What is Electric Vehicle?
An electric vehicle is an alternative to gas emitting vehicles that operate on electric motors.
These vehicles use one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion.
Electric vehicles are the technology of choice for eco-friendly car buyers.
These systems obtain power from a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources or can be self-contained with a battery, electric generator, or solar panels to transform fuel to electricity.
The advantages of utilizing these vehicles are they don’t harm the environment.
Many alternatives are in use at present, such as E-rickshaw, electric scooters to promote a safe environment.
Looking at the present situation, the use of electric vehicles has become crucial.
What is an Electric Car?
An electric car is an automobile that is prompted by one or more electric motors by using energy that is stored in rechargeable batteries.
The first practical electric cars were produced in1880s, and became more popular in the late 18th and early 19th century.
From 2008, a rebirth in manufacturing electric vehicles occurred due to advancement in batteries to ensure the safety of the environment with the desire to reduce greenhouse gases and improve urban air quality.
Electric cars are one of the transportations that can be charged at charge stations that can be installed at both homes and public places.
Several governments all around the world have established government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles.
One of the models of a car named Tesla Model three became the world's best-selling with a maximum electric range of 500 km (310 miles).
Due to this, the model became the world's all-time best-selling electric car by early 2020.
At present, the plug-in car market is shifting towards fully electric battery vehicles, and the global ratio between annual sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
The plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) rose from 56:44 in 2012, 60:40 in 2015, and 74:26 in 2019.
How to Make a Battery Powered Car for a School Project?
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Materials Required:
Plastic can
DC motor
AA batteries
Switch to create a simple circuit
AA battery holder
Four bottle caps
Plastic pulleys
Rubber band
Wood skewers or dowel rod
Plastic cups
Propeller
Tools Needed
Screw
Paper clips
Razor knife
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Motor mount
Steps to Make a Battery-powered Car is Outlined Below:
1. Mount an Axle:
To create an axle, we need to cut two straws wider than the Pringles can.
Glue the straws to the can extending from the box about an inch on each side, and then insert the dowel rods or skewers.
2. Create the Wheels:
To create the wheels, we can use many day-to-day objects like plastic cups. Use scissors to cut out the circles for the wheels.
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3. Make Holes in these Circles.
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4. Mount the Wheels:
To mount the wheels, push the skewers or dowel rod through the center of the wheel.
If the connection is loose, we would be requiring a dab of hot glue to secure it,and wait for the glue to cool, making sure the wheels are as straight as possible.
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5. Battery Holder:
Attach the battery holder to the center of the Pringles using hot glue, and make sure the wire from the battery holder can reach the end of the can.
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6. Propeller Platform:
Cut two pieces of the cardboard and glue them together.
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7. Propeller:
Connect the propeller to the shaft of the dc motor.
8. Mount the Motor:
Glue the center of the motor to the cardboard platform, and then make sure that the terminals of the motor are on the top and visible.
If we wish to reuse this project in the future, we can mount the motor with zip ties in place of hot glue.
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9. Wire the Motor:
Add batteries to the holder and touch the black wire to one terminal on the motor and the red wire to the other. Verify that the propellor is away from the motor. Push the black wire in a proper terminal and twist it a few times to secure it, but don’t connect the red wire.
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10. Connect the Switch:
Cut the red wire from the battery holder in half and strip one end. Push the stripped wire into the middle hole of the switch and twist it a number of times to secure.
Now, take the other end of the red wire into the outer hole of the switch and twist to secure. Then, twist the other end of the red wire to the open terminal on the motor and glue the switch to the Pringles can.
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All Set! We successfully created a propeller car from a can of Pringles.
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All we need to do is to add batteries and flip the switch, and the car starts moving.
FAQs on Electric Car
Q1: How Much Does it Cost to Convert a Vehicle to Electric?
Ans: The conversion of a vehicle to electric will cost around ﹩6000 in parts, and about ﹩1000 -﹩3000 for batteries and installation. The vehicle would cost a few cents per mile to run. This car will be more reliable with zero-emissions and will require very less maintenance for its operation than a conventional one.
Q2: How Long will Electric Cars Last?
Ans: On average, the electric vehicle battery pack's lifespan is around 200,000 miles, which is nearly equivalent to 17 years of use if the vehicle is driven 12,000 miles per year.
Q3: Are Electric Cars Cheap to Maintain?
Ans: Yes, electric cars are cheaper to maintain. To charge them, on average, they cost ﹩300 to ﹩400 per year.
They are more reliable, much cheaper to maintain and service because they have fewer moving parts and don't need oil changes. Further, we can even save money on our car insurance.
Q4: Does a Car Run on AC or DC?
Ans: Electric cars run on DC, direct current. It's because that’s the type of electricity generated by the battery, and it flows in a constant direction.