Fig. 245.
168. Electric Boats are run by the current from storage batteries which are usually placed under the seats. An electric motor large enough to run a small boat takes up very little room and is generally placed under the floor. This leaves the entire boat for the use of passengers. The motor is connected to the shaft that turns the screw. Fig. 247 shows one design.
Fig. 246.
169. Electric Automobiles represent the highest type of electrical and mechanical construction. The running-gear is usually made of the best cold-drawn seamless steel tubing, to get the greatest strength from a given weight of material. The wheels are made in a variety of styles, but nearly all have ball bearings and pneumatic tires. In the lightest styles the wheels have wire spokes.
The electric motors, supported by the running-gear, are geared to the rear wheels. The motors are made as nearly dust-proof as possible.
Fig. 247.
Storage batteries are put in a convenient place, depending upon the design of the carriage, and from these the motors receive the current. These can be charged from the ordinary 110-volt lighting circuits or from private dynamos. The proper plugs and attachments are usually furnished by the various makers for connecting the batteries with the street current, which is shut off when the batteries are full by an automatic switch.