Electric vehicle
hideAn electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, is a vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. Depending on the type of vehicle, motion may be provided by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors. Electric vehicles can include electric cars, electric trains, electric airplanes, electric boats, electric motorcycles and scooters, and electric spacecraft.
Electric vehicles first came into existence in the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion, providing a level of comfort and ease of operation that could not be achieved by the gasoline cars of the time. At one time the internal combustion engine (ICE) had completely replaced the electric drive as a propulsion method for automobiles, but electric power has remained commonplace in other vehicle types, such as trains and smaller vehicles of all types.
Electric vehicles are distinct from fossil fuel-powered vehicles in that they can receive their power from a number of sources, including fossil fuels themselves, nuclear power, and renewable sources such as tidal power, solar power, and wind power. This energy is then transmitted to the vehicle through use of overhead lines, wireless energy transfer, or a direct connection through an electrical cable. The electricity may then be stored onboard the vehicle using a battery, flywheel, supercapacitor, or fuel cell. Vehicles making use of engines working on the principle of combustion can usually only derive their energy from a single or a few sources, usually non-renewable fossil fuels.
At the beginning of the 21st century, increased concern over the environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation infrastructure, along with the spectre of peak oil, led to renewed interest in an electric transportation infrastructure. As such, vehicles which can potentially be powered by renewable energy sources, such as hybrid electric vehicles or pure electric vehicles, are becoming more popular.
For more information about Electric vehicle, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with electric vehicles
Car That Runs on Compressed Air Questioned by Critics (w/ Video)
Nov 03, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (21) |
38
(PhysOrg.com) -- As electric cars begin breaking into the short-distance vehicle market, one French company thinks that it has an alternative to the electric vehicle: a car that runs on compressed air. Motor ...
Toyota to release solar charger for electric vehicles
Oct 27, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (25) |
10
(PhysOrg.com) -- Toyota is developing a solar charging station for electric cars and plug-in hybrids, making a green technology even greener. It has also designed a battery charger for mounting inside an electric ...
Costs of plug-in cars key to broad consumer acceptance
Oct 21, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A University of Michigan survey released today shows widespread consumer interest in buying plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). But the cost of the cars is much more influential than environmental and other non-economic ...
Electric cars take on hybrids at Tokyo show
Oct 21, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
1
Futuristic concept cars, plug-in hybrids, zero-emission electric vehicles and even a hydrogen-powered scooter jostled for the limelight as the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off on Wednesday.
Japanese firm plans zero-emission ferry
Oct 15, 2009 |
2 / 5 (2) |
0
A Japanese shipmaker said Thursday it planned to launch the world's first large electric ferry -- the latest innovation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team unveils its new set of wheels
Oct 07, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Penn State engineering students recently took delivery of a 2009 Saturn Vue that will be used in an advanced vehicle technology engineering contest sponsored by the Department of Energy and General ...
Toyota unveils 'green' sports car
Oct 06, 2009 |
3.1 / 5 (7) |
0
Toyota unveiled Tuesday a new lightweight, sporty concept car inspired by an iconic coupe from the 1980s, saying its vision of the future was both mean and green.
Panasonic Develops High Energy Lithium-ion Battery Module with High Reliability
Oct 01, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
1
Panasonic Corp. has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module from 18650-type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells, which are widely used in laptop computers, to provide energy storage ...
France aims for two million electric cars by 2020: minister
Oct 01, 2009 |
1 / 5 (1) |
0
France plans to invest 1.5 billion euros (2.2 billion dollars) on infrastructure for the two million electric and hybrid cars it wants on its roads by 2020, the ecology minister said Thursday.
Clemson researchers study energy savings with electric cars and IntelliDrive technology
Sep 28, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Clemson University researchers have been awarded a $470,000 National Science Foundation grant to study making plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) more efficient to reduce fossil fuel use.
300 mph: New Land Speed Record for a Hydrogen Powered Vehicle
Sep 28, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (7) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the complaints that many have with regard to vehicles powered by alternative energy is the fact that they don't really have a lot of speed. However, this does not necessarily have to ...
New findings could help hybrid, electric cars keep their cool
Sep 22, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
0
Understanding precisely how fluid boils in tiny "microchannels" has led to formulas and models that will help engineers design systems to cool high-power electronics in electric and hybrid cars, aircraft, ...
Electric cars star at Frankfurt fair
Sep 16, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
The Frankfurt auto show hummed with talk of electric vehicles Wednesday but experts predict cars will roll on a variety of power sources for a while.
Light electric motor spins out
Sep 10, 2009 |
4 / 5 (7) |
4
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new Oxford University spin-out company, Oxford Yasa Motors, has been set up to commercialise lightweight electric motors developed at the Department of Engineering Science. The new technology ...
Solar Roadways Awarded DOT Contract to Pave Roads with Solar Cells
Sep 07, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (52) |
68
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a first step toward turning highways into energy-generating solar panels, the Sagle, Idaho-based startup Solar Roadways has recently received a $100,000 grant from the US Department of ...
