How much energy is needed to power an electric vehicle?
1 Answer
Mar 5, 2017
It depends on the mass of the vehicle, how long it needs to be powered for, and what velocity it moves at.
Explanation:
The equation for electrical power is
and, for mechanical power,
so we can say that
or
which means that the energy supply is proportional to the current, the voltage and the time for which it is supplied.
We can also use the equation for kinetic energy,
which means that increasing mass or velocity of the vehicle requires more energy.