For most of us, starting our car is (or should be) completely uneventful. You turn a key or press a button, then the engine just starts. However, there was a time when cars had to be manually started.

There are a lot of components of cars that we take for granted these days, and the electric self-starter is one of them. Its inventor, Charles Franklin Kettering, was born on this day in 1876, with ...

Starter motors sit at the center of every modern ignition, yet most drivers only notice them when the key twist leads to silence. I want to unpack what that small electric motor actually does, how it ...

NOVI, MI (October 16, 2020) - As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the demands on emergency response vehicles are greater than ever, making it vital that they get to their destinations quickly and ...

Vehicle alternators are interesting beasts. Produced on a massive scale, these electric machines are available for a minimum of cost and contain all kinds of great parts: some power electronics and a ...

In this episode of “EC&M Tech Talk,” Randy Barnett, an electrical instructor, trainer, inspector, journeyman electrician, and safety expert, walks viewers through the basics of electromagnetic motor ...

Starter motors aren’t typically a great choice for motorized projects, as they’re designed to give engines a big strong kick for a few seconds. Driving them continuously can often quickly overheat ...

This article was updated May 15, 2023. It was originally published July 14, 2020. It often takes a lot of energy to get a motor up to speed. Across-the-line starters (DOL), the most common starter ...

Editor's note: Stan Hanel is a veteran of the electronics industry and active advocate of electric vehicle technologies. This column is the first of a regular series that will appear in Drive.