Electric Cars

Electric vehicles are powered solely by a battery-powered electric motor. The battery for the electric cars can be recharged by using a standard electrical outlet or charging station. Just like you charge your cell phone at the end of a day of heavy use, you can pull into your garage and plug in your electric car to charge overnight as well.

Alternating Current (AC) Motors

The AC motor is the most commonly used motor for electric vehicles and hybrids. AC motors perform better on hills that require continuous power, but start a bit slow. Despite the slower start, the electric car fueled by an AC motor can run at high RMPs without the engine overheating. The AC electric vehicles do not require a transmission and the AC motors can be used to move a heavy vehicle.

In general, AC motors run smoothly and can be controlled with precision. The AC motor does have some disadvantages, however. The AC motor is more expensive than a direct current (DC) motor and can be more complicated to control as well. The AC motor's current is converted to direct current (DC) in the engine and must have a converter which can take up quite a bit of room in the engine compartment.

Direct Current (DC) Motors

Especially popular with those interested in converting their own vehicles to electric motors, DC motors are more affordable and are easier to control. The DC motor gets a car moving more quickly with higher initial torque and greater peak power, but the motor can overheat. The DC motors are also heavy and can be large based on the power output.

Batteries and Electric Cars

Electric cars would be much more prolific on the roads already but for the number of batteries required. The batteries must be arranged in the vehicle and housed in a battery pack. The batteries can easily weigh over 1,000 kg and take up considerable amounts of space. Then, once installed, they must be recharged.

You can certainly plug your car in at night, but those batteries will take a while to recharge completely leaving you without a vehicle for some time. The complications caused by recharging electric vehicles is one of the main reasons fuel cells, which can be instantly recharged, are gaining so much favorable attention.