Instruction manual for a future electric vehicle

Electric Car Manual

Instruction Manual for an Electric Car

Electric Car Charging (Silicon Prairies Social, 2012)

For this project, I intend to write an instruction manual for an electric car. This seems like an interesting topic because environmental issues are becoming more noticeable all the time and it seems that our society will have to accelerate its response to these issues. It is likely that part of the response will include the mass production of electric vehicles at some point in the future. Although this technology is similar to the motor vehicles that are on the road today, there are many differences that drivers will have to get used to. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting to document how the electric car will work and how it will differ from existing vehicles that run on fossil fuels.

The most obvious difference is that the vehicles are powered by different fuel sources and require a totally different infrastructure to provide power for the vehicles. For example, gasoline and diesel vehicles are dependent on a supply chain that relies on fossil fuels predominantly supplied by oil reserves in the Middle East. The oil is pumped out of the ground, shipped on massive cargo tanks to an oil refinery, trucked to the distribution network of gas stations, and then pumped into individual vehicles. This infrastructure is already in place and is so common that just about everyone takes it for granted.

However, there will need to be somewhat of a culture shift as society moves to electric cars since many features of the infrastructure and the cars themselves will be substantially different. For example, instead of being able to pump fuel into your car in a matter of minutes, many electric vehicles today require charging which can take hours. Therefore, you might have to charge your car at work all day to be able to drive it back home. Furthermore, if your battery goes dead on a commute somewhere then this could be problematic to say the least. However there have been some designs presented for swappable batteries that would allow drivers to exchange their dead batteries for fresh ones at a gas station-like battery charging convenience center. Such a facility would make the experience similar to the current transportation system however developing an infrastructure like this would require significant time and resources to develop. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting to create an instruction manual of what you might find when purchasing an electric car five or ten years down the road and try to imagine how it would differ from transportation today.

Introduction

This manuscript is intended to give a general overview of some of the features that an owner of a traditionally powered gasoline vehicle might need to know about before considering purchasing an electric vehicle. Although many of the features are similar to what one might find on a gasoline vehicle, there are also many distinct differences. For example, some people are actually uncomfortable with the quietness of an electric vehicle because they are so used to louder engines that the new technology feels alien at first. Although time can help for people to adjust to the new electric vehicles, this guide will work to prepare people for their first experiences with an electric car.

Figure 3 - Nissan Leaf - Currently the Best Selling Electric Vehicle

Comparison Analysis

The main differences in the physical composition are rather extensive. For example, an electric vehicle has relatively few moving parts. In many electric vehicles the total number of moving parts can be less than ten; in some simple designs the total number can be less than three. However, gasoline engines by comparison have hundreds of moving parts included in their designs. This is one major difference that needs to be pointed out first because it has vast implication in the cost of ownership for these different types of vehicles. Although gasoline powered vehicles may be less expensive initially, they can become far more expensive to maintain given there complexity. However, an electric vehicle requires far less maintenance which works to reduce the cost of ownership associated with owning the car.

Figure 4 - Electric Vehicle Components Exploded Diagram Example (The Auto Channel, 2008)

First Impressions

Most electric vehicles in production today are composed of a smaller form such as being built on a sub-compact or compact frame. Although some electric vehicles are built on a mid-sized frame, the limitations from the power source limit the size and weight of electric vehicles. Other noticeable features might include the lack of a gas door. Instead of using a gas station for refills, there are compartments to hook up the car to an electricity source. The Nissan Leaf has this compartment on the very front of the vehicle and other models also position them in different areas of the vehicle. Most of them seem to be positioned in other areas other than where you might find a typical gas refilling station.

The interiors of these vehicles also resemble modern gasoline vehicles fairly closely. Instead of keys there is generally a button to press to start the engine. However, the same technology is also present on many of the newer gasoline powered cars as well. The most notable impression that one will probably gain from turning on an electric vehicle one is the total lack of sound. Electric vehicles are much quieter than a gasoline engine and this can be shocking at first to many first time users. The gauges are fairly similar to gasoline vehicles as well except for there are usually advanced controls that monitor the vehicles range. The Nissan Leaf will even locate with GPS the closest electric refilling stations.

Figure 5 - Electric Charging Station (Singh, 2010)

Driving the electric vehicle has two primary differences when compared to traditional vehicles as well. Again the lack of engine noise is noticeable. Many people are somewhat disoriented when they do not hear the car accelerate as they would in gasoline powered vehicle. Another difference is that the source of power is more immediate in an electric vehicle because this power supply does not dependent on the engine reeving up for it to supply its power. In fact, some of the electric sports cars are among the fastest cars in the world in regards to initial acceleration. In an electric vehicle the battery gives the car its power instantaneously and without any delay. Although companies regulate this power so that it simulates a gas powered car, many drivers will notice a different feel in acceleration since the power supply is constant.

Another substantial difference in owning an electrical vehicle will be refueling the car. In a gasoline powered car it takes minutes to refuel the vehicle and there is an infrastructure currently already in existence to support drivers. People often take the availability of this power source for granted. An electric vehicle on the other hand requires four to twenty hours to reach a full charge, depending on the power supply available. For most people on daily commutes, this will not provide any inconvenience. However, for longer trips, the electric vehicle will be more complicated and require substantial planning or may not be possible at all. Once an infrastructure is built to support the electric vehicle, there will be more options for long distance travel. However, such a trip will still undoubtedly require substantially longer timeframes for refueling compared to traditional technology.

Figure 6 - Electric Refueling Station in a Private Garage (Krisher, 2011)