The Electric Car

Electric cars come with many advantages. Because, unlike fossil fuel driven vehicles or hybrid cars, electrically operated cars can dispense entirely with a combustion engine.

Thus, on the one hand, an expensive motor fuel - such as gasoline or diesel - can be saved while, on the other, a locally driven electric car is emissions-free and has a low noise level. Furthermore, electric vehicles demonstrate a significantly higher degree of efficiency than vehicles with conventional combustion engines. Further advantages are the simple construction of the drive section, the lighter total weight - heavy components such as the gearbox, exhaust pipe or tank are dispensed with - and the lower maintenance costs.

The battery, the core
The electricity source - hence, the heart of an electric car - is formed by a lithium-ion battery; its capacity also determines the vehicle's range. Today, the storage capacity of this battery is already so large that it is possible to cover distances that have to be made on a daily basis. It is intended that continual further developments in this area will enable driving distances of up to 350 km in future.

No classic gearbox
Electric cars don't possess a gearbox in the conventional sense, since the engine provides a continuous smooth torque. The polarity of the electric engine is simply reversed for the reverse gear. The elimination of the gearbox considerably reduces the weight of the vehicle.

Recycling of electricity through brake application
The brake system of an electric car is constructed in such a way that the energy released when braking, coasting or freewheeling is recycled and fed back into the battery (energy recuperation). Particularly in the case of short distances, which involve a lot of braking, it is possible to "pull in" the one or other free kilometer.