Do electric cars have a gearbox?
Ecology
13 January 2023
Increasingly, we are seeing eco-friendly machines that significantly reduce pollution and have a positive impact on the environment. One machine that has become particularly popular in recent years is electric cars. However, many people do not know how they work. The most frequently asked question is, does an electric car have a gearbox? Find out all the information you need to know about electric cars.
How does an electric car work?
Electric cars resemble internal combustion vehicles in their operation. The main difference between the two is the construction of the engine and its location. In the case of a combustion car, it is located at the front of the vehicle under the bonnet. An electric vehicle operates via an electric motor and a battery pack. These may be located, for example, under the floor or even at the rear of the car. The electrical system used for electric cars is much simpler and quieter.
Battery in an electric car - capacity and other important information
Many questions about the operation of electric cars relate to the design and durability of the batteries and battery packs. In this type of vehicle, the batteries are usually mounted under the floor. A fully charged car can travel several hundred kilometres. Charging time from 0 to 100% ranges from a few hours to several hours. Batteries used to power electric cars range from 20 to even over 100 kWh.
One of the worries of drivers wishing to opt for an electric car is the availability of chargers in public places. Virtually all shopping malls and car parks in larger cities have dedicated parking spaces for electric vehicles. There are three types of charging stations: slow stations with a capacity of up to 11 kW, medium-fast stations with a capacity of between 11 and 22 kW and fast stations with a capacity of over 50 kW. You already know how the drive and charging of an electric vehicle works. Find out then if the electric car has a gearbox.
Do electric cars have gearboxes?
One of the most important components of any vehicle is the gearbox - however, an electric car does not offer it in the classic form found in vehicles with internal combustion engines. Almost every driver considers gear shifting to be an extremely important part of driving a car. Currently, there are vehicles on the market with a single-speed gearbox, with a two-speed transmission and with dual motors. Fitting a classic gearbox would also put extra strain on the engine and consume a lot of energy, which could make it very expensive to use such a vehicle.
How many gears does the gearbox in an electric car have?
Many drivers are used to changing gears manually. This is why the question that is most often asked is: is it possible to create an electric car with a manual gearbox? If so, how many gear ratios do such vehicles have? Three different gearbox variants are used by the manufacturers of such cars.
In electric vehicles, the most popular of the gearbox versions are the single-speed ones. Thanks to their special design, this type of mechanism does not put much strain on the engine and therefore does not consume a large amount of current to change gears. This has a significant effect on increasing the life of the batteries and keeping them running longer, preventing the need for frequent recharging.
The second type of gearbox fitted to electric cars are two-speed transmissions. One gearbox is responsible for accelerating the vehicle in the shortest possible time, while the other gearbox adjusts the drive operation accordingly, resulting in lower energy consumption. The two gearboxes in combination form a system that makes it possible to achieve high speed in a short period of time. In electric cars, it is also possible to encounter twin motors as an alternative to the gearbox. This innovative method allows the car to instantly accelerate to high speeds.
The gearbox in an electric car, or the mechanism that is supposed to mimic its operation, is mainly assembled to give users the sensation of driving a traditional car, but at the moment it is not possible to create a traditional version. This is mainly due to the high consumption of electricity to change gears. However, newer and newer technologies make it possible to create innovative equipment, so it is very likely that one day electric cars will be available with a classic gearbox, or a mechanism that perfectly mimics its operation.
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