EV's

The next time your stuck in "stop & go" traffic and that big bus or semi-truck is spewing thick blackdiesel exhaust, imagine how much more pleasant it would be if they were emission-free, electric-powered vehicles.

Electric vehicles (EV) run on electrical energy instead of gasoline or diesel fuel used in internal combustion fired engines (ICE). In the United States they become more popular due to recent laws in some states mandating a certain percent of cars sold by high volume automakers must be electric powered. Some of the other reasons for their popularity are:

• EVs help reduce pollution
• EV motors are very efficient (90%)
• EVs cost less to operate than gasoline (fossil fuel) engine which converts less than 20% of gasoline energy to turn the drive shaft
• EVs help reduce our nations dependency on gasoline
• EVs do not need as many components as ICEs such as: no radiator/antifreeze, no motor oil, belts, filters, pumps, exhaust system, etc.

How do EVs Work

Similar to ICE's where the fuel tank stores chemical energy (gasoline) the EVs store chemical energy in a determined set of batteries. When the driver's foot presses on the accelerator, the controller connects the batteries to the motor, and instantly the batteries begin to convert the chemical energy to electrical energy. The electrical energy flowing through the motor creates electromagnets. Pushing and pulling on one another, the magnets make the motor shaft turn. The mechanical energy goes through the transmission or direct drive to the wheels.

Benefits of EVs

There are numerous reasons and benefits of using electric vehicles. One of the main reasons is they are more beneficial to the environment.

• Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions; in fact gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles produce 50% of the pollution in US cities; which includes CFCs, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide all increasing the risk of global warming.
• Noise pollution is drastically reduced. Combustion fired engines are extremely loud compared to electric vehicles.
• Efficiency of an EV is about four times more than gasoline automobiles. Even when factoring in the energy used in creating electricity at a power plant the EV is still twice as efficient as a gasoline vehicle.
• The braking function on some EVs actually makes the motor become a generator supplying amperage, charging the batteries. The brake pads last longer because the motor is actually braking the vehicle (MBS).

Bangor Hydro is a strong advocate of electric vehicle technology. We believe that efficient use of all forms of energy should be encouraged. In fact we once had a fleet of three electric trucks in the early 1990's that were put into service for company business. We continue to help sponsor some of the area schools with their electric vehicle programs.

Also check out some Links to other EV Sites on the web here.