Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [electric-vehicle]

An electric vehicle (EV) uses one or more electric motors for propulsion.

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What is regenerative braking and why don't we use it?

I know that many electric cars use regenerative braking to enable the car to become more efficient by converting what would otherwise be lost heat energy in to a more useful, reusable form of energy. Surely, there must be some way of engineering a…
Max Goodridge
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Can I jumpstart a non-hybrid car from a hybrid or full electric car?

This morning I had starter battery troubles with my 2001 VW Eurovan. As it happened, my father-in-law arrived just at the right time in his fancy new Toyota Camry hybrid. So we opened the hoods, dug out the jumpstart cables and then got…
Digital Trauma
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Do I need to take an electric vehicle to a specialist repair shop?

I am pondering getting an electric vehicle (a VW e-Golf, which is strongly rooted in the Golf "platform", just swapping the motor), and one issue amongst many is how to proceed with the maintenance. I do not have a good branded shop close by, and…
AnoE
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Turbo equivalent on electric motors

Is there anything functionally equivalent to a turbo for electric motors? Obviously, I am not asking for something that reuses exhaust gases to force in more air, because there are no exhaust gases nor the need for air. What I am asking is if…
sergiol
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Factors Limiting EV Battery Acceptance Rate on DC Fast Chargers

There is a bunch of, relatively speaking, inexpensive EVs with 200-250 mile (320-400 kM) range -- e.g., the Kia Niro, Subaru Solterra, Volvo C40, and late model Nissan Leafs. All, in my experience have enough range for day-to-day use (40 mile daily…
dlu
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Is it possible to have a manual transmission electric car?

Reading about the new supercar from VW, I distinctly noticed when the author specifically mentioned shifting to "drive". I know the car in article is an automatic, but it got me thinking. Is it possible to have a manual car with an electric motor?
Throsby
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Will never charging the batteries of a hybrid electric plug-in vehicle damage it?

I am likely to be forced to use a Volvo V60 in its hybrid diesel-electric plug-in version for my daily commutes. This is a hybrid system comprising a 2.4l diesel engine with an added plug-in electric motor (ERAD). The electric motor is powered by a…
JoErNanO
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Can a conventional car be used to charge an electric car?

A friend who drives a Leaf recently came very close to running out of charge, which prompted another friend to ask if it was possible to "jumpstart" a Leaf from another car. Obviously you couldn't do that in the usual way, but in principle you…
ShadSterling
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Are garage outlets for electric cars evolving to 120V/240V/480V or to 30A/90A?

The numbers in this question are for jurisdictions where the voltage delivered by electricity companies (confusingly called "hydro companies" in some places) is at 110V or 120V, and where every power outlet around a home will supply a typical 15A of…
Calaf
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Why do electric motors produce peak torque instantly vs gasoline engines

On a separate forum, someone had asked why electric cars do not have transmissions. The simple answer was that electric cars produce peak torque at any RPM but the gasoline engine needs to rev up to certain RPM to churn out similar power & torque…
Shobin P
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Can electric cars do *dynamic* (heat waste) braking?

Imagine you drove your (pure) electric car to a very high mountain resort. It took 3 full battery charges to get up here, but by golly, you did it. And you plugged in, so battery is topped up now. Due to your altitude, your car also has a lot of…
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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Is it possible to rebuild the batteries of the Nissan Leaf?

I've seen many used Nissan Leafs being offered for a very low cost (as little as $6000 as of 2016), but I'm concerned about the lifetime left in the batteries of those cars. Nissan says that they will replace the whole set for $5499, but I don't…
Gabriel Diego
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On Board Diagnostics-II for Electric Vehicles

I'm learning about OBDII, and I'm wondering whether it is valid on EV's too. According to Wikipedia's PIDs article, the Service 01 PID 51 (or Fuel Type) has a value 8 that means that the fuel type of the vehicle is Electric. However, it seems that…
Nameless
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Have any systems been created for electric cars to intentionally reduce torque in icy conditions?

So, I daydream quite a bit about owning a Tesla Roadster, then it hit me. What happens when it's icy and I need to go get groceries? Well, in my Lotus Elise, I could easily just pop the thing in second gear, maybe even third, and feather the clutch.…
Sidney
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How to convert a gasoline powered vehicle to all electric

I would like to convert a Ford Escort to an Electric Vehicle (EV). I would like to have a 40-60 mile cruising range and would not need to go faster than 55 MPH. Can you recommend a conversion kit (or an electric engine)? EDIT: It is a manual…
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