Futurologists from the technique, predicting the future of ground mass transport, a clear preference is given to the development of electric vehicles. However, until now, despite the efforts of scientists of several countries have not yet created a cheap, economical and quite powerful electrochemical generators. Modern lead acid batteries after more than a century of development almost completely exhausted its possibilities.
Perspective is the Nickel-zinc battery charge lasts up to 160 nm. And this is the average distance, which today is run day 75% of a normal car. Road tests of cars with such batteries is expected to begin this year, and in 1981 it is expected to release the first of a pilot series in 10 thousand cars. Essentially new are now being developed batteries based on lithium. As the positive electrode, they use a plate of iron sulfide: negative electrode of an alloy of lithium with aluminum, and the electrolyte is a molten mixture of potassium chloride and lithium chloride. Lithium battery has a capacity of two and a half times greater than lead. It is expected that in mass production of electric cars with this type of batteries will be competitive with cars with internal combustion engines. Of the 600 thousand electric cars, which, according to forecasts of the concern “General motors” will reach the U.S. market in 2000, half will be equipped with batteries operating at high temperature, such as lithium. The remaining 300 thousand focus on Nickel and zinc.
Last year in Philadelphia, a parade of electric vehicles, which has been shown about 60 cars with electric drive, including 6 trucks, 10 vans for local transportation with frequent stops and the rest of the automobile. Instead of the usual names of companies like “General motors”, “Ford” and “Chrysler” at the exhibition flashed a new title: “General electric”, “globe Union”, “electric Auto”.
There is no need to dwell on all machines. Among the most interesting stood out the automobile manufactured by company “General electric”. It was developed specifically as an electric car, despite its impressive weight in two Toney, it differs sufficiently compact. The actuator 18 is provided szesciolitrowym batteries. The firm plans to produce 100 thousand electric cars a year.
Two machines of the production of “globe Union” was a reworked versions of the cars with piston engines. Equipped with 20 batteries, they develop a speed of about 90 km/h is Small and fairly cheap electric car company “Cooper electric” also show a good speed of about 95 km/h. One of the cars of the company “Comuter the Soul of ven” (“sun Van”) is for recharging batteries solar panels installed on its roof.
In conclusion, we recall the statement of academician B. S. Stechkin: “apparently today is the most appropriate to use a combination scheme to combine the internal combustion engine of low power, which will charge the battery, traction motor”. By the way, these electric vehicles were also presented at the parade.
I. ZINOVIEV, engineer
