Elektrische Viktoria
Encyclopedia
The Elektrische Viktoria was an electric car
built in several versions by Siemens
between 1905 and 1909 in Berlin
. The versions comprised a four-seat convertible (advertised and used as a hotel taxi), a minibus with a box-like structure (much like a pickup), and a van.
Top speed
was 30 km/h (19 mi/h). The electric motor
operated at a nominal potential of 88 volt
s and a maximum current of 40 ampere
s. The maximum power was 3.520 kW (about 4.8 HP
). The cruising range was 60 km with the smaller battery version and 80 km with the larger battery version.
The car was built in the Berlin based factory Siemens-Schuckertwerke, a Siemens subsidiary. The total number of units built is not known, but, according to Siemens internal records, probably between 30 and 50 were produced. The price was steep by 1905 standards, at 11000 to 17500 Marks
, depending on the model and battery capacity. At the time, a worker's monthly wages were in the range of 120 to 150 Marks.
was added during development, i.e., while braking the electric motor's operation was reversed, turning it into an electric generator charging the battery, such that the available kinetic energy could be turned into extended cruising range.
was modified for environmental reasons, avoiding the original lead
based battery technology. The lighting was modernized in order to receive official approval for operation on public roads. Siemens rebuilt the city car type B "Electrical Viktoria open". The weight is 1530 kg, to which the battery alone contributes 480 kg. Fully charging the battery takes between five and a half to six hours on 220 volt mains. The car was approved on April 8, 2010 and presented to the public in Berlin on April 30.
On June 21, 2010, the replica was involved an accident in the environs of Hinterzarten
, a resort village in the Black Forest, when the car suddenly veered off the road and into an embankment at full speed. The driver and leader of the replica project, Wilfried Feldenkirchen
, a professor of economic history, was killed, when he was ejected from the car. Four accompanying students were injured, two seriously.
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
built in several versions by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
between 1905 and 1909 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The versions comprised a four-seat convertible (advertised and used as a hotel taxi), a minibus with a box-like structure (much like a pickup), and a van.
Top speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
was 30 km/h (19 mi/h). The electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
operated at a nominal potential of 88 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
s and a maximum current of 40 ampere
Ampere
The ampere , often shortened to amp, is the SI unit of electric current and is one of the seven SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère , French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics...
s. The maximum power was 3.520 kW (about 4.8 HP
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
). The cruising range was 60 km with the smaller battery version and 80 km with the larger battery version.
The car was built in the Berlin based factory Siemens-Schuckertwerke, a Siemens subsidiary. The total number of units built is not known, but, according to Siemens internal records, probably between 30 and 50 were produced. The price was steep by 1905 standards, at 11000 to 17500 Marks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
, depending on the model and battery capacity. At the time, a worker's monthly wages were in the range of 120 to 150 Marks.
Development
Regenerative brakingRegenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
was added during development, i.e., while braking the electric motor's operation was reversed, turning it into an electric generator charging the battery, such that the available kinetic energy could be turned into extended cruising range.
2010 replica
In 2010 Siemens built a full-scale replica, based on partial sketches and three photographic images. Only the batteryBattery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
was modified for environmental reasons, avoiding the original lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
based battery technology. The lighting was modernized in order to receive official approval for operation on public roads. Siemens rebuilt the city car type B "Electrical Viktoria open". The weight is 1530 kg, to which the battery alone contributes 480 kg. Fully charging the battery takes between five and a half to six hours on 220 volt mains. The car was approved on April 8, 2010 and presented to the public in Berlin on April 30.
On June 21, 2010, the replica was involved an accident in the environs of Hinterzarten
Hinterzarten
Hinterzarten is a resort village in the Black Forest , located in the southwest of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Although Hinterzarten is mostly famous for its ski jumpers, it also has many tourist attractions .- Hinterzarten :Hinterzarten was founded in 1148...
, a resort village in the Black Forest, when the car suddenly veered off the road and into an embankment at full speed. The driver and leader of the replica project, Wilfried Feldenkirchen
Wilfried Feldenkirchen
Wilfried Feldenkirchen was a German professor and economic historian, who served as a project manager for Siemens. He was a graduate of the University of Bonn...
, a professor of economic history, was killed, when he was ejected from the car. Four accompanying students were injured, two seriously.