Some automotive technicians are going to be killed by the high voltages on electric vehicles. I have written many textbooks about automotive technology where I have highlighted safe working practices, but the one I have just completed the script for will save lives. This book is called, \u2018Electric and Hybrid Vehicles\u2019, and will be out early in 2016. By the way, we use the term EV to cover all the different types there are such as hybrids and pure-EVs.<\/p>\n
Did you know the voltages on some EVs can be several hundred volts, which is almost three time the mains voltage in our houses? The majority of EV batteries are well over 300 volts. If the human body experiences a current of just fifty thousandths of an ampere (50mA, which is not very much) for over two seconds it can be fatal.<\/p>\n
Now that I have scared you away from ever touching high voltage components (which are all labelled and usually coloured orange) I would add that working on EVs is perfectly safe! You just need to be trained and know what you are doing. Driving an EV is also perfectly safe and don\u2019t expect poor performance either. My EV will do well over 80 miles per hour (on a private track!) just using the battery and electric motor.<\/p>\n
Of course as well as saving lives, the book is packed with really interesting information and technology relating to EVs. For example, whether it is safe to plug in the charging lead in the rain. How most motors on EVs are AC motors but we call them DC motors! The book even covers things like what \u2018first responders\u2019 should do if a lithium-ion battery is burning after an accident. The book covers all the requirements for the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) awards and accreditations for those who need a qualification. Look out for the amazing eLearning that will also be available soon to support the book.<\/p>\n
I have also included a short case study on charging my own EV (actually a PHEV) from solar panels. This may or may not save the planet but in the meantime it does save me money as I can now do a large proportion of my motoring for about 1p a mile.<\/p>\n
Here are three more interesting facts to finish on:<\/p>\n
A formula-e (fully electric racing car) will accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in under 3 seconds<\/p>\n
Now back to the final proof read of the script!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Some automotive technicians are going to be killed by the high voltages on electric vehicles. I have written many textbooks about automotive technology where I have highlighted safe working practices, but the one I have just completed the script for will save lives. This book is called, \u2018Electric and Hybrid Vehicles\u2019, and will be out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ev-and-hybrid"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p79TdE-Dp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2773,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=2773","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":0},"title":"Axial-flux EV motor technology","author":"Tom Denton","date":"May 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"YASA P400 series electric motors and generators are small and light, capable of delivering up to 370 N\u00b7m of torque and 160 kW of power from an axial length of 80.4 mm. Motor developments for electric vehicles (EVs) often are shaded by the emphasis placed on battery capability. But the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automotive"","block_context":{"text":"Automotive","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2704,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=2704","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":1},"title":"PTC Heater","author":"Tom Denton","date":"October 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"BorgWarner has announced that it will supply its high-voltage positive temperature coefficient (PTC) cabin heating technology for an unspecified new EV model from a global automaker. BorgWarner\u2019s technology is designed to provide rapid cabin heating while making the most efficient possible use of energy in order to conserve battery power.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automotive"","block_context":{"text":"Automotive","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/BorgWarner-300x185.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3264,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=3264","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":2},"title":"EVs could travel five times further with new battery tech","author":"Tom Denton","date":"March 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A new type of automotive battery technology could be used to increase the range of electric vehicles (EVs) by up to five times.Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a solution that enables lithium-sulpher batteries, which have a much higher capacity than the lithium-ion technology currently used in EVs,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automotive"","block_context":{"text":"Automotive","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/lithium-sulpher-battery_w555.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/lithium-sulpher-battery_w555.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/lithium-sulpher-battery_w555.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2568,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=2568","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":3},"title":"Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill","author":"Tom Denton","date":"March 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A license to practice in general in the automotive service and repair industry\u00a0is essential in my opinion. However, we are more likely to have success with this in connection with Electric Vehicles (includes all hybrids and variants). I fully support the IMI and the work they are doing to achieve\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EV and Hybrid"","block_context":{"text":"EV and Hybrid","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_0165-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3177,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=3177","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":4},"title":"Battery breakthroughs","author":"Tom Denton","date":"March 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Now that much more research is going into EVs, rather than ICE vehicles, the developments will keep coming - IMHO! For example: A new fabrication technique could allow solid-state automotive lithium-ion batteries to adopt nonflammable ceramic electrolytes using the same production processes as in batteries made with conventional liquid electrolytes.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automotive"","block_context":{"text":"Automotive","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2432,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=2432","url_meta":{"origin":2443,"position":5},"title":"ICE, PHEV or Pure-EV","author":"Tom Denton","date":"August 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"(Internal Combustion Engine, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (like my GTE!) or a pure Electric only Vehicle) I have been playing around with a few figures relating to the overall costs of running these three\u00a0different vehicles and trying to compare them - it is a difficult task! Here is what\u00a0I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EV and Hybrid"","block_context":{"text":"EV and Hybrid","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2444,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2443\/revisions\/2444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}