The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History

Admin Electric Vehicle 0 Burden, Electric, History, Vehicle

The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History

The electric vehicle of historian David Kirsch’s title is an old technology that seems ever on the verge of making a comeback. In the late 1890s, the electric engine competed with steam- and gasoline-driven engines to become the standard for automobile manufacturers, and it remained competitive for nearly a decade until, in the early 1900s, the internal-combustion engine captured the market.

It did so for complex reasons, few of them, in Kirsch’s account, having to do with purely technological issues. Enter the “burden of history,” a fruitful notion that reminds us that deterministic ideas of why things are the way they are–for example, that the lead-acid battery held insufficient power to carry cars over long distances without recharging, thus ensuring the victory of the more easily replenished internal-combustion engine–are often only half-right, if that. Kirsch urges that those concerned with analyzing the wherefores of the past take into consideration multiple causes, and not always the most apparent ones. The automobile, he continues, is not simply a machine, but “a material embodiment of the dynamic interaction of consumers and producers, private and public institutions, existing and potential capabilities, and prevailing ideas about gender, health, and the environment.” In short, the automobile is a system unto itself, and how it came to take its present form–unchanged in many respects for a hundred years–is a story that involves many episodes.

Kirsch’s account of some of those episodes provides a solid case study for students of technological history, and for those who press for new means of transportation in the new century. –Gregory McNamee

List Price: $ 16.50

Price:

BESTEK 150w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc adapter laptop charger notebook adapter dc charger ac adapter usb charger Dual USB 3.1A 1511C

• Converts 12V DC power from a vehicle battery to 120v AC power.
• Ipad,Iphone compatible. USB upgraded from one USB port 1A to Dual USB port: DC5V,3.1A in all.
• Short circuit,overload,overheat,low/over battery voltage.Full protection and auto-shutdown feature.
• Input&Output Isolation avoid electric shock!Built-in fuse&cooling fan.Resum working after protection
• For DC12V and Car ONLY, not applied for DC24V and airplane use !

Whether you are at home, on the road, or any remote location, you can trust BESRTEK portable and backup power solutions, for the traveler on-the-go to keep your important devices power up.
Put BESTEK power in the palm of your hand to help keep you safe, productive and entertained, any time and anywhere.
This power inverter is ideal for those who frequently travel by vehicle. The 150W DC-AC Power Inverter with USB charging ports is designed for all major brand notebook computers, digital portables like video camcorder, digital camera, iPhone, iPod, call phone,PSP, DVD player & etc.

specification:
Rated Power: 150w, Max Power: 180w , Peak power: 360w .
Input voltage: 12VDC, Output voltage: 110V~120V,
USB port output : DC5V,3.1A in all. One with 1A, the other with 2.1A special for Ipad.
Indicator: dual color LED(green -operation, red-shutdown)
Over voltage shutdown: DC15V-16V, Low voltage shutdown: DC10V-11V
Warranty: one year.

Notes:
1. This product is for DC 12V use only, can NOT be applied to DC 24V and airplane use.
2.It’s normal for the inverter to become warm to the touch while you are using it, avoid placing the inverter in direct sunlight or next to heat-sensitive materials.
3. It is important to work out the electrical demands before purchasing this inverter. Since the inverter has fuse that trip over a certain voltage, using a small one to run equipment that requires a lot of power will not work.
A helpful tip whilst deciding on the car power inverter is to add the maximus waltage that each equipment will require if all were run simultaneously. To this total, add 10%. Get an inverter that can handle this waltage and all should be fine.

List Price: $ 41.99

Price: $ 18.95