Electric vehicles:
Electric vehicles are a promising technology in terms of achieving a sustainable transport sector in the future, considering their very low to zero carbon emissions, low noise, high efficiency, and flexibility in grid operation and integration. An electric vehicle contains an electric motor powered by a battery instead of a combustion engine running on gasoline. Moreover, it can also be considered a viable solution in improving issues related to climate change.
One of the reasons that EVs have increased in popularity is improvements to newer battery technology. Old lead-acid batteries were very heavy, had a range of less than 100 miles, and only could function through several hundred deep cycles. New lithium-ion batteries have a range of up to 300 miles and 10 times the life, remaining functional through about 2,000 deep cycles.
Today, zero-emission, all-electric vehicles go a distance of up to 80 miles, though new models expand the driving ranges to over 300 miles. In addition to driving by the gas station, all-electric vehicles also have fewer maintenance-related tasks: change oil, go through a smog check, replace the spark plugs and perhaps replace a catalytic converter or other components which wear out and break. All-electric vehicle can be charged at home, via standard 120-volt or 240-volt house plugs or on the go away from home, at public or workplace charging stations.
Benefits of electric vehicles:
- Clean air. They don’t burn fossil fuel, so they are not spewing toxins on the streets and in neighborhoods where you live.
- Quiet. Electric engines make much less noise than combustion engines.
- Low maintenance. The engines have fewer moving parts to wear out, meaning you may spend less money and effort on engine maintenance.
- Save money on gas. Though initially more expensive, you won’t be paying at the pump to keep your EV running.
- Fast acceleration. Electric motors produce amazing torque the instant you step on the accelerator.
- Advanced technology. Most models feature sleek styling and a variety of onboard features that make them a tech showcase.
Types of Electric vehicles:
- Plug-in all-electric vehicles (battery electric vehicles or BEVs)
These EVs are powered by a rechargeable battery. The battery capacity has a limited range. The farther these cars travel and the steeper the topography, the shorter the range between charges.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)
Hybrid vehicles can run on either battery power or fossil fuels. You just plug them in to charge, or they could run on gasoline or diesel. They do have a longer range because you can switch between the power sources.
- Hybrid-electric vehicles
These types of EVs have a combustion engine that powers the car and charges the battery. Instead of plugging it in, the battery gets power from the combustion engine, so it is an electric car that uses gas.
- Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)
These electric vehicles, instead of drawing their energy from a battery, have fuel cells full of hydrogen gas. The fuel cell stack contains electrodes that make use of both hydrogen and oxygen to produce the electricity that in turn powers the motor. FCEVs do not emit carbon dioxide or other forms of air pollution.
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