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Electric Vehicles Championed

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1st June 1956

Page 102

Page 102, 1st June 1956 — Electric Vehicles Championed

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'THE superior rates of acceleration I and braking of the trolleybus were emphasized by Mr. 5. H. Cansdale, in a paper, "Passenger Electric Road Vehicles," which he read on Monday at the 8th British Electrical Power Convention at Torquay. The decision to replace London's trolleybuses with motorbuses had, he said, aroused widespread criticism.

" Battery Electric Vehicles" was the subject dealt with by Mr. H. W. Heyman, Mr. P. Rochs and Mr. H. R. Simpson. The use of battery-electrics, they saki, could increase net profits by 10 per cent.

Trolleyb uses to Ease Congestion

CANSDALE thought that the !VI wider application of electricpowered passenger vehicles would help to solve city traffic problems. Assuming the average occupied capacity of a private car to be 1.75 persons, three trolleybuses could carry the passengers for which 100 private cars were now used. One trolleybus, which did not require parking space, was equal in capacity to 30 private cars, which needed at least -500 ft. of kerb-parking space.

The fact that motorbuses were required for the light traffic routes in most 'places was a reason for the tendency to use them for all purposes, regardless of the advantages to be gained by employing trams and trolleybuses in their appropriate spheres.

In Great Britain there were nearly 4,000 trolleybuses operated by 30 undertakings. These included 1,764 in London, which were to be replaced by oil-engined buses. The trolleybuses

were 18-20 years old and were still giving good service, whereas the motorbus fleet was all post-war.

• In Bradford, trolleybuses were being fitted with new bodies after 20 years' service, and it was considered that they were good for at least another 10 years. The electrical equipment was that originally fitted.

A trolleybus might cost 15 per cent. more than a motorbus, largely because of the small number of trolleybuses manufactured. But factors other than first cost must be taken into account. Increased life of the order of 25 per cent, might be expected of the trolleybus, so that interest charges during the loan-repayment period would be less. Troffeybuses were ideal for surface traffic requiring between six and 30 vehicles an hour on well-established

routes. Most cities had main-traffic routes on which the trolleybus, with its kerbside loading and flexibility in traffic, could be used with advantage.

It had high rates of acceleration and braking, which were of great importance, as it was the schedule speed that mattered in city service.

Electrics Increase Profits by 10 per cent.

BATTERY-CHARdNG for electric road vehicles during 1955 represented a consumption of 205m. units at a cost of 1856,000. The vehicles involved were 21,405 driver-seated battery-electries and 10,00Q pedestrian-controlled machines.

These figures were given by Messrs. Heyman, Rochs and Simpson. By employing battery-eIeetries, they said, net profits could rise by 10 per cent.

For local delivery work, the batteryelectric not only had a higher average speed, but it could complete the daily deliveries quicker. If a vehicle capable of an average of 18 m.p.h. stopped for a minute 12 times per mile, the average speed dropped to about 3 m.p.h.. If the stops were increased to 11 minutes each, which could be the case with a petrol-engined vehicle, the average speed with the same number of stops dropped to 2 m.p.h.

In door-to-door deliveries, if a vehicle stopped, on an average, only once, for 60 seconds, every 147 yd., and maintained this rate of delivery for seven hours, it would entail a total travelling distance of 21 miles, with 252 stops. In not-too-hilly country this extreme demand fell well within the caPacity of the battery-electric.

The maximum range for delivery work, giving due regard to first cost and economical operation, with eight stops per mile, was 25-30 miles. Although 12 years was quoted as the average life of a battery-electric vehicle, many had had a useful life of 20 or more years.

Initial cost of the battery should be regardedns part of the cost of fuel pur°chisect in advance. The guaranteed life of a battery was now four years, although with careful maintenance this period might be extended to six years. The other part of the fuel cost was, of course, that incurred in charging the battery.

Whether' the battery -was of the leadacid or alkaline type was, to a degree, a matter of circumstances and -economies. A lead-acid battery was cheaper, but had a shorter life. An alkaline battery, whilst being more expensive, could be charged at a higher rate. The internal resistance of the nickel-iron alkaline battery was much higher than that of the lead-acid type and this had an adverse effect in climbing ;hills.