Electric Cars Vs. Hydrogen Cars
While the technology for electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles has existed in rudimentary forms since the 1900s, automobile producers and consumers are finally catching on to usefulness of these inventions. With concerns over greenhouse gases and oil shortages growing, electric- and hydrogen-powered cars could present alternatives to the gas-powered automobile.
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History of Electric Car
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The electric car has quite a rich history in the United States, dating all the way back to 1891. In 1891 the first working electric car was completed by William Morrison of Iowa. By 1893, a group of electric cars were placed on exhibit in Chicago. Just four years later, the first electric taxis appear on the streets of New York City. In 2000, Toyota produced its first electric vehicle. Toyota's RAV4 electric vehicle could travel up to 128 miles and reach speeds of 78 miles per hour. The expenses associated with the RAV4 prohibited its widespread usage.
How Electric Cars Work
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When you look under the hood of an electric car you will not find a traditional engine, instead you will find an electric motor. This electric motor derives its power from a controller and a set of batteries than can be recharged. When the gas pedal or accelerator is pushed inside the car, a signal is sent to pair of potentiometers that tell the controller how much energy is needed at any given time. The controller can pulse at up to 15,000 pulses a minute to keep the power to the car constant and fluid. Depending on the size of the motor and battery array, you will need to charge your car for between 10 to 12 hours. Most electric cars still have a limited range, usually less than 75 miles.
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Electric Car Environmental Impact
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Electric vehicles are extremely energy efficient. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that while the traditional combustion engine only converts 20 percent of the energy stored in gasoline, electric motors can convert up to 75 percent of their stored energy. Electric motors also produce no tailpipe emissions like a standard combustion engine. However, because electric cars get their energy from a wide range of power plants, the electricity they use may have produced harmful byproducts. Electricity generated from coal does produce greenhouse gases, but electricity produced from renewable energy sources does not directly produce harmful byproducts. Electric cars are an added benefit because they run on domestically produced energy.
Hydrogen Car History
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The technology that is used in hydrogen cars dates back to the 1800s. In 1839 Christian Schoenbein, a Swiss chemist, discovered the fuel potential of hydrogen when combined with oxygen. More than 80 years later, German scientist Rudolf Erren converted the traditional combustion engine to run on hydrogen instead. In 1937, the famous blimp, the Hindenburg, made several trans-Atlantic trips powered by hydrogen. In 1999 Europe opened its first hydrogen-fueling stations; however, the U.S. has been slow to follow suit. As of 2010, the hydrogen car market in the U.S. has remained relatively slow despite massive funding allocations for research from both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.
How Hydrogen Cars Work
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Hydrogen motors work in two primary ways: a fuel cell or a rotary engine. The first method to power a car with hydrogen, the fuel cell, is the most popular. Hydrogen fuel is stored in a tank located at the back of the car. Hydrogen is pumped from the tank to the fuel cell stack where it is mixed with oxygen to create energy. Several hundred fuel cells are stacked in the tank to generate enough energy to power the vehicle. The fuel cell then provides power to both the motor and occasionally the battery. The motor is the primary source of power for the car, however, the battery provides power for acceleration purposes. Hydrogen is also used in conjunction with a rotary engine to power vehicles. With the rotary engine, hydrogen fuel is directly injected into the engine that is electronically controlled. The rotary engine uses hydrogen combustion to create the energy needed to power a car.
Hydrogen Car Environmental Impact
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Unlike the traditional combustion engine that release toxin emissions such as carbon dioxide, a hydrogen-powered car produces only heat and water. When a hydrogen vehicle is in use, no tailpipe emissions occur. Small amounts of heat and water are produced and deposited from the bottom of the car. However, the production of hydrogen can be harmful to the environment. To produce hydrogen fuel, hydrogen must undergo electrolysis or be extracted from natural gas. Electrolysis requires electricity that is usually produced from carbon emitting coal. Extracting hydrogen from natural gas also emits carbon into the environment.
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References
- Photo Credit futuristic electric car2 image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
