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11/3/08

Electric Vehicles

By Dave Reese

Bob asked me months ago to write about the EV-1 electric car that is in America On Wheels. I know this is not a body that I have seen as an HO slot car, although it might be a decent design for one. But our EV-1 is in the South gallery along with several other electric cars, a hydrogen car, a hybrid, a steam car, a horse drawn Studebaker, and possibly the first internal combustion car built in America. Studebaker is the manufacture represented for the horse drawn vehicle built in South Bend, IN in 1890. In the same room are the only 1891 Nadig, which is the same chassis the Nadig brothers built in 1889 with a single-cylinder engine, but the car on display is the second version using the two-cylinder engine. There is an 1895 Electrobat IV that is not the first venture into electric vehicles by Henry G. Morris and Pedro Salmon. A 1901 Curved Dash Olds represents the internal combustion production cars in the early years. The 1908 Stanley Steamer and the 1922 Detroit Electric on display show how the auto industry was trying multiple forms of motivation for the vehicles, before they locked onto the gas powered internal combustion engined cars.

But in the last half century, some other alternatives have arrived. The 1976 Citi Car is one of these. An electric car that is similar to an enclosed golf cart, our orange example shows the wear and tear of everyday use. The car his 6 standard 6-volt batteries immediately underneath the seat cushion of this two seater, and had a range up to 50 miles before recharging. Next to that is the amazing EV-1. Built by General Motors, it was made in response to a California law requiring zero-emission vehicles. The cars were built in 1997 through 2000, and were only available on a lease program. Although many of those who leased the cars wanted to purchase them at the end of the lease, General Motors ended the program in 2003 and took back all of the cars because they stated they could never make a profit on the program, and did not want any product liability claims against them due to the program never being fully developed. It had been stated at the time that all the cars had their drive trains removed and the cars were destroyed. I do not know if all the drive trains were completely taken from the cars, but a few cars were given to universities and museums. I have heard that The Henry Ford (the museum formerly know as the Henry Ford Museum) received two, and the one at AOW is on loan from there. Near that we have a 2008 Prius to represent the present methods of energy use, as well as an eZee Sprint electric bicycle from 2007, and a hydrogen powered car that is a conversion of a Neon with a solar panel on the roof, and uses a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas. This car was built by a consortium of schools in New Jersey as their official test bed for alternative fuel vehicles. And in front of this car is Hydrogen fuel pump station by Air Products and Chemicals that shows how easy it will be to fuel a fuel cell car when they become available as another choice to reduce our petroleum dependence.

Without trying to pick a solution to our energy problems, it does show that if we use a mixture of fuels and types of power, we probably will not have the same reliance on one source of energy, and our current supplies will last much longer as well.

It is fun to work in a museum that is an educational facility teaching about the history and the future of road transportation in America. Since Allentown is (at least for a little bit longer) the World Headquarters of Mack Trucks, the company was a major force in starting this museum, and there are lots of Mack Trucks on display, as well as vintage and current bicycles, motorcycles, and a Segway. Also many forms racing are represented, including lawn mower, Can Am, NASCAR, Indy Cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. This is a world class museum helping to teach multiple generations of the joys of road travel. Hopefully I will see many of you here in Allentown some day soon. Check out what this museum has to offer at www.americaonwheels.org .