edited by Larry McCart
Electric powered automobiles were one of the earliest considerations, and this mode of propulsion enjoyed a brief but short reign. The development of electricity as a workable source of power for mankind has been associated with controversy. Thomas A. Edison was the first to market electric systems of significant commercial value. His research and developmental skills were utilized to market a direct current system of electricity. Ships were equipped with D.C. electric systems, and municipalities began lighting streets with D.C. electric systems. At that time Edison was the primary supplier of electric systems. While in the process of commercializing electricity, Thomas Edison hired men who were capable of discovering and/or creating new applications for electricity. One such man was a foreigner named Nikola Tesla who was considered to be the greatest scientific mind of his time. His accomplishments dwarfed even Thomas Edison's! Whereas Mr. Edison was a great experimenter, Mr. Tesla was a great theoretician. Nikola Tesla became frustrated and very much annoyed by Edison's procedures. Tesla would rather mentally evaluate the possibility of something working than use the hit and miss technique of constant experimentation. After an argument with Edison over how Tesla should do his work, Tesla decided to quit working for Edison at Edison's laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey. Working on his own, Tesla discovered the idea relating to an alternating current generator, and based on the description of this device he created in his mind and on papers, Tesla built the first working alternating current generator. Many of the advantages we enjoy today because of A.C. electric power are because of Tesla's discoveries. Tesla sold some of his patents to George Westinghouse for 15 million dollars in the early 1900's, but later agreed to give up his right to receive most of this money. Tesla had enough money to be independent, and proceeded to carry on his investigative research in his laboratory on 5th Avenue in New York City. George Westinghouse began selling A.C. electric generators, and was in competition with Edison who was selling D.C. electric generators. Westinghouse prevailed because of the superiority of A.C. systems over D.C. systems. Today, A.C. electricity is the main type of electricity used by industrial companies and home owners. In the early days of the development of automobiles, electric propulsion was considered and used. An electric powered automobile possessed many advantages that the noisy, cantankerous, smoke-belching gasoline cars could not offer. The electric motor in an early automobile was quiet. One simply turned a key and stepped on the accelerator; the vehicle moved instantly. To increase speed of the electric automobile, one pushed down the accelerator further. Releasing the accelerator caused the vehicle to slow down; one had good control without having to push down the brake pedal. An electric vehicle used a D.C. motor and batteries connected in series. Hand cranking to start the engine was not necessary; pumping the accelerator was not required; and there was not any throttle linkage. Electric vehicles were very popular around the turn of the century and until about 1912. The big disadvantages of these cars were the need for frequent re-charging and their short range of travel. The batteries were recharged at night five or six days of the week. The range of travel was restricted to about 100 miles; this restriction was not a serious problem in the early part of this century. Doctors began making house calls with electric cars because a doctor did not need to feed and rub down the horse after he returned home like with the horse and buggy. Many of the large department stores in metropolitan areas began purchasing electrically-powered delivery trucks. They were quiet, and did not emit pollutants, and maintenance was minimal on electrically-powered vehicles. There were few mechanics and garages in operation in the early 1900's, and trouble-free electric vehicles worked out well. Two things happened to dampen the popularity of the electric automobile. One was a desire for greater range of travel, and the other was a craving for speed that gripped auto enthusiasts of this era. A typical manufacturer tried to impress potential customers by showing how far their car could go without stopping and how fast their car could go. Col. Vanderbilt constructed the first all concrete race track in Long Island, and racing became the passion for the well-to-do. Newspapers frequently recorded new speed records achieved by so-in-so. And, of course, the automobile manufacturers were quick to capitalize on the advertising effect of these new speed records. Because of the speeds achieved by gasoline powered vehicles, the electrically powered vehicles appeared to be suitable for persons like the "little old lady" down the street or the old retired gentleman who talked about the "good old days". Serious problems occurred if electric vehicles were pushed to speeds over 35 m.p.h.; speeds over 35 m.p.h. resulted in serious damage to batteries. Speeds of 25 to 35 m.p.h. could be maintained for a short amount of time without damage to batteries. Normal driving speed (depending on traffic conditions) was 15 to 20 m.p.h. until about 1912. Electric vehicles could operate within this speed range without problems. The early gas-engine Model T Ford had a top speed of about 26 m.p.h., and could be driven at this speed continuously without problems. Manufacturers of electric cars did not install D.C. generators in their vehicles. The author believes that installing a D.C. generator or D.C. alternator in one of their vehicles would put a small charge back into the battery as the car moved, and would increase the operating range of the car. As mentioned earlier, Mr. Westinghouse's A.C. current generating equipment was being sold and installed. The earlier D.C. equipment was being retired and disregarded. About this time another giant corporation was formed, and entered the A.C. generating equipment field -- General Electric. This resulted in a big reduction in the production of Edison's D.C. power supply systems. The electric automobile could not be adapted to accommodate and utilize a polyphase motor (i.e. A.C. power). Since they used batteries as a source of power, their extinction was sealed. A battery can not put out an A.C. signal. A converter could be utilized, but the size of the equipment at that time was too large to fit in an automobile -- even one with the generous dimensions of that era. Somewhere around 1915 or so, the electric automobile was considered to be obsolete. United Parcel Service continued to use several electric trucks in New York City, but the bulk of their fleet of vehicles utilizes gasoline or diesel fuel. There are advantages regarding using electric power as a means of propelling vehicles. Maintenance is minimal, for the only lubrication required is for the two bearings in the motor and other areas where there are grease fittings. Oil changes are not required, and there is not a radiator to clean and fill, not any transmission to foul up, not any fuel pump, not any water pump, not any carburetion problems, not any muffler to rot out or replace, and not any pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. It appears as though it might be the answer we seek. The two problems facing us become top speed and range of driving -- providing, of course, the A.C. and D.C. problems could be worked out. With today's technology this does not seem to be insurmountable. In fact, the entire problem has already been solved -- in the past, the distant past and the not so distant! Stop! Re-read the last sentence again. Ponder it for a few moments before going on. Several times earlier in this article, I mentioned the man, Nikola Tesla, and stated that he was the greatest scientist of his time. The U.S. Patent Office has 1,200 patents registered in the name of Nikola Tesla, and it is estimated that he could have patented an additional 1,000 or so from memory! In 1931 with the help of Pierce-Arrow Manufacturing Company and George Westinghouse, a 1931 Pierce-Arrow was modified and tested. The standard internal combustion engine was removed, and an 80 horse power and 1800 rpm A.C. electric motor was installed and connected to the clutch and transmission. The A.C. motor measured 40 inches long and 30 inches in diameter, and the power leads were left disconnected; there was not an external power source. Nikola Tesla arrived from New York City and inspected the Pierce-Arrow automobile. He went to a local radio store and purchased twelve tubes, wires, and assorted resistors. These parts were put in place inside a box measuring 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 6 inches high. The box was placed on the front seat, and wires coming from the box were connected to the air-cooled and brushless A.C. electric motor. Two rods 1/4" in diameter stuck out of the box about 3" in length. Mr. Tesla got into the driver's seat, pushed the two rods in and stated, "We now have power". He put the car into gear, and it moved forward! This vehicle, powered by an A.C. motor, was driven to speeds of 90 m.p.h., and performed better than any internal combustion engine of its day! One week was spent testing the vehicle. Several newspapers in Buffalo, New York, reported this test. When asked where the power came from, Tesla replied, "From the ethers all around us". Several people suggested that Tesla was mad and somehow in league with sinister forces of the universe. He became incensed, removed his mysterious box from the vehicle, and returned to his laboratory in New York City. It is speculated that Nikola Tesla was able to somehow harness the earth's magnetic field that encompasses our planet. And, he somehow was able to draw tremendous amounts of power by cutting these lines of force or causing them to be multiplied together. The exact nature of his device remains a mystery, but it did actually function by powering the 80 h.p. A.C. motor in the Pierce-Arrow at speeds up to 90 m.p.h. In 1969 Joseph R. Zubris pulled out the internal combustion engine from his 1961 Mercury. He then installed an electric motor. His wiring system was reported to cut the energy drain at starting to 75% of normal and to double the electrical efficiency of the electric motor. The U.S. Patent Office issued to him a patent (#3,809,978). Although he approached many concerns for marketing the system, he could not find any company willing to spend the time and money that would be required for a good chance of success, and his system is not on the market. In the 1970's an inventor used an Ev-Gray generator that was reported to have intensified battery current, the voltage being induced to the field coils by a simple programmer (sequencer). By allowing the motor to charge separate batteries as the device ran, less than normal current was needed from the primary batteries. The device was tested at the Crosby Research Institute of Beverly Hills, California. A 10-horepower EMA motor ran for over a week (9 days) on four standard automobile batteries. The inventor estimated that a 50-horsepower electric motor could power a vehicle for 300 miles at 50 m.p.h. before needing a re-charge. A motor that does not require an outside source of power was reported to have been invented by H.R. Johnson (patent #4,151,431 issued on April 24, 1979). This motor (originally suggested by Nikola Tesla in 1905) is a permanent magnet motor. Mr. Johnson was reported to have arranged a series of permanent magnets on the rotor, and a series of permanent magnets (with different spacing) on the stator. It was reported that moving the stator into position will cause the rotor to rotate. |