Vehicle Car Center: Finding Electric Car Batteries

The battery is one of the most important elements to any electric car, as it is this which makes it run. Electric vehicles use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines, as other vehicles do. Many electric cars are actually capable of acceleration exceeding that of conventional vehicles, and they are also quieter and do not produce toxic fumes.

How Electric Car Batteries Work

The electric car batteries are really the heart and soul of all electric cars, and electric cars use both AC and DC motors. DC installations tend to be simpler and less expensive overall and so a typical motor will be in the 20,000 watt to 30,000 watt range, although this can vary quite a bit.

DC motors also have the nice feature that you are able to overdrive them for short periods of time, which is great for short bursts of acceleration when you need them. However there is a limitation with this, which involves heat build-up in the motor, and too much overdriving and the car motor will heat up to the point where it may self-destruct.

Although there are many advantages to the electric car batteries, there are many negative issues surrounding them as well, including: they are heavy, they are bulky, they have a limited capacity, they are slow to charge, they have a short life, and electric car batteries are usually quite expensive to buy.

There are other problems involving electric car batteries as well, and these problems really explain why there is so much excitement around fuel cells today. After all, when compared to batteries, fuel cells will be smaller, lighter, and instantly rechargeable, all which are obviously incredibly positive qualities.

In order to keep the battery charged in an electric car, you need a DC-DC converter, and it is this converter which takes in the DC power from the main battery array, and then converts it down to 12 V in order to recharge the accessory battery. Although this converter is generally a separate box under the hood, in some cases it will be built into the controller.

Overall

Electric cars are really great, and they are very beneficial for you, your family and the environment. However, before you rush out and trade in your present vehicle for one of these new hybrids, you want to make sure that you fully understand all of the advantages and disadvantages that come along with them.