How Do Battery Electric Cars Work?

Published Feb 25, 2015 Updated Mar 12, 2018

Nissan Leaf engine
Tennen-Gas/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, 使用储存在电池组中的电力来驱动电动机并转动车轮.

When depleted, the batteries are recharged using grid electricity, either from a wall socket or a dedicated charging unit. 因为它们不使用汽油或柴油,而是完全由电力驱动, 电池电动汽车和卡车被认为是“全电动”车辆.

纯电动汽车在行驶时不会产生排气管污染——它们甚至没有排气管. However, 他们使用的电力可能会在发电的源头或化石燃料的开采过程中产生吸热气体和其他污染. 产生的污染量取决于发电的方式. 在美国,电池电动汽车从污染最严重的煤炭主导的电网充电 still produce less pollution than their gasoline-powered counterparts. 由风能或太阳能等可再生能源驱动的纯电动汽车几乎是零排放的.

不使用汽油或柴油也意味着电池电动汽车的燃料比传统汽车便宜得多. 确切的比较取决于车辆型号和燃料价格,但驾驶纯电动汽车可以节省司机 over $1,000 annually in gasoline money.

Battery electric vehicle features

Like other electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, 纯电动汽车通过在停车时关闭汽车来最大限度地减少能源浪费。idle-off”) and by charging the battery when braking (“regenerative braking”). 电动机本身也比汽油或柴油发动机更节能.

电动汽车还有一个额外的好处,就是可以在家里充电. 一个240伏的插座,类似于干衣机的插座,可以在一夜之间给汽车充电. Fully-charged, 大多数电动汽车的行驶里程在70到100英里之间, well within the day-to-day range requirements 尽管一些纯电动汽车一次充电可以行驶265英里. An increasing number of public and workplace charging stations provide added charging capacity.

More subjectively, many drivers appreciate the driving experience provided by all-electric cars. Electric motors generate near-instant torque, or turning-force, 而内燃机的扭矩则随着发动机的转数(RPM)而增加。. 这意味着与传统汽车和卡车相比,纯电动汽车具有极快的加速速度和“轻盈”或“轻快”的感觉.

Differences between battery electric cars and other EVs

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles 你有电动马达和传统的汽油或柴油发动机吗. Compared to a battery electric vehicle, 这延长了总行驶里程,但降低了全电动范围. Conventional hybrids不能插电的电动汽车不被认为是电动汽车. Learn more about how plug-in vehicles work

Fuel cell electric vehicles 将氢气转化为电能,为电动机和电池提供动力. 燃料电池汽车在乘用车中是一项相对较新的技术, 但与其他全电动汽车一起,它们在减少碳排放方面发挥着重要作用. Learn more about how fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles work.

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