We all have been reading and discussing about electric cars
and buses and seen how they help in curbing pollution and save the environment.
All over the world, the production of electric cars is receiving a good push,
and companies are promoting their EV models for the future generation. We all
do know how combustion engine car runs on fuel like diesel and petrol. But have
you ever wondered how an electric car or bus functions? The general idea what
we all have is that they run battery-powered motor which needs to be charged.
But there is a lot of mechanism behind it which ultimately makes the EV run on
the road.
Here is a little short description for the non-technical
people out there who are interested to know how electric cars or other vehicles
work. We shall give you an anatomy of the electric car and tell you about its
vital components like batteries, electric motor, regenerative brakes, and
charging system.
Batteries
The battery is the bloodstream of the car, which gives it the
juice to run. In most of the cars is positioned low down in the car and in some
models, it runs along the floor. This helps in keeping the gravity of the car’s
center low and allows it to negotiate the corners in a better way. The weight
of batteries are heavy; that is why the EV weighs heavier than the fossil fuel
cars. For instance, the electric Renault Zoe is 1943 kg, which is heavier than
petrol engine Ford Fiesta that scales 1620 kg.
The electric cars also have an auxiliary battery for powering
up its electric components, which include headlights, lights, infotainment
system which works even if the motor battery runs out of power.
The weather has a significant effect on EVs. In cold weather,
its range shortens a bit in comparison to warm weather.
Electric motor
The electric motor is the one responsible for driving the
car’s wheel. If two motors are placed with one and are placed on each axle,
then the electric car can become a four-wheeled drive vehicle as well. For
instance, the Jaguar I-Pace has two electric motors and four-wheel drive, and
on the other hand, the Nissan Leaf has only one electric motor, and it is
front-wheel drive.
Charging
Most of the battery-powered cars have to be plugged in for
recharging either from a standard domestic socket or from a wall-mounted
charger for rapid charging. You can see such type of chargers in cities and
towns where electric cars are now in use. It is possible in the future that you
might not have to plug in the car for charging it. You might have to drive into
a plate or space where the batteries will get charged wirelessly just like
smartphones. This technology is known as inductive charging. Nissan has been
using this technology since 2009.
Control unit
All-electric cars comprise of a control unit which decides
how much power the batteries should transmit to the motor. If the controller
was like a light switch, which has on and off, it might be impossible to
maintain your speed. To help in this, the controller switch feeds power to
electric motor thousands of times every second, on the basis of acceleration
given to the car and to emulate the feel of driving a normal car.
Regenerative brake
Electric cars generally recover some energy that is lost in
braking and sends it back to the battery for increasing your range. In this
way, it gives you a sensation of the car slowing down when you release the
accelerator.
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