Using Electricity to Power vehicles

The numbers of electric powered vehicles are on the rise. Currently there three options available. All electric vehicles are the most energy effective since electric motors are almost three times as efficient as comparable internal combustion engines. They also offer a range is limited to between 150 and 300 miles depending on the model, most are about 50 – 75% more expensive than petroleum-based options and offer a reduced carbon footprint. That improvement is reduced where the electricity used to charge the batteries is provided by coal power plants. Another disadvantage is the time to recharge batteries which can be overnight.

It is important to note that range, recharge times and costs will continue to improve.

There are two other options that offer improved carbon emissions. The hybrid has been around for almost two decades. It has two sources of power. One being an efficient internal combustion engine and the other a much smaller electric motor powered by a battery that is 3-4 times the size of a standard car battery. I own a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (a mid-sized car). It has a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces just under150 hp and a 47 hp electric motor. On the straight and level, the vehicle will run for an average of 15 seconds on the electric motor and then 30 – 40 seconds on the 4-cylinder engine. On any up slope exceeding 1% the vehicle always runs on the engine and on any down slope exceeding 1% it always runs on the battery. The electric motor battery recharges when the engine runs, on steep down slopes and on braking. The reduced carbon foot print results from improved fuel mileage which should be a 25 – 30% improvement. In my case I have average 44 – 46 MPG on trips with my best at 48.4 MPG.

A more recent hybrid option is the Plug-in model. The cost tends to be slightly less than the full electric. The electric motor and supporting battery are larger than the standard hybrid and it features the ability to recharge the system at home. All electric use range is usually 30 – 60 miles which makes it convenient for around town daily driving. The hybrid feature means that driving range is unlimited. The MPG conversion will range from 50 to 70 depending on the ratio of trip to in town driving. Recharge time is usually 5 – 7 hours with 110 and about 3 -5 with 220.

Keep in mind that the numbers I have noted are just averages and they will vary depending on the make and model. Also, keep in mind that the numbers quoted by the manufacturer will be under “ideal” conditions, so expect your “actual” to be as much as 20% less.

I would be remiss if I did not at least mention the potential for the fuel cell as a means of power for vehicles. My opinion is that not enough research is going into this technology. Yes, there are issues and practical application may be a few decades away. However, the current barriers of the cost of producing hydrogen (the most plentiful element in the universe), certain safety issues and the lack of public supporting infrastructure can be resolved. The reason why this technology should become a priority is that it produces a lower carbon foot print than an all-electric vehicle and the source of power is unlimited. The exhaust output is H2O!

Using Electricity to Power vehicles

The numbers of electric-powered vehicles are on the rise. Currently there three options available. All-electric vehicles are the most energy effective since electric motors are almost three times as efficient as comparable internal combustion engines. They also offer a range is limited to between 150 and 300 miles depending on the model, most are about 50 – 75% more expensive than petroleum-based options and offer a reduced carbon footprint. That improvement is reduced where the electricity used to charge the batteries is provided by coal power plants. Another disadvantage is the time to recharge batteries which can be overnight.

It is important to note that range, recharge times and costs will continue to improve.

There are two other options that offer improved carbon emissions. The hybrid has been around for almost two decades. It has two sources of power. One is an efficient internal combustion engine and the other a much smaller electric motor powered by a battery that is 3-4 times the size of a standard car battery. I own a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (a mid-sized car). It has a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces just under150 hp and a 47 hp electric motor. On the straight and level, the vehicle will run for an average of 15 seconds on the electric motor and then 30 – 40 seconds on the 4-cylinder engine. On any upslope exceeding 1% the vehicle always runs on the engine and on any downslope exceeding 1% it always runs on the battery. The electric motor battery recharges when the engine runs, on steep down slopes and on braking. The reduced carbon footprint results from improved fuel mileage which should be a 25 – 30% improvement. In my case, I have averaged 44 – 46 MPG on trips with my best at 48.4 MPG.

A more recent hybrid option is the Plug-in model. The cost tends to be slightly less than the full electric. The electric motor and supporting battery are larger than the standard hybrid and it features the ability to recharge the system at home. All-electric use range is usually 30 – 60 miles which makes it convenient for around town daily driving. The hybrid feature means that the driving range is unlimited. The MPG conversion will range from 50 to 70 depending on the ratio of trips to in-town driving. Recharge time is usually 5 – 7 hours with 110 and about 3 -5 with 220.

Keep in mind that the numbers I have noted are just averages and they will vary depending on the make and model. Also, keep in mind that the numbers quoted by the manufacturer will be under “ideal” conditions, so expect your “actual” to be as much as 20% less.

I would be remiss if I did not at least mention the potential for the fuel cell as a means of power for vehicles. My opinion is that not enough research is going into this technology. Yes, there are issues and practical application maybe a few decades away. However, the current barriers of the cost of producing hydrogen (the most plentiful element in the universe), certain safety issues and the lack of public supporting infrastructure can be resolved. The reason why this technology should become a priority is that it produces a lower carbon footprint than an all-electric vehicle and the source of power is unlimited. The exhaust output is H2O!