Wheel motors
Each wheel will have a small electric motor packed into it. This will eliminate the need for a transmission and differentials and will achieve perfect computer controlled traction and stability. Most of the complicated mechanicals of current automobiles will be gone. It will be just motors, batteries, steering, suspension, brakes, and HVAC. We will look back on today’s cars like we do steam locomotives. And without all these heavy, complicated systems the car will be much lighter and thus will need much less power. Each motor would only need to be about 25hp for the typical family sedan.
Charging
Along with a home charger, charging stations can be placed anywhere there is electricity. Parking garages, mall/restaurant parking lots, even parking meters so anytime you are parked you can be charging. The plug will be under the hood so the car can be left unattended without the fear of someone disconnecting it. Each charging station will be connected to a network that will automatically bill your account. A roof solar panel can also add a significant amount of charge (especially for those people in sunny states that park in the sun all day).
Batteries
The batteries will consist of two types: power and range. The more expensive power batteries will provide the massive burst needed for acceleration and the range batteries will hold much of the charge and will recharge the power batteries between accelerations. They will also be modular (about the size of paper boxes) and stored under the hood and trunk. This will allow you to customize the amount of batteries you are lugging around based on your required range and power. If you live in the city you can set up your batteries to be more power and less range. If you are in the country it would be the opposite. If you are going on a long road trip you can load up on range batteries or swap a few of them for a gasoline generator and tank (until the battery service centers are built).
Battery Service Centers
These service centers will swap out your batteries with fresh ones. The batteries will be on a lease so you can swap them at will and only pay for the batteries you are currently using. Your car’s computer will coordinate with the service center to work out the cost so you only pay for the difference in charge amount between your old batteries and the new ones.
There it is. Easy huh.
Each wheel will have a small electric motor packed into it. This will eliminate the need for a transmission and differentials and will achieve perfect computer controlled traction and stability. Most of the complicated mechanicals of current automobiles will be gone. It will be just motors, batteries, steering, suspension, brakes, and HVAC. We will look back on today’s cars like we do steam locomotives. And without all these heavy, complicated systems the car will be much lighter and thus will need much less power. Each motor would only need to be about 25hp for the typical family sedan.
Charging
Along with a home charger, charging stations can be placed anywhere there is electricity. Parking garages, mall/restaurant parking lots, even parking meters so anytime you are parked you can be charging. The plug will be under the hood so the car can be left unattended without the fear of someone disconnecting it. Each charging station will be connected to a network that will automatically bill your account. A roof solar panel can also add a significant amount of charge (especially for those people in sunny states that park in the sun all day).
Batteries
The batteries will consist of two types: power and range. The more expensive power batteries will provide the massive burst needed for acceleration and the range batteries will hold much of the charge and will recharge the power batteries between accelerations. They will also be modular (about the size of paper boxes) and stored under the hood and trunk. This will allow you to customize the amount of batteries you are lugging around based on your required range and power. If you live in the city you can set up your batteries to be more power and less range. If you are in the country it would be the opposite. If you are going on a long road trip you can load up on range batteries or swap a few of them for a gasoline generator and tank (until the battery service centers are built).
Battery Service Centers
These service centers will swap out your batteries with fresh ones. The batteries will be on a lease so you can swap them at will and only pay for the batteries you are currently using. Your car’s computer will coordinate with the service center to work out the cost so you only pay for the difference in charge amount between your old batteries and the new ones.
There it is. Easy huh.
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