Electric Motors are able to convert electricty into rotational motion. They power electric vehicles and partially power most current hybrid vehicles. They have made a lot of automatic features possible, as well as features we take for granted now.
- Air Conditioning
- Automatic/Electric Seats
- Automatic Sunroof
- Convertible Roof Motors
- Electric Car Motors
- Window Motors
- Windshield Wiper Motors
Electric Motor Uses in Vehicles
Air Conditioning
Not all air conditioning systems use electric motors to power the compressor, but some use them to power the fans that blow air through the system's tubing. These are often called blower motors and can be controlled by a resistor by means of a switch/dial on the dashboard.
Automatic/Electric Seats
Adjustable seats slide along a track, and when they are moved electronically along that track, that movement is made possible by and electric motor which can spin in both directions, based on the current flow direction.
Automatic Sunroof
If the sunroof is automatically adjustable, it operates in a similar way to automatic/electric seats, only the parts involved are designed differently to handle the different location and space available.
Convertible Roof Motors
Not all convertible roofs are electrical, but the ones that are use electric motors and flat gears to push the roof into place.
Electric Car Motors
Some vehicles are powered by electricity, like the Tesla Roadster and Nissan Leaf. They are an alternative to gasoline-powered engines. Most electric car motors are much more simple than piston engines, but require batteries instead of a gas tank. At the moment, gasoline is much more energy dense than any battery that can be mass produced at a semi-reasonable price, but a major advancement in battery technology may change this.
Window Motors
Any vehicle with automatic windows needs electric motors to power them. These motors turn a system of cables which lift or lower the window. This is mounted to an assembly within the door which guides the window in the correct direction within guide rails.
The old manual crank style window system wasn't just replaced with an electric motor where the crank used to be because it would take a much more powerful electric motor in order to make that design work.
Windshield Wiper Motors
Windshield wipers require motors which can change direction repetitively, and be strong enough to overcome the wind passing over the windshield. Wiper motors will have some sort of circuitry to allow quick revarsal, as the wiping process requires.