Evening star., 1915-11-28

month, the length of service extending
| from fifteen to forty eight months.
| From the Pacific coast owners of TWEEN
| ty-1ve months experience reported no
expense for tires.
| Every motor car uses energy in one
form in order to produce energy IN
another form--motion. In the electric
| vehicle the energy for locomotion is
/ found in the storage battery. which
may be compared to a tank holding a
I definite quantity of liquid. AS water
/ is drawn from the tank so is the energy
| drawn from the storage battery ana
| utilized by the motor until it gradu-
| ally reaches the stage where IT lacks
| further energy. The state of fuil ca
| paCity of a storage battery is known
as the charged state, When there IS
no more energy ava lila BILE the battery IS
| in a discharged condition.
The familiar dry cell requires re-
newal and could not for that reason
alone be considered practical unit
| for supplying electricity for vehicle
propulsion
The storage battery, however, only
requires connection to a source OF eiec-
tric power for a very moderate length
of time in order to be restored from
the discharged to the charged state.
In this way, by recharging the battery
at intervals, it is possible to use the
vehicle at any time and for any mod
crate length
ne charging ana lSCnaT ol d
storage battery consists in converting 3
electrical energy into mechanical en-
ergy, and is accomplished by passing
electric current through the plates IN
solution of each cell of the battery.
DiScharging consists in converting the
mechanical energy stored in the cells
into electrical energy which, passing
through the motor, is converted by the
latter into mechanical energy and
transmitted through the gearing to the
N,-h haa11 affn irc ha 1aSi n
ton.
The process of charging is effected
by connecting the battery terminals to
the wires of an electric supply source
by means of a suitable attachment.
The devices used for governing the
rate of current during the charging of
the batteries are known as rheostats,
mercury arc rectifiers. motor generator
sets and rotary convertors. Where
greater number of batteries are to be
charged the larger pieces of apparatus
are employed
"On its battery capacity depend the
mileage and speed of the electric vehi-
Gle. and it must possess sufficient
power or energy to travel at a mod
crate speed for the number of miles
required by the owner in day.
Electric Motor Long in Use.
"The electric motor has been in use
for a great number Of years. While
the theory of its operation may be q
closed book to great majority of
users, it is doubtless among the most
widely used and familiar pieces of
electrical apparatus. The electric fan
utilizes electrical energy for turning
the blades attached to the shaft. he
motor that drives shafting in mills is
another instance, world wide in appli-
cation The street railway car is pro-
PEELED by the turning of its wheels
through the agency of electric motors
suspended beneath the floor of the car.
In order to secure the greatest eff
cheney from the motor it is necessary
to run it at a higher rate of speed than
you wish the wheels of the car to
travel SO quiet-running gearing is en-
ployed to reduce the speed Changes
in speed are effected by means of a
series of sliding contacts inclosed in a
case and Known as controllers. The
controller used in an electric vehicle is
Identical in principle with the familiar
controller utilized in street railway
cars, only it is smaller. because it car
ries and regulates less current between
the battery and motor than is used on
the street car.
with a single difference, the wheels
and rubber tires used on electric We
hicles are similar to those used on
other types of motor cars. 1t will be
easily seen that as the amount of en-
ergy available on one charge of the
'
viously. explained-all Instructions to
the transmission of energy from the
source of power tthe battery to the
rim of the tire and the ground must
be minimized 1t is only in this way
that the radius of mileage can be ex-
tended by utilizing the greatest per-
centage of energy held in the battery
to move the vehicle forward, rather
than have 1t dssipated in uneconom-
cal transmission. For this reason the
residence of the rubber tires used
whether pneumatic or solid rubber,
must be seriously considered
Recently a high efficiency tire has
been manufactured especially for the
electric vehicle, helping to conserve all
the energy of the battery for propel-
ling the car and thus increasing the
mileage.
THE chassis. or foundation of the
car, is constructed of steel. so that it
may have maximum of strength and
a minimum of weight.
Upon this chassis, which consists of
the wheels, steering gear and motive
elements, with the framework correlat
ing these parts, is mounted the body.
The bodies of electric vehicles are con-
structed of either wood aluminium,
built up in even plies. SO that rigidity
and light weight may be secured.
THE possibilities of the electric are
many, and with the data that have been
given to reassure us, we need not
hesitate to be enthusiastic about the
future of the storage battery car. It
has successfully passed through the
experimental and evolutionary stages.
and is now the car par excellence for
city and suburban work. For some
time past both men and women using
conveyance in their business. and so
cial life have fully appreciated the re-
liability simplicity, efficiency, safety
and luxuriousness of the electric
vehicle"