EVs today are just indirect coal powered vehicles with the smoke stack in someone else’s backyard.
Using an electric motor to provide traction power for road vehicles, in fact, for self-propelled vehicles of many types, including off-road and industrial/agricultural use, has a large number of advantages, in that the motor may be located close to the traction wheel, and every wheel on the vehicle may be a traction wheel. There are no complicated transmissions, or differentials, or vulnerable drivelines.
The answer was almost right with the introduction of the hybrid ICE/electric vehicles, and the concept was highly adaptable. Power was generated on-board with an ICE driving an attached generator, which in turn supplied power to each of the traction wheels.
To allow for differential speeds of each of the wheels while turning, a computer-guided power supply to each of the traction motors, slowing those wheels with the shorter turning radius while applying more power to those with a longer turning radius, should work reliably. Because electric motors have maximum torque at stall, unlike most ICE engines, complicated transmissions with multiple progressive gear ratios would be unneeded, and with the electric motor located close to the traction wheel, driveshafts and axle housings would be eliminated.
The concept is not new. Railway locomotives have used a similar Diesel-electric system for what is now nearly a century, and the steam locomotives, highly complex mechanisms on the best of days, were virtually eliminated by the early 1950’s as the greater efficiency and reliability of the Diesel-electric locomotive was proven over and over.
EVs which rely on batteries alone for power storage are a dead-end, suitable only for niche applications, and are no more applicable to wide adoption than the mini-car designs from the 1950 to 1960 era, and which were little more than glorified motorcycles.
A fad that shall soon face.
“EVs today are just indirect coal powered vehicles with the smoke stack in someone else’s backyard.”
Until is catches fire, then the toxic smoke is all over the neighborhood.
great and true comment!
I have a customer/friend in Idaho who has a Tesla model S Plaid. He took me for a ride in it about a year ago. It is a beautiful vehicle on the inside. Black and White glove leather. It is the fastest vehicle I have ever ridden in. From a dead start we were going 135 MPH within a ten seconds. He said it is faster than his former Porsche 911.
It costs $130K.
He had the electrician from the company he owns install a 30 amp breaker for a home charger.
He lives in Idaho Falls, ID. So, the electricity in HIS local area comes from hydro electric dams on the Snake River. Therefore, his electric rate/KWH is pretty cheap. I believe it is around $.09/KWH. So, he claims it is cheaper to power his Tesla than it is to put DIESEL in his Dodge pick up truck.
So, there are exceptions to coal fired electricity.
The real problem to EVs is the infrastructure improvements required for them to become even 10-25% of the vehicles in the USA/WORLD. There is not enough COPPER, NICKEL, COBALT, LITHIUM mined in the world to expand the grid, generate the electricity and build enough batteries.
So, until we build another 100 nuclear power plants mainstreaming EVs is a pipe dream on the cover of Popular Science.
and they have to mine the lithium for the batteries which upsets the environment sissies.
Less coal and more natural gas. A disaster is at hand for electricity. Expect rates to double.