ELECTRIC VEHICLE | BATTERY VEHICLE | TYPES OF EV's

What is an Electric Vehicle?

An Electric vehicle is an automobile that is set in motion by one or more electric motors using a battery instead of a gasoline tank (petrol/ diesel). These motor vehicles have an electric motor rather than an internal combustion engine.

An Electric Vehicle While Charging

Electric vehicles are quieter with no exhaust emissions and lower internal combustion engines altogether. The total cost of ownership of recent battery vehicles is cheaper than the other combustion vehicles due to low maintenance and no fuel costs. Battery vehicles can be charged through charging stations which can be installed both in public places and at home too.

Types Of Electric Vehicles

Eventually, there are different types of electric vehicles across the market all over the world. Some of the vehicles in this category are fully electric, and at the same time, some are electric with internal combustion engines. Based on the types they are,

• Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
• Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
• Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)

Battery Electric Vehicle:-

An Electric Vehicle With Lithium-ion Battery

Battery electric vehicles are fully Electric Vehicles that do not contain any other instigation rather than motors and batteries. These vehicles are also known to be zero-emission vehicles. These EVs can be charged through AC(alternative current) chargers and DC(direct current) fast chargers. EVs have a range from 100km to 200km depending upon the battery capacity and the motor inside the vehicle. These battery vehicles take around 8 hours for an AC adaptor and around 1 hour for DC fast charger.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle:-

A Hybrid Electric Vehicle With Battery Pack and Fuel Tank

Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by both fuel and electricity. These EVs have their own braking system that regenerates electricity. The heat produced through brakes is then converted to electrical energy and the so-called Regenerative braking system. The electric motor is used to start off the hybrid electric vehicles, and after that, the impulse is taken care of by Internal Combustion Engines. This gives better fuel economy.

The operation of the engine and motor is controlled by Electronic Control Unit (ECU).

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle:-

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle with Dual Energy Source

Plug-In hybrid electric vehicles are also powered by both fuel and electricity. These types of electric vehicles can recharge the batteries by regenerative braking process and through the external power source also. The main unique benefit exhibited by PHEV is, there is no requirement for multiple cars. Though the vehicle uses a regenerative braking system, so more the charging facilities delay, the more EV adaptation delays. People will prefer Plug-In charging at home and use the combustion for highway drives only.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle:-

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles or FCEVs use "Fuel Cell Technology" to produce electricity which is required to run the vehicle. Here, the chemical energy of the fuel is converted directly to electric energy with hydrogen as the fuel. FCEVs are also known as Zero-Emission Vehicles which include Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Tucson FCEV, and Hyundai Nexo as examples.

A short comparison between the 3 types of Electric Vehicles is given below

Vehicle Types	Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)	Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Energy Source	Battery Electric Only	Battery Internal Combustion Engine generating unit	Battery Internal Combustion Engine generating unit
Propulsion Mechanism	Electric Motor Drives	IC Engines Electric Motor Drives	IC Engines Electric Motor Drives
CO2 Emission	None	Yes	Yes
Fuel Facility Locations	Charging Stations	Gas Stations	Gas Stations Charging Stations
Performance	High	Depending on the Driving Cycle	Depending on the Fuel System
Driving Range	100-200 km	Long Driving Range	Satisfactory Driving Range
Cost	High Initial Cost	Complex	High Cost Now
Charging Stations	Commercially Available	Commercially Available	Under Development
Issues	Battery and Battery Management  Charging Facilities	Managing Multiple Energy Sources Battery Seizing and Battery Management	Fuel Cost Re-Fueling Process

Conclusion

We know that our world is moving towards an electric vehicle era, with different types of options too. I hope the information shared by me has helped you a lot.

READ MORE:-

• How an Electric Vehicle works?
• Electric Bike | Components of E-Bike

References:-

• Types of electric vehicles
• Electric batteries
• Comparison of electric vehicle types pdf