The Electric Automobile; Its Construction, Care, and Operation (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERIES THEIR CONSTRUCTION, USE AND OPERATION IN AUTOMOBILES Probably in the whole history of mechanical and electrical devices there has been nothing of more importance and at the same time so little understood by the general public as storage batteries. But as the problems connected with them, from this time on, must be placed in their hands to a greater or less extent by the introduction of electric automobiles, it is necessary that they be understood. One buys a fine carriage and a fine harness, both of which are useless without the horse. He then purchases a horse, and every care and attention is lavished upon him for his comfort, maintenance and longevity. In the same sense, when one buys an electric carriage the storage battery part of it is its propelling power or horse, and should have every care and attention to ensure its perfect working and longevitythat is given the horse. No matter how well a carriage may run, no matter how perfect the motors, controllers, carriage design and all of its appointment, they, in themselves, are valueless in operation without the storage battery, and as this constitutes the soul or moving power of the vehicle, no expense or attention within practical limits should be spared to preserve its usefulness and ensure its perfect operation. I am asked by hundreds of people, What is a storage battery? How is it made and how does it work? and this from people who belong to the better-educated classes. It has never been necessary for them, up to the present time, to inquire into these things and they are always very frank in confessing their ignorance of the matter. Manufacturers of automobiles, therefore, do not expect that these people shall understand these things until they have been educated...