Question: So how do electrical motors run without any fuel to make electricity

John Welford answered on 28 Jun 2012:

Hi olliemcf,

The electricity to power an electric motor has to come from somewhere. You might be familiar with the “conservation of energy” or the “First law of thermodynamics”. This states that energy can’t be created, it must be converted from somewhere else.

So electricity can be produced by burning fuel, this is what happens in a coal-fired power station, it’s also how electricity is generate on cars and trucks, fuel turns the engine and the engine turns the “alternator” to generate electricity.

There are also ways to generate electricity without burning fossil-fuels. Technologies like wind and solar power can also generate electricity. These don’t really have a “fuel” but capture energy from the wind or sun.

This is why we are going to see more cars becoming electrically powered in the future. Their electric motors run from batteries that are recharged with electricity from the National Grid (the UK electricity network). This electricity might come from power stations – in which case they are no better for the environment than petrol or diesel cars (although they do keep the pollution out of busy towns). But they could also be recharged from “Green” energy sources like wind or solar.

The human race really needs to reduce its use of fossil fuels and using electric motors powered by green sources is one way that we can help to do this!

Does that answer your question?