Over the past ten years, probably almost every inhabitant of the Earth has heard at least with the edge of an ear about a person like Elon Musk. And those who are more or less familiar with one of his main creations – Tesla electric vehicles – consider Musk to be one of the greatest people in history. So what are his electric vehicles built on and how do they work? In this article I will try to answer this question in a reasonably understandable language, without getting into the technical jungle, but not using too elementary concepts.
Engine
The first thing to realize when familiarizing yourself with the features of the Tesla device (yes, I'll make a reservation right away that the following discussion will focus on the most common Tesla – Model S): there is no internal combustion engine that we are used to, which means there is no need to use gasoline by burning it and converting the energy thus obtained into the rotation of the wheels. Instead, Tesla has a relatively compact electric motor sited above the rear axle. According to the manufacturer, this approach is at least 3 times more effective than a traditional internal combustion engine. The local electric motor works according to the principle of electromagnetic induction, which is used in many household appliances. With its help, the Model S develops 416 hp. and a torque of 600 Nm; the power unit is cooled by circulating fluid in the system. If we talk about the maximum configuration, the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km / h is 4.4 seconds, while it should be borne in mind that the electric car has no delay between pressing the gas pedal and applying power to the wheels, as a result of which these 4.4 seconds are felt twice faster (the most obvious example of such an effect would be electricity in your own home – when you press the switch, the light in the room comes on immediately and fully, rather than gradually increasing its brightness).
Batteries and Charging
In the lower part of the structure there are batteries, the capacity of which, depending on the configuration, is equal to 65-85 kWh. This is enough to cover a distance of 330-425 km. However, the power reserve is very effectively increased by a well-implemented energy recovery system (in a nutshell, it accumulates the energy obtained when the vehicle is braking). Thanks to the good location of the batteries and the rather lightweight aluminum body, the engineers managed to achieve a very low center of gravity, which in turn made it possible to achieve a 47 to 53 weight distribution and, as a result, excellent maneuverability and softness. It is also worth noting that the concept of a fully electric car assumes a lot of free space (there is no gas tank, engine and other large-sized elements), which makes it possible to place two trunks in the car at once, in the largest of which – the rear one – you can install as many as two full-fledged children's armchairs.
It would seem that everything is perfect, that Tesla is an electric car made on the principle of “everything for people”, but what about charging this gadget or a vehicle? Elon Musk approached this issue with all responsibility, creating a constantly expanding network of Supercharger filling stations. At the moment, these filling stations are scattered across Western Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia, but most recently the company announced its intention to officially enter the Russian market, and at the same time begin the implementation of Supercharger infrastructure throughout the country, starting from Moscow.
Yes, you can charge your Tesla from a regular outlet, but it will take much longer: if at a branded gas station in half an hour an electric car can add 275 km of travel (that is, charge much more than half), then when using the network 220 V, 100% charging will take about 15 hours at a current of 20 A. For the most impatient, the possibility of replacing the old discharged battery with a new one (and, of course, charged) is declared. This service is not free, it will cost 40-60 dollars – which, in principle, is similar to the cost of filling a full tank at a regular gas station – although the process is not free, it will take only 90 seconds.
Autopilot
Well, we figured out how Tesla is driven, now I propose to talk about the autonomous control system. In order to independently determine obstacles (among the latter there may be other pedestrian cars, poles, trees, etc.), the software of an electric car collects data from four sources, namely:
- ultrasonic sensors are responsible for detecting other vehicles
- frontal radar capable of 'seeing' interference even through rain or fog
- front camera recognizes road signs
- ultra-accurate GPS that checks the correctness of information collected by other sensors
Of course, Tesla regularly updates the software of its cars, but you still cannot fully trust the autopilot – even in developed Western countries, on ideally smooth roadways with high-quality markings, Tesla periodically needs driver assistance (what can we say about cross-country trips or our ugly roads with often missing road signs and markings).
In the dry residue
The future belongs to electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. Naturally, this is not a question of a year, not two or three, but according to experts, towards the end of the next decade, mankind can get an absolutely rethought transport system, in which there will be practically no exhaust gases, road accidents (all cars will be combined into a single system by means of a high-speed mobile connection, which will allow them to coordinate their actions as accurately as possible).
