OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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Upkeep of Electric Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1627] Sir,—The ordinary reader may be apt to gather from a perusal of the first of the series of articles on the "Upkeep of Electric Vehicles," appearing in your issue of the 25th 'July, that the motor equipment of the electric vehicle is not only complicated, but very prone to develop troubles of one kind or another. This is indeed news to me and to others that I know of who, like myself have had considerable experience with this type a automobile.
Your contributor mentions that "the armature of an electric motor is a very complex piece of apparatus," etc. I would say that it is a fairly simple thing, and certainly very easy to repair. Experience shows, however, in most emphatic fashion, that repairs to the electrical equipment of the modern electric vehicle are very seldom required, and your readers may take it from me that they will rarely need to worry about fancied weak points of the electric motor and the faults whp* axe alleged to develop, for the troubles are so rare that the user will most probably never experience them in the whole long life of the vehicle.
The electric equipment of an electric vehicle is just a small-scale reproduction of that used so successfully in the operation of electric railway trains and in the running of tramcars. In such service the outstanding features, which have led to enolineus developments in the past, and which promise to lead to still greater developments in the future, are quick acceleration, economy in power and low cost in repairs. These also are the advantageous characteristics which are embodied in the electric vehicle. The B46
feature of low repair cost in the operation of the electric vehicle; which is admitted by all users, goes at once to refute the implication contained in your contributor's article that the equipment of the electric vehicle, especially the motor, is complicated and verx prone to develop faults of one sort or another. Such troubles as your contributor mentions are of extremely rare occurrence in any type Of electric motor of good make, which has been properly looked after. In all the electric vehicle motors I have had to do with I have, for instance, never experienced the type of fault illustrated Iv Fig. 3. Let me also say I have. never yet come across a. one-turn, per slot electric . vehicle motor armature such as Fig. 3 shows ! The equipment of the electric is not complicated : it is more simple than that of any other powea-driven automobile, and it can be kept in repair with a far less expenditure of skilled labour. It is moce robust in construction, and its dependability is such that in the well-defined sphere in which it may be successfully employed, it may be counted upon to.keep the road more days in the year than any other type of car. There is ample proof of this in the actual experience of users both here and in the United States. —Yours faithfully, FRANK AXTON, k
Hon. Secretary, The Electric Vehicle Committee of Great Britain.
[With Mr. Ayton's statements no one will disagree, particularfy the contributor. of ,the sport series of. articles in question. The latter, is a qualified elec-_ trical engineer of considerable experience, and his: aim in writing the series is to acquaint the 'average . driver of petrol or steam vehicles with the simple fundamentals of the electric vehicle which to many,
of them is a closed book.—ED. " C.'31."]