What Are They? – Electric cars are cars that use electricity for power. While conventional cars use gasoline or diesel for fuel, electric cars have an electric motor which is powered by batteries or a fuel cell.
QUESTIONS: What Are They? – Which vehicles use both gas or diesel and electricity? (circle all that apply)
Types of Electric Cars – There are three kinds of electric cars: plug-in hybrids, battery-electric cars, and fuel cell vehicles.
QUESTIONS: Types of Electric Cars – Why aren't conventional hybrid vehicles considered to be electric cars?
Plug-In Hybrids – Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use both a gasoline or diesel powered engine and an electric motor with a rechargeable battery for power. They differ from conventional hybrids because they are able to travel using only battery power.
QUESTIONS: Plug-In Hybrids – Which of the features below shuts off the engine when the car is in idle?
Battery Electric Vehicles – Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are powered by electricity that is stored in a battery pack. This electricity is used to power the motor and turn the wheels. BEVs are recharged by plugging the motor into an electrical wall outlet or a charging unit.
QUESTIONS: Battery Electric Vehicles – Why might BEVs still indirectly contribute to the production of pollution and greenhouse gases?
Hydrogen Fuel Cells – Fuel cell vehicles use an electric motor that is powered by hydrogen gas. Though they are powered by electricity and are considered electric vehicles, they have driving ranges that are comparable to gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles differ from other electric cars primarily in that they don't need to be plugged in for long periods of time to recharge.
QUESTIONS: Hydrogen Fuel Cells – How long does it take to refuel a fuel cell vehicle?
Hybrid Cars – A hybrid car is one is powered by a combination of internal combustion engine and an electric motor and battery. The most efficient hybrids get much better gas mileage than conventional vehicles, have less tailpipe emissions, and cost less to operate over the life of the vehicle.
QUESTIONS: Hybrid Cars – What are the advantages of the most efficient hybrid vehicles?
History of the Electric Car – You probably think of the electric car as a modern invention, but it’s not! Electric cars have actually been around longer than the conventional internal combustion engine that is used in most vehicles today.
QUESTIONS: History of the Electric Car – What changed the trajectory of automobile history in 1908?
Albert Pope and the Electric Car – Though they seem to be at the cutting edge of technology today, electric cars are far from a new invention. They have actually been around more than a hundred years.
QUESTIONS: Albert Pope and the Electric Car – What single business decision that Pope made ultimately caused him to go out of business in 1912?
Tesla's Dream for the Future – Tesla was founded in 2003 on the belief that driving an electric vehicle in order to reduce emissions and greenhouse gases should not have to mean sacrificing a car's performance. Tesla’s dual goal is to move the world towards a zero-emissions future, while still empowering the modern driver.
QUESTIONS: Tesla's Dream for the Future – Which of the following is Tesla's most affordable vehicle?
What is Electromagnetism? – Electronic current flowing through a wire generates a magnetic field which can be increased by coiling the wire so that more current is flowing through a smaller distance. The magnetic field rotates around the wire, and the direction of the current determines the direction of the magnetic field.
QUESTIONS: What is Electromagnetism? – How do you increase the magnetic field of an electric current flowing through a wire?