Introduction on electric vehicles
Hello people. This article gives you an introduction on electric vehicles.
What is an electric vehicle?
An electric vehicle works on a basic principle of science: conversion of energy. Electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy. There is a motor used in the electrical system to carry on this duty of conversion.
Motors can be of various types. The motor is to an electric vehicle what engine is to the IC vehicle. An electric vehicle is one powered by an electric motor rather than a traditional petrol/diesel engine.
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This electric motor is powered by rechargeable batteries that can be charged by common household electricity or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.
An important technology that enabled modern highway-capable electric cars is the lithium ion battery. It was invented by John Goodenough, Rachid Yazami and Akira Yoshino in the 1980s, and commercialized by Sony and Asahi kasei in 1991. The lithium-ion battery was responsible for the development of electric vehicles capable of long-distance travel.
California electric car maker Tesla Motors began development in 2004 on the Tesla Roadster, which was first delivered to customers in 2008.
The Roadster was the first highway legal serial production all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and the first production all-electric car to travel more than 320 km (200 miles) per charge.
Types of electric vehicles
There are mainly three types of electric vehicles: Pure electric, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid
Pure ELECTRIC VEHICLE
The main parts in an electric vehicle are a rechargeable battery, controller and electric motor. First, the battery is powered. Then the controller converts the current from DC-AC so that it can be used by the motor. The motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy.
HYBRID VEHICLE
The same technology exists in hybrid vehicles, alongside a small gasoline engine running a generator. This powers the vehicle at cruising speed, and batteries provide extra power when accelerating.
Batteries can recharge themselves when the vehicle is decelerating or standing still. Hybrid technology means that your petrol goes much further, saving you money and reducing environmental impact.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
These are types of hybrid electric vehicles which can recharge the batteries through regenerative braking or through the external source of power.
More explanation on types of electric vehicles.
1. Pure Electric Vehicle (PEV)
Components of an all-electric vehicle | credits: afdc.energy.gov
These are the ones which you call a fully electric vehicle. This electric vehicle type does not contain any other source of actuation other than motors and batteries. There is zero-emission in these vehicles.
The battery is charged through an external source of power such as DC fast charger or AC chargers.
On average, the BEVs take around 8 hours to get fully charged using an AC charger. This time can be reduced to 1 hour using a DC fast charger.
These electric vehicles have a range from 250kms to 500kms depending upon the battery capacity and the motor.
Some of the 4-wheeler BEVs in India are Tata Nexon EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, Mahindra eKUV 100, MG ZS EV and more. 2-wheeler BEVs in India include Ather 450, TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak Electric and many other startups are planning to launch by the end of this year.
2. Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
Hybrid Electric Vehicle | Types of electric vehicles | credits: afdc.energy.gov
These type of electric vehicles are powered by both, fuel as well as electricity. The electricity is generated by the vehicle’s own braking system. The heat produced by the brakes is converted into electrical energy. This process of conversion is called Regenerative Braking.
The electric motor is used to start off the HEVs. Then the propulsion is taken care of by the IC engine. This ensures better fuel economy. The operation of the engine as well as the motor is controlled by the ECU.
Some HEVs in India are Toyota Prius Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid. Maruti Suzuki recently introduced its hybrid system in few models too.
3. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
PHEVs | types of electric vehicles | credits: afdc.energy.gov
These are types of hybrid electric vehicles which can recharge the batteries through regenerative braking or through the external source of power.
The HEVs travel about 3-4kms before the engine is switched on, PHEVs can go up to 65kms before the engine provides the required assistance for the propulsion of the vehicle.
PHEV options available in India are Mahindra e-Verito, BMW i8 and the Volvo XC90 T8.
Hope this article on introduction on electric vehicles is useful to you. To read about jobs in the Electric Vehicle Industry, please visit Job opportunities in Electric Vehicle Sector and its Charging Infrastructure industry