THE ELECTRIC CAR 3 | OCT.
THE ELECTRIC CAR 3 | OCT.
| The Electric Car | |
| 3 | Oct. 1 2022 VOLUME | |
| An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car, is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quieter, have no exhaust emissions, and lower emissions overall.[1] In the United States and the European Union, as of 2020, the total cost of ownership of recent electric vehicles is cheaper than that of equivalent ICE cars, due to lower fueling and maintenance costs.[2][3] Charging an electric car can be done at a variety of charging stations; these charging stations can be installed in both houses and public areas.[4] Worldwide, 6.6 million plug-in electric cars were sold in 2021, more than doubling 2020 sales, and achieving a market share of 9% of the global new car market.[5] All-electric cars represented 71% of plug-in car sales in 2021.[6] As of December 2021, 16 million plug-in electric cars were on the world’s roads.[5] Many countries have established government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles, tax credits, subsidies, and other non-monetary incentives while several countries have legislated to phase-out sales of fossil fuel cars,[7][8] to reduce air pollution and limit climate change.[9] The Tesla Model 3 became the world’s all-time best-selling electric car in early 2020,[10] and in June 2021 became the first electric car to pass 1 million global sales.[11] Earlier models with widespread adoption include the Japanese Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf. An electric vehicle battery (EVB, also known as a traction battery) is a rechargeable battery used to power the electric motors of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Typically lithium-ion batteries, they are specifically designed for high electric charge (or energy) capacity. Electric vehicle batteries differ from starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) batteries as they are designed to give power over sustained periods of time and are deep-cycle batteries. Batteries for electric vehicles are characterized by their relatively high power-to-weight ratio, specific energy and energy density; smaller, lighter batteries are desirable because they reduce the weight of the vehicle and therefore improve its performance. Compared to liquid fuels, most current battery technologies have much lower specific energy, and this often impacts the maximum all-electric range of the vehicles. The most common battery type in modern electric vehicles are lithium-ion and lithium polymer, because of their high energy density compared to their weight. Other types of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles include lead–acid (“flooded”, deep-cycle, and valve regulated lead acid), nickel-cadmium, nickel–metal hydride, and, less commonly, zinc–air, and sodium nickel chloride (“zebra”) batteries.[1] The amount of electricity (i.e. electric charge) stored in batteries is measured in ampere hours or in coulombs, with the total energy often measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Since the late 1990s, advances in lithium-ion battery technology have been driven by demands from portable electronics, laptop computers, mobile phones, and power tools. The BEV and HEV marketplace has reaped the benefits of these advances both in performance and energy density. Unlike earlier battery chemistries, notably nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion batteries can be discharged and recharged daily and at any state of charge. The battery pack makes up a significant cost of a BEV or a HEV. As of December 2019, the cost of electric vehicle batteries has fallen 87% since 2010 on a per kilowatt-hour basis.[2] As of 2018, vehicles with over 250 mi (400 km) of all-electric range, such as the Tesla Model S, have been commercialized and are now available in numerous vehicle segments.[3] In terms of operating costs, the price of electricity to run a BEV is a small fraction of the cost of fuel for equivalent internal combustion engines, reflecting higher energy efficiency. Electric cars like Tesla Model S, Renault Zoe, BMW i3, etc., can recharge their batteries to 80 percent at quick charging stations within 30 minutes.[68][69][70][71] For example, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range charging on a 250 kW Tesla Version 3 Supercharger went from 2% state of charge with 6 miles (9.7 km) of range to 80% state of charge with 240 miles (390 km) of range in 27 minutes, which equates to 520 miles (840 km) per hour.[72] Connectors How Many Charging Stations Are there? Contents ontents | |
