ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

David Brandt, P.E.

The Basics:
EV: electric vehicle
Are EVs practical? Golf courses and
airports have thought so for many years.
But what about on the road? Are there EVs
among us? Yes, and not just in California!
Is there actually technology available to
you and me to allow us to operate a
practical EV? Yes!
OEM EVs (you may have heard of
some of these):
GM EV1
OEM EVs:
Solectria Force
OEM EVs
Corbin Sparrow PTV
Hobbyists?
The hobbyist says If I cant buy one, Ill
build my own
Honda Civic
More Hobbyist EVs
My Escort
More hobbyist EVs
Ford Ranger
Components
What is out there that you need to have to
build an EV (besides batteries)?
Motor
Controller
Charger
DC/DC Converter
Heater
Instrumentation
Contactor(s)
Safety Equipment
Motors
OEMs: typically AC drive
Fail-safe design
Low initial torque, higher at speed
requires complicated electronics package
AC speed control (similar to industrial)
Inverter (convert DC to AC)
High voltage (240-350 VDC)
Bearings only mechanical maintenance item
Motors
Hobbyist: typically brushed DC series
wound
Motors are available and inexpensive
100% torque at 0 RPM
Controllers are dirt cheap compared to AC
No inverter stage required
Lower voltage system (72-156 VDC)
Bearings and brushes are potential
maintenance items (change brushes every
100,000 hours or so)
Motors
Advanced DC 9 diameter motor
Others include GE, Prestolite
Controllers
In General, Volts = Speed, Amps = Torque
Curtis
to 144 VDC, 500 Amps
Auburn Scientific
to 192 VDC, 1200 Amps
DCP
to 336 VDC, 600/1200 Amps
EVCL
GODZILLA to 336 VDC, 1200 Amps
Controllers
All use PWM technology.
Chargers
OEM: uses weird connectors like inductive
paddle or AVCON gas pump nozzle.
Hobbyist: How about something everyone
already has, like 120 VAC household outlets
and 240 VAC dryer outlets?
Simple (voltage regulated) to complicated
(computer controlled charging algorithms)
More advanced charging required for
advanced batteries (AGM)
DC/DC Converters
Uses PWM to step traction pack voltage
down to 12V to run car accessories.
Common in electronics use
Not widely available in the voltages
required
Heater
Ceramic - Self-regulating temperature of
about 180 F.
As temp. increases, resistance increases,
decreasing power and stabilizing temp.
Therefore, more air across the element =
more heat.
Typically 1500W. Can be stacked for more
heat.
Heater
The right type can be harvested from an
AC ceramic heater.
Instrumentation
Instrumentation can be as simple as an
expanded scale voltmeter, but can be
sophisticated, and include:
Traction Pack Voltmeter
Battery Current Ammeter
Motor Current Ammeter
Amp-hour/kWh meter (E-Meter)
Contactors
BIG relays for switching traction pack
Safety
Inertia switch to deactivate contactor(s)
same as is used to shut off fuel pumps in ICE
cars
AGM batteries - no spillage
Service disconnects - BIG circuit breakers
Fuses, of course
Traction pack is electrically isolated from
frame
8 G crash load rating recommended for
battery boxes
Performance
Acceleration and speed
About the same as ICE
Ranges from economy car to muscle car.
DC motors great for drag racing
Current NEDRA record 8.801 seconds in the 1/4
mile by Current Eliminator
Performance
tZero by AC Propulsion
Performance - tZero
AC Propulsion's tzero out-accelerated a
Ferrari F355, a new Corvette, and a Porsche
Carrera 4 in a series of impromptu 1/8 mile
drag races held on January 22, 2000 at
Moffett Field in Mountain View, California,
and at Calstart's northern facility at the
former Alameda Naval Air Station.
Performance - tZero
tZero mfg. By AC Propulsion versus Corvette
Performance
Range - typically 30-60 miles
somewhat dependent on if you have a lead foot
great for commuting, which is where people
use the most gas anyway.
Use an ice vehicle for long trips - the right tool
for the right job.
Over 100 miles attainable with purpose-
built EVs or using advanced batteries
Performance
John Waylands 120 mile range Red
Beastie
Performance
Red Beasties battery pack
Emissions
Common claim is EVs just move the
pollution
Point taken, but power plant emissions are
scrubbed to a point not possible on a
vehicle.
Emissions
Belfast electric bus project (4 year
duration of monitoring)
Fuel Consumed (kWh/mile)
Diesel Electric Savings
4.9 2.2 55%
Pollutants (gms/mile)
Diesel Electric Savings
CO2 1331 1058 21%
CO 7.64 0.18 98%
NOx+SO2 19.96 11.52 42%
Hydrocarbons 2.74 0.18 93%
Particulates 5.1 0.2 96%