The automobile has been amongst us for over a century. And automobility has been obtainable for the middle class since the end of World War I, especially in the US, thanks to Henry Ford’s Model T.
In the beginning three modes of powering prime movers were in competition. The first was the external combustion – steam engine. Successfully ‘miniaturized’ in the late eighteenth century, steam engine road going vehicles could be seen on British post roads – but the technology (and safety) hadn’t caught up, nor were the roads up to carrying the enormous weight of the steam carriages. Hence the evolution of the iron railed road. Steam cars reappeared in the early twentieth century, but they were extremely inefficient compared to electric motors or internal combustion engines, not to mention the maintenance requirements and the amount of fiddly bits to monitor while underway.
I had an opportunity to ride in the front seat of a Stanley steamer twenty years ago and it was a revelation. It took no short amount of time to get the boiler to produce steam (a watched pot never boils) and that had to occur before we could move. Once underway – while we whizzed along a dirt road at what I thought was an alarming speed, near 60 MPH – the driver was constantly adjusting a myriad of controls to ensure relatively smooth operation. It was a pretty demanding workload on a driver. The Doble steam car – made from 1909 until 1931 – attempted to alleviate some of those disadvantages with a fast firing boiler and only four controls, three pedals, and a steering wheel. And it was probably the pinnacle of steam car evolution. Regardless, steam power for automobiles proved to be a dead end. The last semi-serious attempt to develop a steam car was half a century ago, Bill Lear’s (of Learjet and 8-track fame) Vapodyne.
Another contender was the lead acid battery powered electric car – with an ultra efficient electric motor supplied with power by batteries, the electric car was poised to take over urban transportation from horse drawn hacks around the turn of the twentieth century. But bad business decisions and the limited energy density by weight of lead acid batteries spelled the death knell of electric power in the formative years of the automobile. Although for simplicity of operation the electric car was king. Not to mention, with the advent of brushless motors, maintenance is a virtual breeze.
It was the gasoline – and later diesel – fueled internal combustion engine that, thanks to operating range, rate of refueling, and performance, prevailed. And it is the range and rate of refueling issues that has kept the promise of the electric car from being fulfilled. Given a gasoline engine’s less than stellar efficiency, at best around 35%, and maintenance issues, the saving grace is the energy density of the fuel used to power the motor.
The rub with electric vehicles is the rate of recharging and range – the electric motors themselves are absolutely great. Electric motors for cars are usually over 95% efficient, compact, and – because of the wide fat and flat torque curve – require just a single speed transmission gear (with provisions for reverse, of course). What has let the electric motor down is its fuel source; the battery.
A battery is a storage device. It is comprised of a negative terminal, anode, and a positive terminal, cathode, and an electrolyte (in the form of a liquid, a slurry, or paste) to facilitate the movement of electrons in the battery. Put a load, via an electrical circuit, on a battery and the flow of electrons start from the anode to the cathode through the circuit. It is that flow of electrons that is the ‘fuel’ for electric motors.
The load presented by the electric motor is resistance, the arrangement of cells in the battery (whether in series or parallel) determines the voltage and amperage available. The electric motor uses electromagnetic principals to perform work – and as previously mentioned is extremely efficient.
Lead acid and nickel metal hydride batteries have been superseded for use in electric vehicles by lithium ion batteries. While both the lead acid and Ni-MH batteries have their uses, the better energy density of Li-ion batteries has lead to their widespread adaptation for electric vehicle power storage.
Then there are the metal-air batteries, in actuality fuel cells, that are beginning to appear feasible. Lithium-air and aluminum air are being touted as the next big thing – offering substantial increases in electric vehicle range. However, in the case of the aluminum air battery, there are a number of technical issues that need to be resolved as well as the device has to be swapped out rather than merely recharged. It has to do with how the metal is used. In essence at the end of its ‘charge’ you’re left with oxides of the metal that no longer hold a charge. When you need to refuel you end up swapping out a battery pack.
On a good note though, they will provide outstanding range – up to eight times what we are currently seeing, and good weight savings (further enhancing range). At the moment these are currently in development stages. And they may be in competition with the hydrogen fuel-cell – though they could benefit from a breakthrough in the membranes used to isolate electrons.
Breakthroughs have been promised for batteries and are announced regularly, but as is too often the case, they prove to be a chimera – an illusion. And until batteries or fuel-cells can deliver about four to five times the current energy density of Li-ion batteries, gasoline and diesel will remain undefeated.
The question of what is driving electric car sales however appears to be government intervention in markets, through use of tax incentives and subsidies. If you have been to Norway recently you’ll be amazed at the number of Teslas on the road. Norway uses tax dollars and tariff relief to subsidize electric vehicle purchases – and it shows. Without governmental intervention and incentives, given the range and rate of refueling issues, electric vehicles would be about where they were a century ago, a promise yet fulfilled.
Instant torque, lack of vibration and noise sell EV for me. Will likely pick up a Porsche Taycan S or Audi etron GT
One million die/year from air pollution. Healthcare costs going up that taxpayers pay. EV’s will help keep our air cleaner.
But not how tesla is doing it tho…the way BMW goes about making the i3 is a much cleaner method
New Mexican plant is green & this the sustainability awards. Are tents green?
They are dieing in China & India, wtf is “Healthcare”? Like fresh water in much of the world, or a living wage. In America.
I truly feel that you and I can rule this world. I am proud to be associated with such a task.
Take it up with ur team of mental health care professionals.
Where is the power coming from that recharges your EV? You don’t even know do you?
That’s a good question. US folks… ~64% fossil fuels, 19% nuclear, and 17% renewables. Ouch. Here in Canada, it’s 60% hydroelectric, 15% nuclear, 19% gas/oil/coal, and 7% non-hydro renewables (as of 2017). I would have thought the US folks would have more nuclear hmm.
Sources: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-data/data-analysis/energy-data-analysis/energy-facts/electricity-facts/20068 & https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3
Having owned an EV, I notice petrochemical odors. Even driving near a gas station, I can tell. My garage smells so clean and no heat given off by my EV after parking in the garage. No petrochemical odors around the car.
Guess u live in a virgin spring where you don’t smell plastic or air pollution.
hahaha =D yeah he clearly doesnt live in south africa…these power stations and mines are everywhere and polluting our air
That’s fantastic for you. You must be able to really get the full aromatic essence when you smell your own farts.
EV any day over combustion, combustion is the past. Future cars will have computer systems that require large amounts of electricity and gasoline does nothing for that. Gasoline has to go. I also look forward to instantaneous charging of EV’s in the future, which gasoline even after 100 years has not achieved – we stand there filling the tank waiting for the liquid to go in. Where we are with EV’s is just the start.
You cant compare the time yyou have to wait to fully charge vs refuelling …the time is still worlds apart and then the combustion engine gives you 3 times or more range
It won’t be like that in the future. Your example is of today. Range and recharge are two examples where EV’s will significantly better gasoline based engines eventually and then be a multiple times better.
exactly but for now it is not doing so…till the day it does combustion engines will still be around and thriving
The future will be exciting and I look forward to change
No look I think EV will be great but at this very moment it just isnt that great and I totally understand that there is a massive amount of potential but yet to be unlocked
And I dont want to have a breakdown whilst driving an electric car…you wont be able to work on that thing by yourself …combustion engines are quite easy to work on excluding certain ones due to sheer size of the engine making it hard to squeeze your hands through
We have blackouts here in Canada regularly, BEV will not be untouched by that.
EV is the past, huge chunk of the market. A century ago. Record 80+ ICE sold in 2017, those new vehicles are around @ least a decade. By then market will move to autonomous BEV rideshare. So while private ownership decreases, electric will face the challenge of replacing the world’s commercial, rail & public transit. While much of the globe remains 20th century petrol because no grid infrastructure.
uhmmm combustion engines charges its battery BEV doesnt …so just stick a bigger battery in there and it should run those electric systems without it killing your range that much
And combustion is not the past …still outselling Electric cars by a hugeeee margin so it is still the present and a good few years of the future
Did you read the bit about computer systems? Current vehicles don’t have the requirement on electricity that future cars will to power many computer systems – the draw on electricity will not be able to be provided by gasoline based engines, gasoline is hardly enough to power the wheels at the moment and get a bit of range. There is only so much energy that can be created by 1 task of gasoline.
Barely enough to power the wheels ? are you kidding me right now? its shredding tires left and right and has been doing so for long
You didn’t understand the meaning on what I said. Shredding your tires does not prove you will have excess energy to run all the systems are car in the future will require. Particularly with the energy demands of higher level autonomous driving (and systems beyond that).
Most long distance & certainly 3rd world commercial & public transit is dependent on oil, petrol & Diesel & will be for the foreseeable future as their are inadequate to no grids to provide service.
Challenges that will be solved, vehicle companies like money. There is always those on old technology and those that have the new. However, there is a sliding window and most eventually swap to the new
No you meant you typed wrong because you clearly said “hardly enough to power the wheels”
I also said “and get a bit of range” which I was referring to the total energy output from a tank of gas. The point is gasoline is ok now, but it won’t be enough for future vehicles in terms of energy demands
BMW Fanboys:BMW is going away from its roots…i8 should have inline six blah blah blah
Also BMW Fanboys:Why BMW is not taking electric cars seriously
Also BMW Fanboys:How in the hell is BMW moving away from manuals
Damn I feel sorry for BMW
Not 4 Fanboys?
Period of transition will prove difficult for any BMW CEO. On one end you’ll have naysayers on the other you’ll have those questioning why it hasn’t happened yet.
And sometimes its literally the same guys just hating on anything BMW does
Nice article. One nitpick:
The energy density of hydrogen obviously cannot improve.
True – but the ability to improve the membranes used for the generation of electricity is there with hydrogen fuel cells.