The wind energy-enhanced Electric Vehicle (EV) is one which includes multiple generators/turbines according to the user demand which will be powered by the aerodynamics of the car to charge the battery and provide extra miles on the same charge.
Future of EV is evolving with replacement of gasoline engine but some problems sustain, including range limitation. However mid-priced electric vehicle class has limited features with less emphasis on features like infotainment, instrument cluster, and other expensive features. Considering the future and ease of EV users, our idea of range extension is a must for every user. It has a huge market capacity and may bring ample revenue in future.
The idea is an addition to pre-existing electric cars. On an average, an electric car ranges around 250km (variable) range in single charge. With this idea one can increase the range of his electric vehicle without breaking his pocket. We are introducing wind turbine assisted generators for electric cars positioned in front grills and bumper, the process can be simply quoted, as the propeller shaft is attached to generator shaft with the gear system in-between. The cars aero dynamics would assist the rotation of the propeller, the gear system would amplify the revolution and the generator will produce energy that will compensate the actual range.
The electric vehicle has been around for over 100 years, and it has an interesting history of development that continues to the present. France and England were the first nations to develop the electric vehicle in the late 1800s. It was not until 1895 that Americans began to devote attention to electric vehicles. Many innovations followed and interest in motor vehicles increased greatly in the late 1890s and early 1900s. In 1897, the first commercial application was established as a fleet of New York City taxis. The early electric vehicles, such as the 1902 Wood’s Phaeton, were little more than electrified horseless carriages and surreys. Since the invention of electric car, it has been developed till date. Despite this fact, the major challenge which is their short driving range still exists. If a normal range electric car with an efficiency of 295Wh/mile is driven 13,500 miles a year, a total of 3,982,500Wh of energy is used, which is equal to 3,982.5KWh. On an average KWh in the United States is charged at rate of 0.13$, which equals to a total of 517.73$ to drive the car over a year, breaking it to months it will cost around 43.14$ (Sibila). A range extended vehicle would cost slightly more on a monthly basis.
The Electric Vehicle Market is projected to reach 26,951,318 units by 2030 from an estimated 3,269,671 units in 2019, at a CAGR of 21.1 per cent during the forecast period. Mid-priced vehicle segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR rate (Marketsandmarkets, n.d.). The future of EVs is expected to be bright and with time the price of batteries, one of the most vital components in an EV, is reducing significantly which would make EVs more affordable. The mid-priced vehicle class has limited features with less emphasis on features like infotainment, instrument cluster, and other expensive features.
Air pollution is a big issue in the cities for developing countries. Air pollution is mainly caused by vehicle emissions. Electric cars have zero emission. Using electric cars should not hurt economy. Oppositely, the business of electric cars can create a lot of jobs in the areas of new electricity charge station construction and operation, battery production, renewable energy, new car design, and production. Electric cars and vehicles have low emissions (zero emission by using renewable energy) and can become integral parts of a smart grid, where they do not just consume power but also provide mobile storage of energy. Target audience for our product is middle class, someone who can spend 100k$+ for an EV, can easily spend over 130k$ for a long-range EV.
Wind energy is a renewable and never-ending source of energy. Electric cars are the future of automotive industry. All development in automotive industry has led to better vehicles gradually. The only problem that still exists is shorter range. The EVs with bigger batteries are too expensive to afford for a middle-class user. Wind energy enhanced vehicles would help users get extra miles on the same charge without breaking their pockets and give a cheap alternative to longer range electric cars. Wind energy enhances vehicles is easy on monthly bills also. Wind energy turbines are a deal breaker for both mid-priced and high-end electric vehicles as it compensates that extra amount for bigger batteries.
—Sundas Khalid (The writer is a student of FC College)