How a Big Opel
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Itor Tackles
BATTERYELECTRIC VIAINTENANCE PROBLEMS
ALTHOUGH. it is hardly an exaggeration to state that the growing popularity of the battery-electric is a feature of the present phase through which the commercial-motor world is passing, the progress of this type is still, to some extent, impeded by a lack of appreciation of its desirable attributes and capabilities.
Ancillary users particularly, whose requirements it is specially well equipped to serve, have, frequently, little knowledge of it, and are, accordingly, prone hastily to plump for the petrol vehicle without first giving the electric due consideration.
In view of this state of affairs, we outline below some aspects of battery-electric operation, and, with the object of examining the practical problems of battery-electric maintenance and of gaining first-hand information concerning their solution, we approached, recently, T. H. Lewis, Ltd., Claremont Road, London, N.W.2, which concern looks after the mechanical and electrical requirements, in this field, of one of London's biggest users—the Express Dairy Co„ Ltd.
Large Battery-electric Fleet.
T. H. Lewis, Ltd., maintains for this organization 350 petrol and 127 electric vehicles and affords a 24-hour ser
vice for seven days a week. In addition, it manufactures the Lewis pedestrian-controlled electric pram (briefly described elsewhere in this issue), many of which are operated by the Express Dairy concern.
Whilst we found ourselves, at the outset, confronted with the obvious difficulty arising out of the fact that the amount of maintenance the type requires is extremely small, there are, nevertheless, many points of marked interest in this connection, and our interview certainly proved enlightening.
In addition to its maintenance headquarters, in Claremont Road, the Express Dairy concern has, in Greater London, some 37 branches, which operate fleets of a variety of sizes: Every 10 days each of these vehicles is serviced by one of four qualified men, with the help of an assistant, and once every two years every machine comes into the main depot for complete overhaul.
Drivers are responsible for charging and for the execution of any simple operation that may need doing, but the nal regular periodic service covers practically everything that normally comes under the heading of maintenance. The trained men, with their assistants, travel from branch to branch in vans (Austins, Bedfords and Fordsons are used), in which the necessary equipment is carried. They take hydrometer readings, top-up the batteries, examine and clean the controllers, attend to the requirements of the motor commutator and brush gear, adjust brakes, grease all points needing lubrication, and check and correct tyre pressures.
There is, of course, charging equipment at all branches, one charger being provided for every machine. At the present time existing apparatus is being revised, and the Metropolitan-Vickers battery-charge timing relay is in course of being installed throughout.
This device, which is designed primarily for use with a.-c. rectifier equipment, ensures the correct length of charge, irrespective of the degree of discharge at the commencement,• before the battery is automatically discon
nected. It charges the batteries efficiently in the shortest lime compatible with safety.
As the batteries used by the Express. Dairy Co., Ltd., are of several. makes—Britannia, D.P., Exide, and Young— the ability to adjust the charges to suit the specific charging, rate of. each is a valuable asset.
With the installation of these Metrovick relays, the amp.-hr. meters are being removed from the machines. We were informed that entire satisfaction has not been obtained from these meters, and that it has been found, in certain cases, preferable to rely upon the experience of the driver of the machine in respect of its battery condition.
Apparently, without indication, he soon gets to know, with a fair degree of precision, the maximum mileage the vehicle can cover on its round; and is able to adjust matters to a nicety, so as to bring his machine back to the depot just before the charge is fully expended.
The Express Dairy electric fleet comprises machines of
several makes; including GV., Lewis, Metrovick, and Morrison. Of the first-named there are 54-cwt. and 10-15-cwt. vehicles; the Morrison. Electrics are of 10-12 cwt., and the Metrovick vans 5-7 cwt. and 15-20 cwt., whilst the " prams" carry 301 gallonsof milk, which is equivalent to about 6 cwt.
These last average eight miles per day on house-tohouse work in hilly districts,. the cost under such conditions with current at d. per unit, being only 21(1. per day. With 128-amp.-hr. batteries—the standard equipment—they weigh unladen 6 cwt. and are subject. to . a •
tax of per year.
A special problemin connection with batteries results, in milk delivery, from the need for continuous daily service, because there is, no time for equalizing charges. To minimize the possibly harmful consequences, T. H. Lewis, Ltd.., arranges for all batteries to have a small overcharge once a week.
In reply to our inquiry as to what 'wasthe average hie of a battery, under normal delivery-round conditions, we learned that a general basic figure, for entirely satisfactory service, was about three years. From time to time advantage is taken of the battery manufacturers' servicing facilities.
Biennial Maintenance Small.
Having learned that all, machines were recalled to maintenance headquarters in rotation, every two years for thorough overhaul; and painting, we asked what were the chief repairs found necessary. A certain amount of axle trouble had been experienced, came the reply, and brake shoes; of course, needed refacing occasionally.•
Axle troubles, we commented; would hardly be expected to feature prominently where the power unit was an electric motor, the smooth torque of which was a by-word. To this we received, the answer that there were two explanations.
On the one hand, starting torque was high and drivers were liable to run through the resistances too rapidlywhen accelerating from rest; moreover, any backlash. in the transmission muchauism caused: initial snatch, which sometimes had harmful consequences.
On the other hand, the. designer was presumably at fault, because5 in. the past, an axle had, perhaps, been chosen for a 10-15-cwt. machine which, whilat admirably suited for a petrol vehicle of. this rating, was inadequate for the greater unladen and gross weight of the batteryelectric,
We then inquired the amount of work that had to be done to the traction motors in the course of these major overhauls. Practically none; we were informed, because the brush gear receives maintenance every 10 days and nothing else goes wrong.
Does not the commutator require truing? we asked, and were told that in the course of the past six years that operation had never been found necessary.
Further questioning, on our part, on the relative merits of the three types=horse, petrol and electric—brought the statement that, apart from matters of noise, smell, cleanliness and cost, the electric was equal, if not superior, to the horsed vehicle, however great the frequency of calls, whilst the comparison was wholly in its favour on longer-range work.
The horse, our interlocutor continued, was incapable of doing, say, 40 miles a day, a distance well within the scope of the electric, but for loads of 4 tons or more and for
runs on which no stops were made, the petrol lorry was used. For example, the Express Dairy concern operates A.E.C., Albion, Leyland, and other makes for the distribution of milk from its six bottling centres to its branches.
In its own sphere, the electric is pre-eminent, whilst a characteristic which is especially valuable in milk delivery, and, indeed, in almost any field of transport, is that it affords such unbroken service, needing to be in dock for infrequent and short periods.
The conclusions to be drawn from the experiences and policy of this big ancillary user are self-evident, and seem clearly to point in a direction that might well be followed by others. The Express Dairy Co., Ltd., is not the only operator to make extensive use of the type, nor is milk delivery the only service that it performs with marked success. There are many other operators of electdcs in diverse industries from the happy experiences of which others might handsomely profit.