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Operation is much like driving a car with an automatic transmission;
there is an accelerator that controls forward movement, and a brake
that when applied, slows the vehicle and at the same time recharges
the batteries. A button is pressed for reverse. The GM Impact uses
alternating current (AC) motors and a converter for utlizing the
battery's power, which is DC. The car's main power source is a special
battery pack. The main obstacle of battery power is its power to
weight ratio. Lead batteries weighing the same as a full tank of
gasoline have much less usable energy for the car to draw from. Also,
as batterys lose their power, the performance drops gradually, which
could be dangerous in traffic. There are many different battery
types being developed, but the majority of designs use either nickel
cadmium or lead-acid. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Depending on their design and cost, the batteries can take anywhere
from 20 minutes to ten hours to recharge. They provide ranges from 30
to 100 miles on a single charge.
Another important part of the electric car is the electronic control
system. The energy management control, which encompasses both
acceleration and deceleration, controls and monitors the power
flow, and alerts the driver of a drop in power.
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