A few problems with mass producing an electric vehicle have been motor and battery technology. Until recently, an electric motor with enough horsepower to power a general purpose automobile has been too large and heavy. Likewise, batteries have been too large and too slow to charge to make electric vehicles feasible. That has all changed, although there are still impediments to development.
We’ll cover battery and electric motor technology as this site evolves.
Filed under: Batteries, Motors | Tagged: electric car, hybrid vehicles, technology
With your statement “Until recently, an electric motor with enough horsepower to power a general purpose automobile has been too large and heavy,” are you referring to the Chorus Motor and the Chorus Meshcon motor/drive?
Delta Airlines is going to be putting this new type of AC electric motor on the nosewheel of their planes so that they can turn their engines off and drive themselves (without tugs) on the tarmac. Delivery is slated for December 2009 for this aerospace application of this powerful new electric motor.
About a month ago the same company that makes this new multi-phase AC electric motor created a new website to address the use of this new powerful motor, with up to 10 times the ‘startup’ or ‘burst’ torque of conventional 3 phase AC electric motors.
After looking at all the hybrid configurations, they concluded that the “Series Hybrid” was the design where not only would their motor be put to best use, but that it would also compete in both PRICE and PERFORMANCE with conventional vehicles.
They conclude that their motor solves problems encountered with either permanent magnet motors or standard 3 phase AC electric motors, which would also reduce engineering complexity AND weight, and bring costs down to a competitive level.
The Series Hybrid design does not require large batteries as it is being constantly supplied by a ‘one speed’ (continuous speed) internal combustion engine (ICE). So unlike the Prius which uses the drive chain and ICE for overload conditions, a Series Hybrid with this new motor needs only to use its excess overload capacity.
I can provide you with more information, or you can go to the ChorusCars website (or to Chorusmotors to get more information on their motor)
Aaron Bianco