Difference Between Electric & Gas Car Engines
The competition between gas engines and electric motors has been raging on since the mid- to late 1800s. Recent concerns over global warming have given people a new reason to explore alternative forms of transportation, including vehicles powered by electric motors. Neither technology is particularly novel, yet both have a place in the future of transportation.
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Identification: Electric motors
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Electric cars are powered by electric motors instead of internal combustion gas engines. Electric motors are connected to an array of rechargeable batteries through a system of wiring that replaces a gas engine's hoses, fuel lines and exhaust pipes. A report found on EV Convert, a website for electric car enthusiasts, finds that most electric motors have a continuous horsepower range between 3.5 and 28, with peak horsepower often reaching 10 times that amount.
History of Electric Motors
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EV Convert notes that the first electric vehicles were made from modified aircraft starter-generators. In the mid-1800s, European inventors like Robert Anderson were developing the world's first electric carriages. By the year 1900, the electric car had even gained popularity and appeal to the American consumer market. In fact, a PBS Web resource reports that by 1900, electric cars represented a third of all vehicles in U.S. major cities.
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Electric and Nanotechnology
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Bionomic Fuels, an energy investors' website, suggests that the future of electric cars will be spearheaded by nanotechnology. A new scientific approach places tiny, nano-particles on the surface of battery electrodes to increase current flow and maximize efficiency. Some key advantages to this new technology are that electric car batteries can be expected to double their life expectancy and will take less time to recharge before returning to the road.
Identification: Gas Engines
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Gas engines run on fossil fuels like gasoline, coal and even natural gas. The fuel source is ignited inside the engine block, sparking an explosive reaction of chemical and mechanical energy. According to Animated Engines, a mechanical engineers' resource, most gas-powered vehicles are run by four-stroke engines. The four strokes, or cycles, are intake, compression, power and exhaust. Although modern engines have multiple crankshafts and complex fuel-injection systems, the basic four-stroke operation remains the same.
History of Gas Engines
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There were several noteworthy experiments on early gas engines during the 1800s. Although the Gas Engine website credits British engineers William and Francis Crossley as the most well-known gas engine designers, a lesser known Belgian by the name of Etienne Lenoir actually created the first commercial gas engine in 1860. A collaboration between Lenoir and the U.S. Reading Iron Works Co. built the first 100 models, some of which are still in use today.
Electric vs. Gas Engines Comparison
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As electric motor cars gain in popularity, gas stations may eventually get replaced by electrical charging stations. In a direct comparison between electric and gas engines, the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association gives a decisive advantage to electric motors. Gas engines convert only 25 percent of their chemical energy into usable power, while electric motors have power outputs in the range of 50 percent to 95 percent. Furthermore, electric motors have lower initial costs and do not rely on the combustion of fossil fuels.
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- Photo Credit Vintage Car Engine image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
