You see, the exhibit not only showcases the i3, but also its predecessors and siblings. He begins by introducing the BMW all-electric coupe; it was basically a converted to electric with a front motor and front-mounted lead-acid batteries; it was showcased at the olympics:.
The first vehicle that came out of that group was the Mini E:. The vehicles were leased to customers to figure out how drivers use their EVs. Incidentally, my college capstone project, a totaled VW Jetta converted into a rear-wheel drive convertible EV, utilized both power electronics from a decommissioned Mini E as well as the 35 kWh battery pack from that car you can see the pack behind the front seats in the Mini above.
Below are some images of my college capstone project:. The pack that we ended up receiving is a partially used pack from a Mini E. Each battery module is wired in series. Therefore to reach the correct operating voltage of the motor there must be very close to the optimal number of modules. Each of the EV Grid battery packs is 7. The desired motor voltage is V, thus the goal was to fit 50 modules into the car, but we ended up only being able to package Electricity has been used to power automobiles since the s, when Scottish inventor Robert Anderson built a rudimentary electric carriage.
At the turn of the 20th century, it was the most popular means of motor vehicle propulsion; it was clean, quiet, reliable, and especially well-liked by wealthy women who appreciated—and could afford—the autonomy that electric cars offered.
However, electric vehicles were also heavy, expensive, limited in range, and required a great deal of time to recharge, and these drawbacks could not be easily addressed with then-available technologies. Inexpensive oil and the wide adoption of the electric self-starter during the mids ultimately enabled petroleum-powered vehicles to dominate the market.
