 122 miles. To put this in perspective to a modern day model, the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder puts out 887 horsepower from a combined 4.8 Liter v8 engine and a pair of electro motors. It does 0-60 in 2.3 seconds and tops out at a raging 214 miles per hour.
Fast-forwarding 90 years, the EV1 was the first vehicle designed by a major corporation—General Motors. 1,117 units were built and leased between the years 1996 and 1999. It was a two seat, two-door coupe that weighed 3,086 pounds with lead acid batteries, and 2,908 pounds with its nickel-metal hydride batteries. The EV1 did 0-60 in just 8 seconds, and was easily charged in the convenience of one’s home through induction, by inserting a magnetized charge paddle into a slot between the headlights. The EV1 put out 137 horsepower, and had a run time of 70-90 miles. General Motors stopped producing the popular and fast growing EV1, for reasons still unknown today.
The next vehicle I would like to discuss is the Tesla Roadster. This electric powered vehicle uses lithium-ion battery cells, and is the first electric car able to travel more than 200 miles on a single charge. It can accelerate from 0-60 in about 3.8 seconds. The roadster is powered by a 3-phase, 4-pole, induction electric motor with a maximum output power of 248 horsepower. The motor is air cooled, and doesn’t require a liquid cooling system. Tesla refers to its battery pack as the energy storage system, or ESS. The ESS contains 8631 lithium cells arranged in 11 “sheets” arranged in series. Each sheet contains 9 “bricks” connected in series, and each brick contains 69 cells connected in parallel.
Today, the demand for electrical vehicles comes from people wanting to decrease air pollution and dependence on oil. Vehicles with combustion engines release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from their exhaust systems, as well as other dangerous gases like nitric oxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Electrical vehicles don’t release these gases during driving and are therefore considered better for the environment and human health. Carbon dioxide from motor vehicles is one of the largest contributors to increased atmospheric CO2 levels, which scientists believe is a major contributor to climate change. Oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight and produce ozone, which is one of the main components of smog. Smog can irritate the respiratory system and cause many different diseases.
However, some people argue that electric cars can be just as bad or worse for the environment. Making electric cars produces emissions and uses up resources, and the cars are charged on grids that often run mainly on coal. Renault did a study that compared environmental effects of the electric, gas, and diesel-powered versions of the Fluence sedan from the time of its manufacturing. They found that the production of electric vehicles is worse for the environment than making gas and diesel vehicles, but that electrical vehicles make up for this throughout their use on the road as far as total energy consumption, use of resources, greenhouse gases, and ozone pollution. On the other hand, electric cars cause more acid rain and algae blooms because of their production of nitrogen and phosphate compounds.
Another disadvantage of the electric car is the fact that they have shorter driving ranges than similar gas vehicles. This creates problems for drivers who want to drive long distances, especially in areas where charging stations are less common. Charging can also take 4 to 8 hours for the average electric vehicle. A compromise between the electric and gas vehicle is the hybrid vehicle. In hybrid vehicles, the electric motor in the main source of energy, but the combustion engine kicks in when the battery runs low or extra energy is needed.
Electric vehicles have come a long way since the late 1800s. The newNissan LEAF, the highest selling electric car to date, can accelerate to over 90 miles per hour, travel 100 miles, and recharge to 80% of its battery life in 30 minutes. Electric vehicles are becoming more common throughout the world, and are helping to improve the environment. Although drawbacks like price and driving range prevent the electric car from totally replacing gas vehicles, electric vehicle models are improving every year.
