Morhunov 

O.S.
THE ADVANTAGES OF AN ELECTRIC CAR OVER
AN ENGINE VEHICLE
Language Advisor-Asst.Prof.Skrypnyk N.S

An electric car is a vehicle driven by one or more electric motors. Externally

electric cars look like gasoline cars. The only distinctive feature of an electric car is
the almost total absence of sound when the engine is running. Although petrol and
electric cars look very similar, they work differently.
Under the hood of an electric car instead of a gasoline engine there is an elec-
tric motor which is powered by batteries. The batteries act as a "fuel tank" and pro-
vide the electric motor with the energy it needs to move the vehicle. The electric
car is also equipped with a controller - a control unit for the operation of the electric
motor, which regulates the currents in the network between the batteries and the
motor. All other components in an electric car are virtually the same as in a gaso-
line car: gearbox, brakes, airbags, etc. In order to understand how an electric car
works, let's look at the mechanism of converting a typical gasoline car to an electric
car. In order to convert this vehicle to an electric one, its internal design was par-
tially changed. First of all, the gasoline engine, muffler, clutch, gas tank, and ex-
haust pipes were removed. The manual transmission was left in place for use in
second gear. Next, they installed a controller and an AC electric motor instead of a
gasoline engine. Lead-acid batteries were placed on the floor of the vehicle. The
braking system was replaced, and the electric car was additionally equipped with a
water pump, power steering, and air conditioning system. A vacuum pump was
added to strengthen the brakes.
The gearbox was connected in such a way that when the lever was moved,
signals were transmitted to the controller. Also, the electric car was equipped with a
battery charger, a voltmeter, and two potentiometers connected to the accelerator
pedal and the controller. In spite of the fact that the system of operation of the car
was altered, the mechanism of its control remained practically unchanged.
Electric cars are quite profitable to operate. Obviously, the "fuel" for electric
vehicles is much cheaper for consumers than refueling them with gasoline. Despite
the fact that the mileage of electric cars on a single battery charge is limited, it is al-
most not noticeable during the operation of an electric vehicle, as 50-60 km range
for most people is enough to make all their daily trips. The only disadvantage of
electric cars is a fairly significant cost of batteries. The batteries are currently the
weakest link of the electric car.
The main electric components are:
- an electric motor,
- a controller,
- batteries.
The controller receives currents from the batteries and feeds them to the elec-
tric motor. A pair of potentiometers (variable resistors) mounted on the accelerator
pedal provide a signal to the controller as to how much power it should deliver.
When the car is stopped, the controller does not supply current to the motor, while
driving, when the accelerator pedal is pressed (throttle), the controller provides
electric current to the electric motor.
The controller reads pulses from the throttle pedal potentiometers and regu-
lates the electric motor power according to the readings. The accelerator pedal of an
electric vehicle has two potentiometers for increased safety. The controller reads
the information from both of them and makes sure that their signals are equal. If the
controller detects even the slightest difference in the signals, it does not respond to
either of them.
The electric motor is the heart of the electric car, its main driving force. The
electric motor is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction (a phenome-
non associated with the appearance of an electromotive force in a closed circuit
when the magnetic flux changes). The electric motor converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy. The efficiency of a modern electric motor is 85-95%.
The main characteristics of an electric motor are power, maximum torque,
voltage, current and speed.
The electric car can be equipped with both DC and AC motors. Each of these
motors has its own advantages and disadvantages. A DC motor can run from a 96V
to 192V supply. An AC motor is a three-phase AC powered motor.
Recently, the use of motor-wheels in electric cars has become quite popular.
By combining a conventional wheel and an electric motor in a single design, good
vehicle handling is ensured.
The main power sources in electric cars are rechargeable batteries. The rather
high price of batteries is the main reason why gasoline-powered cars still predomi-
nate in the world. Making batteries cheaper would greatly help to increase the pop-
ularity of electric vehicle technology.
Often electric cars have, in addition to the batteries that provide power to the
electric motor, another small additional battery that is needed to run car acces-
sories: headlights, car radio, dashboard, airbags, windscreen wipers, power win-
dows, and other devices.
Any electric vehicle needs a battery recharging system. The vehicle charging
system allows you to recharge batteries almost anywhere, where there is an electri-
cal outlet. This system ensures that the batteries are supplied with power as quickly
as possible. The charger can be a separate unit from the electric car design or it can
be fully integrated into the electric car.
Hybrid electric cars are truly a versatile, reliable, safe and environmentally
friendly form of transportation. Even despite its high price, it is quite economical,
because it will cost you less to charge the battery than to buy a full tank of gasoline.
Electric filling stations in Ukraine are gradually beginning to develop. If before it
was a real problem to charge the battery, now it is practically no problem. Of
course, in small towns there are practically no petrol stations, but, in the future, in a
few years the situation will be completely fixed and stabilized. If you calculate the
savings already during the operation, then just a few years the cost is completely re-
couped, because conventional fuel is much more expensive than electricity. There
is also no need for complex and professional maintenance, electric cars, with proper
operation, practically do not need it. You can rent or lease an electric car instead of
buying. Rental of electric cars in Ukraine is provided by specialized companies.
After a short use of such a technological miracle, you will be able to personally see
its advantages, consider the disadvantages and then make your final choice.
References

1. Materials of the site Ukr-Prokat. [Electronic resource]. -

Mode of access: https://ukr-prokat.com/ru/blog/plyusy-y-mynusy-elek-
trokarov.html
2. Materials of the site of Autotrain. [Electronic resource]. -
Mode of access:https://www.autoezda.com/elect.html
3. Jouton E.Rein K.Orsini F. 2022. The electric car: device,
principle of operation, infrastructure. DMK Press, 2022, 440 p.
4. John Bentley, AUTOTOPIA. THE FUTURE OF MA-
CHINES, 2021,256 pp.