Electric Vehicle Makers Need a Lead L. "S‘7413Ni
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M.I.R.T.E.
THE incentive of cheap night rates fii-r charging electric-vehicle batteries is infinitesimal in comparison with the measures that could be adopted to increase the market for battery-electrics. The Government should realize that the electric vehicle can play a large part in national recovery by reducing the need for fuel imported from hard-currency areas. It is now that • we should take , the lead and use the advantages and economy of this form of transport to keep imports of liquid fuel to a minimum.
. At present there are 10,000 battery-electrics in use, compared with about 5,000 before the war. The potential market in the United Kingdom has been claimed to be 75,000. With improvements in design, to raise the maximum speed to 25 m.p.h. and maintain a range Of 60-65 miles per charge, a much larger number could be _sold. •
Official statistics show that there were 275,000 lightoil-burning vehicles with payload capacities of 8-40 cwt. in use in November, 1946. Assuming that 65 per cent. of these operated up to 60 miles a day, and could be reasonably replaced by electrically propelled vans, a. market could be opened for 175,000 electrics, Reducing Fuel Imports Each battery-driven van replacing a similar petrolengined model would save; on average, 3 gallons of petrol a day, or 900 gallons a year. By replacing 175,000 petrol-engined vans we could afford to cut our fuel imports by over 150,000,000 gallons per annum.
Before the war Germany was experiencing a similar " shortage of fuel and to overcome this difficulty encouragement was offered for the manufacture and use of electric road vehicles and industrial trucks on a relatively large scale. Unlike the British Administration, the GermanGovernment took the initiative and employed 7,000 electric vans in its parcels and mail-delivery services. Altogether 30,000 electric vehicles were in use in Germany in 1939. •
Surely-the State should take. the lead and use battery-. driven vehicles in the G.P.O., British Railway4; Office A30 of Works, British Airways and various other departments. Within its own organization, the Government could absorb several thousand electrically propelled machines.
Municipalities might be induced to employ electric tractor and semi-trailer vehicles for refuse collection, these being operated in conjunction with a petrol or oilengined tractor to convey refuse to the tip. Furthermore, electric vans of 1-ton capacity could be used for a daily collection of pig swill. Manual street sweeping is rapidly succumbing to mechanization, again a task which could be performed by an electric vehicle.
Economy of Material Apart from the fuel saving, use of the battery-electric should be encouraged for its economy of material. Unlike the petrol vehicle which has a high wastage of engine and other component parts, wearing parts on the electric motor and contacts are relatively few, and the traction battery is almost the only component requiring renewal. With the battery, the whole of the lead and oxides can be reclaimed and refined, and if not used.for further battery manufacture, can be employed for other purposes where high chemical purity is not essential.
Reduction of street noise is an additional advantage of the electric van. Before the war, the Ministry of Transport, in conjunction with the National Physical Laboratory, conducted certain noise experiments with various forms of road vehicle to determine a standard which might be permitted in towns and cities. . Without the intervention of war, the conclusions reached might have been embodied in legislation, to the detriment of many of the local services. The operator of the silent electric vehicle would not be affected by such laws.
It has already been mentioned that the battery-electric would find a larger market if its speed and range were raised. With its high rate of acceleration, a batterydriven vehicle with a maximum speed of 25 m.p.h. is easily capable of keeping pace, in towns, with any petrolengined vehicle. How is it possible to improve the performance of the battery-electric? The answer will be given by the battery manufacturers, when they are able to supply a battery with several times the present capacity, but the same weight as the type of battery now in use•and of reasonable dimensions.
They have already co-operated with the chassis makers and are producing special traction batteries with an additional 121 per cent. capacity, but without increased size and weight. Their research continues, but it is a problem which should be given priority with all the available technical assistance. Why not let one of the Government research departments experiment with battery construction to find a solution?
Initial outlay on an electric van is high. The cost of a 25-30-cwt. model, complete with batteries and charger, is approximately L850-£1,000, compared with about f350-£400 for a petrol-engined van. Over a period of 10-15 years, the electric van is more economical, but efforts should be made immediately to reduce initial cost.
High Cost of Lead
Batteries represent a large proportion of the cost of the electric, and may have to be replaced at four-yearly intervals. In many cases the present price of a battery is not more than double the pre-war figure, although the cost of lead has risen 500 per cent. since 1939. Perhaps the Government could be persuaded into an agreement with the Government of Australia, where lead is only £14 per ton, compared with a price of £90 per ton in this country.
In effect, the operator of an electric " buys " his fuel for four years. This is a deterrent to many prospective buyers, because, after all, an operator of an internalcombustion-engined vehicle, is not asked to pay for a four-years' supply of petrol when buying his van. Much may be said for a system inaugurated before the war by a manufacturer who rented traction batteries with the vehicle. This method, of course, requires a large capital, but over a period of a few years could be made to show a generous profit.
The battery charger is also an expensive item included in the purchase of the van. Surely manufacturers could, by simplifying the construction of the unit and initiating flow-production methods, reduce its cost by 40-50 per cent.?
Local delivery ,of food and parcels by battery-driven vans is already popular and would become even more widespread if the initial cost were reduced and additional service facilities were made available. If the demand could be increased, quantity production could be introduced to effect a large saving on the initial outlay on the chassis itself.
When considering a reduction of cost, why fit a head lamp? Most battery-electrics are equipped with them, yet they operate mainly in well-lighted towns, where a head lamp is not required. Moreover, should a propeller shaft, differential and expensive rear axle be used when a simple direct drive between the motor and road wheels would suffice? As an incentive to operators and potential owners, assistance could be offered by the Govern ment in the form of a large reduction in tax on the battery-electric.
Manufacturers of the vehicles and batteries should form a closer alliance, and, foremost, they should set up a series of standards to he generally adopted. Batteries, for example, should be con structed in units of standard dimensions and capacity. Vehicle manufacturers could also compile a standard for components for a definite range of vehicles.
As a suggestion, why not specify single and twindrive motors for a range of six vehicles, which, broadly speaking, could cover the requirements of all operators? By this means, three standard equipments and battery units could be adopted. A pram and an 8-cwt. van could be constructed to use the same size of Motor and controller, and be fitted with 24and 48-volt batteries. In the second series, an attractive 20-cwt. light delivery van with a normal driving position, and a 50-cwt. model with full forward control, could be equipped with 72and 144-volt batteries respectively. A second size of controller and motor could be employed, a single-motor being used for the 20 cwt. and two for the larger model.
The third series could consist of a 35-cwt. model and a 4-tonner, which, to take advantage of platform space,
should both have full forward control. They could incorporate the third standard controller, single and twin motors, and be equipped with 84 and 168-volt batteries respectively. These six models could be adopted as a primary measure towards standardization and flow production.
After-sales Service Much harm will be done to the electric-vehicle industry by the supply of vehicles through distributors who have no interest in them other than making a sale. In those circumstances, the vehicles would not be correctly serviced and would become a liability to the operator. It would pay the industry to make certain that afterdelivery service was given to all operators and that distributors have competent staffs to deal with regular maintenance and inspection.
The upkeep of battery-electrics should be entrusted to concerns which have a wide knowledge of vehicle maintenance. They -appreciate the operational side of transport and willingly co-operate in keeping vehicles in service. To solve electrical problems, it would be beneficial to employ a qualified "batter-electrician."
It might be thought that the introduction of large numbers of electric vans would encroach heavily on the internal-combustion-engine field. Several motor manufacturers have already appreciated the position and become interested in battery-electric construction. Others should follow the lead and "get in on the ground floor."
Government officials should know that other countries are suffering from liquid fuel shortages and, provided that sufficient incentive were offered to manufacturers, Britain could lead the field in the production of electric vehicles. Now is the time to give them an opportunity to produce large numbers of batteryelectrics at reduced prices.