An Electric Vehicle - Future Drive

What is an Electric Vehicle?

An electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries or another energy storage device. Electric motors give electric cars instant torque, creating strong and smooth acceleration.

How does An Electric Vehicle works?

The electric vehicle power source is the battery which acts as a "gas tank" and supplies the electric motor with the energy necessary to move the vehicle.  This gives the car acceleration.  When the vehicle is idle there is no electrical current being processed, so energy is not being used up. The controller acts as a regulator, and controls the amount of power received from the batteries so the motor does not burn out. This battery powers all of the electronic devices in the car, just like the battery in a gas-powered car. Everything else in the electric car is basically the same as its gas-powered equivalent: transmission, brakes, air conditioning, and airbags. Since electric vehicles use an electric motor, the driver can take advantage of the motor's momentum when pressure is applied on the brakes.  Instead of converting all the potential energy in the motor into heat like a fossil fuel-powered car does, an electric car uses the forward momentum of the motor to recharge the battery. This process is called regenerative braking.

What are the advantages of having an electric vehicle?

There are many environmental benefits and personal benefits for having an electric car:

• Most electric motors can travel up to 150 – 180 km before they need to be charged
• No tail pipe exhaust means no greenhouse gases such as CO2, NOx and PM10s
• No oil consumption means less reliance on fuel
• Cars can be recharged whenever is convenient to the user
• More cost-effective than regular cars because of long-lasting battery use
• Cheaper to maintain because they have fewer moving parts
• Creates less noise pollution because the engine is silent

Types of electric vehicles

There are three main types of electric vehicles (EVs), classed by the degree that electricity is used as their energy source.

·         Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

HEVs are powered by both petrol and electricity. The electric energy is generated by the car’s own braking system to recharge the battery. This is called ‘regenerative braking’, a process where the electric motor helps to slow the vehicle and uses some of the energy normally converted to heat by the brakes.

HEVs start off using the electric motor, then the petrol engine cuts in as load or speed rises. The two motors are controlled by an internal computer which ensures the best economy for the driving conditions. The Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid are both examples of HEVs.

·         Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Also known as Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs), this type of EV is powered by both petrol and electricity.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) offer a choice of fuels. PHEVs have both an internal combustion engine and electric motor. These vehicles are powered by an alternative fuel or a conventional fuel, such as gasoline (petrol), and a battery, which is charged up with electricity by plugging into an electrical outlet or charging station.

The amount of electricity a PHEV can store in its battery can significantly reduce the vehicle’s petroleum consumption under typical driving conditions

·         Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

BEVs are fully electric vehicles, meaning they are only powered by electricity and do not have a petrol engine, fuel tank or exhaust pipe.

BEVs are also known as ‘plug-in’ EVs as they use an external electrical charging outlet to charge the battery. BEVs can also recharge their batteries through regenerative braking.

Charging your electric vehicle

It’s best to fully charge your electric vehicle (EV) before you leave home, especially if the trip you are taking is close to the EV’s range. For longer trips, you will need to plan where you will be able to recharge.

Charging at home or work

Charging at home or work is possible via a standard electrical power point (240 volt AC / 15 amp electricity supply). The rate of charge will depend on the EV’s on-board charger – 2.5 kilowatts (kW) to 7 kW is usual. So at 2.5 kW, a Nissan Leaf will be fully charged overnight. 

Dedicated EV charging units are another option for home. Check with the car manufacturer for the specific charging options available.

EVs can be charged on economy electricity tariffs like T31 and T33, so you can save money if you switch to an economy tariff for off peak charging overnight. To be on the economy tariffs, you must have a hard-wired dedicated EV charging point, a standard electrical power point isn't permitted.

Charging at public charging outlets

Publicly accessible ‘fast charger’ or ‘super charger’ outlets provide power to the battery at a faster rate. The rate of charge is usually from 25 kW to 135 kW and can recharge an EV battery in around 30 minutes.

How much does a recharge cost?

The cost depends on where you live and the capacity of the EV’s batteries. For example, the average price for electricity per kilowatt hour (kWh) in Australia is about $0.25 and it takes around 18 kWh to travel 100km in an average EV. So, it will cost approximately $4.50 in electricity charges to travel 100km.

Battery life expectancy

Batteries wear out and a replacement battery will eventually be needed. Most car manufacturers guarantee their batteries for around 8 years. Nissan guarantee their batteries against defects for 8 years or 160,000km and capacity loss for 5 years or 96,500km (whichever occurs earlier).

Electric Vehicle Manufacturers in World

- Volkswagen

- Tesla

- Chevrolet

- Nissan Leaf 

- BMW

- Ford

- Toyota

 Electric Vehicle Manufacturers in India

- Reva Electric Car Company

- Eco Dynaamic Equipments

- Goenka Electric Motor Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.

- Kabirdass Motors Company Private Limited

- Lovenssa Motor

 India’s plans

An aggressive plan called the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 was unveiled in 2015. It aims to have 6-7 million (60-70 lakh!) electric vehicles on the road by 2020 of which a lion’s share will be two-wheelers. Three years are left to achieve this task! How many electric car makers are there in India? 

NEW DELHI: The government is working on a scheme to provide electric cars on zero down payment for which people can pay out of their savings on expensive fossil fuels, for becoming 100 per cent electric vehicle nation by 2030. "India can become the first country of its size which will run 100 per cent of electric vehicles. We are trying to make this programme selffinancing.

"We don't need one rupee support from the government. We don't need one rupee investment from the people of India," Power Minister Piyush Goyal said at an event organised by CII Young India here. (ET - Mar 26, 2016)

** All data are gathered form trusted source/websites.