Electric Vehicles

Content

1. Abstract

2. Introduction -brief history of electric vehicles.

3. Types of electric vehicles.

3.1 solar power EV

3.2 electric battery vehicles

3.3 EV Use Flywheels

3.4 Fuel cells Vehicles

3.5 Electric hybrid vehicles.

4. Sources of electricity generated.

5. EV and the environmental issues

5.1 pollution effects of conventional vehicles

5.2 energy efficiency of electric vehicles

5.3 future development, wide implementation of fuel cells and clean renewable energy

5.4 government legislation and regulation

6. conclusion

7. references

Abstract

This report investigates the impacts of electric vehicles on optimizing environmental problems. It links EV and environmental issues by briefly explains the development of electric vehicles from mid 1830s to present, including types of electric vehicles, the main advantages/barriers, different sources of energy supply, and the role of government. This report also concluded the future development of electric vehicle technologies.

Introduction

Electric vehicle is one of the oldest categories of automobiles, electric vehicles including electric cars, trains, aero planes and even spaceships, which are powered by electricity. The main advantage is that the EVs do not produce any greenhouse gases by directly burning non-renewable energy resources from internal combustion engines.

The early development of electric vehicles starts back to 1820s; however the first EV was invented by Thomas davenport at the year 1834, which is a small car with non-rechargeable batteries installed. The high cost, low speed, small range and the non-rechargeable battery were the main barriers for electric cars to be introduced to the public by mass production.

The investment of EV became popular again in the end 19th century; the golden age for EV in-between 1895 to 1905(Wakefield E.H, 1994, p119) came alone with the mass production of rechargeable batteries and the unreliability of internal combustion technology. In 1900, there were many vehicles in US were electric powered, including public buses and taxis, but private cars were rarely to be electric due to the high price issue. However the enthusiasm for EV did not last long, the main competitor- powerful reliable internal combustion engines invented 1911 with the fact of cheap oil were killing EV, the IC engine proved a more attractive option for powering vehicles. Ironically, the main market for rechargeable batteries has since been for starting IC engines (Larminie, James, Lowry, John, 2003, P3), and also high price of battery; long time taken of recharging; the limited ranges were the main weakness of EV which cannot be avoided.

Even electric vehicle has advantages over internal combustion automobiles, the interest of EV started to decline since 1920s, the development of EV slowed down its speed until 1970s. Between the decline ages, although there were many EV models invented by car makers such as ford and general motor, but the powerful internal combustion vehicles remained dominant the automobile market. The issues of cleaning energy and global warming became a real threat to the human race in the late 1970s, this lead the car makers draw back interest to EV. 0 carbon emissions, clean energy and low noise pollutions were the advantages of EV over internal combustion technology, and almost unbeatable.

Types of electric vehicles

-Solar power EV

As the name implies, these vehicles were powered by solar energy. For e.g. the winner of 1993 world solar Challenge- Honda dream, The concept of generating electricity on board by placing solar cells on top of the vehicles, even the dream has managed to reach an average speed 85km/h, but the cost of large surface solar cells is extremely high and these vehicles can only work efficiently in some places under sufficient sunlight, the electricity stored cannot support the car to travel in long distance. The solar power on board generating is a concept of continuously using renewable sunlight, but the weather limitation is obvious, maybe in the future when the cost falls and efficiency increases, these solar powered EVs will show up more in human daily life.

-Electric battery vehicles

This is the most traditional form of EV, the vehicle with one or more battery installed to storage electricity, consists an electric motor, and controller. The battery can be recharged any places where have mains electricity plugs. This form of EV can be very simple, such as battery electric bikes, motorbikes, trollies and wheelchair, and this simple form of EV is most common widely used, especially In China, 2009 electric bicycles are leaving cars in the dust. Last year, Chinese bought 21 million e-bikes, compared with 9.4 million autos. While China now has about 25 million cars on the road, it has four times as many e-bikes. (Times, 2009)

-EV Use Flywheels

A flywheel is a spinning cylinder which generates power from kinetic energy, and continues to spin when grid power is interrupted (data center knowledge, 2007). Flywheel can be used to maintain energy, with the growing environmental friendly concern; deposit batteries can cause long term environmental problems so that the concept of using flywheel motors gains the interest and an alternative to battery. Flywheel technology isn't like solar power, it isn't that much sensitive to weather and temperature conditions, but however the amount kinetic energy stored by the spin can be very small.

-Fuel cells Vehicles

Fuel cell is another substitute of the traditional rechargeable battery. Fuel cell runs on hydrogen which is stored in liquid form. Although invented in about 1840, fuel cells are an unfamiliar technology for most people (Larminie, James, Lowry, John, 2003, P15). Hydrogen gas is probably