Electric Cars- Alternative Fuel Cars
Electric cars are alternative fuel cars, that utilize electrical energy to drive the wheels, unlike conventional cars that rely on an internal combustion engine or combustion of fuels. Electric cars use electric motors and motor controllers for that purpose. In modern world, electric cars are gaining in popularity over conventional cars because of their simple mechanism and hard core performance.
There are also vehicles that utilize both electric motors and other types of engine, which are known as hybrid electric vehicles. These cars operate in a charge-sustaining mode, thus they are not considered pure electric vehicles. Pure electric cars work on the principle of electric current generated from batteries. The current produced is then transferred to the electric motor, which is converted into kinetic energy of the wheels.
The three main components of an electric car are:
- An electric motor under the hood.
- Controller to transfer electricity to the electric motor.
- Rechargeable batteries that produce electric energy and then pass it to the controller. Batteries used in the electric motor usually come in the following forms:
- Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd)
- Lead-acid (both Valve Regulated Lead Acid or otherwise)
- Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
- Lithium Ion (LiON)
- Lithion-ion polymer
In recent time and in the wake of environmental concerns, electric cars are taking over the car industry. Today, in many parts of the world, consumers prefer these green and eco-friendly cars over gasoline cars. However, car buyers took enough time to get convinced with electric cars. Because of their limited driving range, people were reluctant about these cars. But, now the picture has changed and with improved battery technology it is not too far when electric cars will rule the automotive market worldwide. In response to immense popularity of electric cars, car manufacturers are constantly researching and experimenting with various innovations to produce the best of electric cars. The key advantages of electric cars over gasoline cars include:
- Electric cars are cheaper to operate.
- They do not require any kind of combustion to generate energy.
- They reduce levels of emissions.
- They reduce dependency on oil.
- They can be easily charged using household power units.
