Hank Camacho, age 14, of Nampa, Idaho, for his question:
HOW DOES THE ELECTRIC CAR WORK?
An electric car is an automobile that is powered by one or more electric motors. In addition to the motors, a number of batteries are necessary to make the car work.
An electric car needs electronic devices that control the rate at which energy is supplied to the motor. But it does not need as many mechanical parts as does the gasoline engine.
The motor of an electric car turns the wheels directly, and so no gear shifting is needed. The car's batteries can be recharged overnight at home or at a service station every few days.
An electric car actually needs three basic parts to run: an electric motor, a battery and a device to control the power. The motor's cooling system can provide passengers with heated or cooled air.
Electric cars were first made in Europe during the 1880s, and they quickly became popular in the United States. The cars continued to have wide acceptance until the gasoline cars went into mass production during the 1920s.
Electric cars almost disappeared between the 1920s and the 1960s. Then, limited production started again during the 1970s. But sales remained low because of the high purchase price, limited travel range and low speed of the electric vehicles.
Experimental cars in the late 1970s reached speeds of 80 miles per hour and could accelerate as rapidly as some gasoline cars. But their travel range between recharges continues to be a major problem.
The main disadvantage of the electric car is that it can travel a maximum of only about 60 miles before the batteries must be recharged.
Scientists are currently experimenting with fuel cells to provide energy for electric cars. These cells generate electricity from fuels and they do not require recharging, as do batteries. But costs make fuel cells in electric cars uneconomical.
Research is continuing and indications are that there will be lots of electric cars on the road at some time in the near future.
Electric cars have three main advantages over gasoline cars: they produce no exhaust and so their widespread use would reduce air pollution; electric cars would not reduce petroleum resources; and they now cost less to operate than do gasoline cars.
One major problem may soon be solved. Work is in progress to make a battery that will store enough energy to enable an electric car to travel at least 250 miles between recharges.
At the present time, electric cars on a limited basis are being produced in Europe, Japan and the United States.
There's no doubt about it: There will definitely be lots of electric cars in our future.