• Welcome!

  

  Hi! Welcome to my blog! I’m EVie! I’m an electric truck and I’m pretty special. You can meet me at the St. Louis Science Center. I’ll be there for the first time during SciFest, October 17-23, 2011. Come and meet me and learn about energy Learn More

  

• My Story, Part I

  

  Before I start talking about energy and all the cool stuff I’m doing, I thought you’d like to know where I came from. I’m actually from Kansas City. A company called Smith Electric Vehicles put me together.

  

• Iron

  

  Every year, the average person uses 357 lbs of iron ore for things like cars, buildings, solar panels and wind turbines.  An average American will use 27,810 pounds of iron over his or her lifetime!  Iron ore is the primary component of steel.  In fact, Learn More

  

• Lead

  

  To store the electricity from the solar panels, EVie has 12 lead-acid batteries in her cargo area.  She also has 2 lead-acid batteries to help get her started and to run her different accessories like the lift-gate.  Most cars use lead-acid batteries to start the Learn More

  

• Lithium

  

  Nearly everyone has a cell phone or portable music device today.  Twenty years ago, cell phones and portable music devices, known as boomboxes, were quite large.  Today’s cell phones and music devices are much smaller thanks to new battery technology and new materials used to Learn More

  

• Silicon

  

  There is one element that is crucially important for today’s high tech world.  Can you guess what it is?  If you guessed silicon, you would be correct.  Silicon is used in many different applications.  Many of EVie’s parts require silicon.  Can you name some of Learn More

  

• Copper

  

  If you were to look at the St. Louis skyline, you would see a number of buildings with dull green roofs.  Some buildings with these green roofs include the Old Courthouse Downtown, St. Louis University Hospital, different buildings on the campus of St. Louis University Learn More

  

• Elements Used in Making Steel

  

  In the past few weeks, we have discussed different minerals that are important to electric vehicles like EVie.  One major component of electric vehicles and EVie is steel.  The frame, or chassis, of most cars and of EVie is made of steel.  Not only is Learn More

  

• Elements Used in the Electrical System

  

    This week, the blog focuses on the different elements that make up the motor and the electrical system of electric vehicles such as EVie.  The elements discussed this week include nickel, lanthanum, cadmium, tungsten, and neodymium. Before lithium-ion rechargeable batteries were readily available, nickel Learn More

  

• Comparing Electric- and Gas- Powered Vehicles

  

  In the past few weeks, we have been looking at the different elements that go into an electric vehicle like EVie.  In the coming weeks, we will be looking more closely at the different parts of an electric vehicle.  This week the focus will be Learn More

  

• Motors

  

  Take a moment to explore your house.  Your house probably contains an air conditioner, a fan, a furnace, a vacuum and a multitude of other electronic devices, including many of your toys.  Many of these things have something in common.  Can you guess what it Learn More

  

• Regenerative Braking

  Every car and truck on the road has brakes.  Brakes are used to slow down or bring the car to a stop.  Cars and trucks use a variety of different braking systems, such as drum, disc, or air brakes (EVie has air brakes!) to stop.  Learn More

• Batteries

  

  We have discussed batteries a great deal on this blog and website for good reason.  Batteries are a central issue and concern in electric vehicles.  How efficient batteries are can be a major impact on the range of electric vehicles.  Batteries, used for energy storage, Learn More

  

• Generating Electricity

  

  The average Missouri home uses 12,000 kWh of electricity during the year.  That electricity cools our homes, turns on the lights and let us play video games.  Where does that electricity come from?  Chances are that electricity comes from a power plant.  Different types of Learn More

  

• Hydroelectricity

  

  Have you ever visited the Lake of the Ozarks or Table Rock Lake?  Both of these lakes are man-made lakes!  Why were the lakes created?  They were created as giant reservoirs to generate electricity. You don’t need to create a lake to generate electricity, you Learn More

  

• Electricity from Biomass

  

  Imagine life 500 years ago.  There was no electricity, meaning there were no televisions or video games, let alone stoves or heaters.  Without electricity, how did people cook food or heat their homes?  What source of energy did they use? If you guessed wood, you Learn More

  

• Natural Gas

  

  In the late 1800s and early 1900s, before electricity was wide spread, natural gas was also used for lighting.  If you have ever seen watched “Meet Me in St. Louis” there is a scene in the movie where Ester and John go through the house Learn More

  

• Wind

  

  Have you ever seen pictures of fields in the Netherlands?  Have you ever read or seen Don Quixote? Have you ever seen pictures of old farms on the American prairie?    Think about what they all have in common.  If you think it is windmills, you Learn More

  

• Coal

  

    If you have ever read anything about electricity or the environment, coal usually is mentioned.  Coal is used to supply 42% of the world’s electricity.  Coal and its mining are woven into our culture.  There are songs, such as “Workin’ in a Coal Mine,” Learn More

  

• Nuclear Power

  

  In the past few weeks, we have discussed different nonrenewable fuel sources used to generate electricity.  These fuel sources have included coal and natural gas.  There is one nonrenewable fuel source left:  nuclear. What is first thing you think of when you think of nuclear Learn More

  

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