Compared to a modern electric drivetrain, the internal-combustion engine (ICE) is far more complex – it requires a crankshaft with counterweights to translate the linear motion of the pistons into rotational motion, a flywheel to smooth power output, a DC motor for starting, an alternator to charge the battery, a cooling system, and a host of other gadgets that an electric motor doesn’t need. An induction motor, which produces direct rotational motion and uniform power output, is smaller and lighter and doesn’t need a complicated transmission to connect it to the drive wheels

ICE Vehicles do have a couple of advantages over current EVs. They can be refuelled in a few minutes, whereas a typical battery pack takes at least half an hour to be recharged. Also, petroleum fuels are much more energy-dense than lithium-ion batteries, meaning that they store more energy per pound. An EV’s energy storage medium – its battery pack – is necessarily large and heavy. However, in native EVs (those that are not adapted from ICE vehicles) this drawback is turned into a feature by making the battery pack flat and placing it at the bottom of the chassis. This gives the vehicle a low centre of gravity, which greatly improves handling, and adds rigidity, making the vehicle safer in a side crash. It also opens up more space for passengers and cargo

On per kilometre running cost basis, an EV is cheaper than conventional petrol or diesel engine driven cars. The number of ‘units’ of electricity consumption by an EV for a full charge is mainly dependent on the battery capacity. For example, an EV with a battery of size 40 KWh will approximately consume 40 ‘units’ of electricity for a full charge and typically EVs with this battery size can run approximately 300+ km on a full charge.

It depends on the car, but it’s not unusual to find electric vehicles that can travel between 400 km to 500 km on a single charge

By default, electric cars last longer than fossil cars. Less moving parts and as a whole, less strain on components. With fossil cars, problems tend to be more mechanical in nature. When it comes to electric cars, problems tend to be electronic. In particular, the battery. The first iterations of electric cars had issues with premature battery degradation. But today, most electric cars have batteries that can run past 200K miles without a problem. The conditions your electric car drives in and how often you fast charge dictate the life span of your car. Extreme hot and cold climates can alter the condition of your battery. The same can be said when you use “fast chargers” on a regular basis. To ensure your electric car lasts for at least a decade, try to limit those two things as much as you can

Electric Vehicles are electricity driven but plug-in hybrid electric vehicles–known as PHEVs–combine a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. Unlike conventional hybrids, PHEVS can be plugged-in and recharged from an EV charging outlet, allowing them to drive extended distances using just electricity. Conventional hybrids get charged while the vehicle is running on engine power and through reclaiming energy with a process called regenerative braking where kinetic energy created by both braking and “coasting” is stored and utilized by the vehicle’s batteries. Electric vehicles only have an electric motor and battery, deriving all their power from plugging in. Unlike PHEVs, battery electrics don’t have an internal combustion engine and can’t operate as hybrids. That is why the modern hybrid vehicle (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) are called plug-in vehicles as they take their energy from the grid

For all the energy required to propel a vehicle, not all of it makes it to the wheels. Some of it is lost to friction and heat. Vehicle inefficiency can be classified into two categories of losses: road-load and energy conversion.
In an electric vehicle, chemical energy is stored in a battery. Lithium-ion batteries are used in EV’s because of high energy density. Converting the chemical energy to free electrons (electrical energy) can be greater than 80% efficient – some energy is lost to heat in cells and other battery pack components such as current conductors and fuses. Overall, drive efficiency of an EV is more than 80% – almost three times more efficient than an internal combustion powered vehicle. When you compare this to an Internal Combustion Engine vehicle, chemical energy is stored as gasoline in a conventional vehicle. Combustion is used to convert chemical energy into thermal energy. Pistons convert the thermal energy to the mechanical work that turns the wheels. The conversion process is, at best, 35% efficient. The majority of the energy stored in the gasoline is lost as heat

Electric cars are a consumer revolution for sure but with a difference. Some new products – like smartphones over traditional phones – come with new capabilities to improve on existing tasks to change the way that product helps consumers. But electric-powered vehicles are different as they do not do much more for their owners than what traditional cars do – just travelling from one point to others in a more intelligent way. Instead, the motivation is to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. For Electric vehicles to succeed, their performance and price must be competitive with existing options. But it is marred by various doubts and misunderstood facts related to high first-time buying cost, range-anxiety and charging infrastructure. The lack of familiarity makes people hesitant over – or even opposed to – electric vehicles. Accustomed to filling up their car fuel tank with diesel or gasoline, customers have trouble understanding the management of electricity as fuel – how and where to recharge. The lack of knowledge is for various reasons. New products typically are embraced by early adopters, who blaze the path for the rest. Currently, there are clusters of pioneers around the world: In Norway, for example, over 40 % of new cars sold in 2018 were electric. But overall, few people have any experience with electric vehicles. Hence, it might take some time for masses to adopt electric vehicles

Charging an electric vehicle can be done in one of two places. You can either charge it at home using either 110-220 volt outlet or use a public charging station. Residential charging is limited to 220 volts, while 440 volt systems are only available for commercial buildings. On average, you can achieve 1-10kW of charging speed with 220 volt systems. Using public chargers at 440 volts, you can reach level 3 speeds that can surpass 50kW

Some charging points are free and some are paid. You need to check with the service provider for the charging rate. With the ongoing impetus on EV, the availability of these charge points will increase and their cost can vary with usage.

Yes, it is possible to install a charging port for your EV in such a case. You need to get a comprehensive survey done at the site of your home. Level 2 charger installation at home is a specialized job and has specific technical requirements. Hence, only a professional agency should be used for installing the charger at home. It usually takes 2 days’ time excluding the time taken to sanction the additional power load to run the charger.

Level 1 chargers use a 120 V AC standard outlet plug. Unlike other chargers, Level 1 chargers do not require installation of any additional equipment. Most often Level 1 chargers are used at home and are likely to give 80%-100% charge in 18-20 hours of charging. Hence, home charging users utilize this option to charge their EV overnight. Level 2 charger is used for both Home and Public-Commercial charging purpose. They generally use a 240 Volt plug and unlike Level 1 chargers they can’t be plugged into the standard wall outlet. Usually, a professional technician is required to install Level 2 chargers. They can charge a car in 6-8 hours. 85% of EV buyers do purchase a Level 2 charger with their EV to ensure a quick charging option at home. Apart from Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, DC Fast chargers (also called Level 3) chargers are available in the market which is mostly used in industrial-commercial applications

Actual charging device for slow and fast charging comes factory installed in the car and is called “on-board charger”. It converts the AC power from the wall to DC power that charges the battery in the vehicle. The charging speed may vary, the most common on-board chargers are 6.6 KW. AC chargers use a plug to connect with the on-board charger and standard household outlet 240 V. They charge the car at slow speed. DC fast chargers are the quickest of all chargers and can take almost 1/10th of the time taken by a slow charger to charge an EV