Recharging EV Batteries with Alternators and Regulators

by David




Why don't EV systems use alternators and regulators to recharge the batteries and run the motors?

Hi, David -

I get this question a lot!

Answer: Because the energy has to come from somewhere. The law of conservation of energy is a basic principle in physics.

Electric cars use electrical energy stored in batteries as fuel. The electrical energy powers the electric motor, which then turns the wheels and you are carried down the street.

Alternators turn mechanical energy into electrical energy, which, in your gas-guzzler, seems almost like a freebie! But it's not. You paid for it already when your petroleum-based fuel turned chemical energy into mechanical energy.

An AC electric conversion has regenerative braking so efficient that it puts nearly all the wasted braking energy back into the batteries, so it's almost as you say; but you've still got to recharge your batteries sooner or later.

Perpetual motion is only possible if no energy is spent on moving the car down the street...which kinda defeats the purpose; )

Regards,
Lynne

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magnetic rotary motion to recharge batteries
by: charles watson

If a electric motor's field coils didn't draw so many amps it would be possible to extend the range of a EV. Using permanent magnets to store the energy and produce a rotary motion is possible. While doing work the spinning magnets would also produce voltage and current like a magneto and put the amps back into the battery. A lead acid battery can only be recharged 25% of it's capacity. A 500 amp battery can only except 125 amps max to recharge, even if you have a 1000 amp alternator it will only accept 125 amps. 10 turns of wire at 5 amp will produce a magnetic field strength of 50 ampere turns Or you could have 50 turns of wire at 1 amp and produce the same field strength or 50 ampere turns using less energy. Check out youtube Watson magnetic motor demo 2.

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