Overview for Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles are taking over the world by storm – and not to mention they are getting pretty popular anywhere you travel to. They really are the car of the future. So what is an electric vehicle? Also known by the abbreviation EV, it is a vehicle that is contains a power source of either solely or partially electric power. 

Electric vehicles are environmentally friendly vessels that have low running costs, less moving parts, and use little to no fossil fuels (petrol or diesel). The batteries some of the older EV’s use contained lead acid or nickel metal hydride. However, the modern versions have standard batteries within that are lithium ion. These batteries have greater longevity and are excellent at retaining energy, with a self discharge rate of only 5% per month. 

With every modern solution there comes a modern problem, which is seen with this type of battery. The lithium ion batteries can experience thermal runaway which has caused fires or explosions in the Tesla model S. Efforts have been made to improve the safety of these batteries but there’s still a ways to go to achieve this. 

Two Main Types of Electric Vehicles

There are two main types of electric vehicles; fully electric and plug-in hybrids. Fully electric or battery electric vehicles (BEV) are exactly what they sound like; they are vehicles that contain a battery that is used to operate the vehicle. Keep in mind an electronic vehicle does not contain the traditional car engine, and so it uses the battery in it’s place to run. Compared to the internal combustion engine, battery powered electric vehicles have approximately 99% fewer moving parts that require maintenance. 

Advantages of a BEV: 

• Creates very little noise 
• No exhaust, spark plugs, clutch, or gears
• Doesn’t burn fossil fuels, instead uses rechargeable batteries 

Battery Electric Vehicles can be charged at home overnight and will provide enough range for the average journey. Longer journeys, however, or those that require strenuous intent from the vehicle (climbing hills), may mean that the fuel cells require charging before you reach your destination. Regenerative braking or driving downhill can help alleviate this by charging the battery packs. 

Typically, the charging time for an electric car can range from 30 minutes to up to more than 12 hours. For this reason, keeping up to speed with the battery levels of your vehicle is very important. The charging time all depends on the speed of the charging station and the size of the battery. 

For many electric vehicle owners in the real world, range is one of the biggest concerns. But it is being addressed by the industry. 

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles offer a mixture of battery and petrol (or diesel) power instead of relying solely on an electric motor. This makes them ideal for long distance travelling as you have the option to switch to traditional fuels rather than having to find a charging station when the battery is dying or vice versa. 

The same disadvantages apply to the PHEV as they do to a combustible engine; need for more maintenance, engine noise, emissions, and the cost of petrol. It is important to note that PHEV’s have smaller battery packs, which means a reduced range. 

Final Thoughts

Since you made it this far, why don’t you check out a previous post that I have a feeling will peak your interest! https://zerolimits2021.com/march-spotlight-mercedes-eqs-sedan/