Battery Technologies (present & emerging) Used in Modern Electric Vehicles. Today, electric vehicle battery stores incredible amounts of energy that can be discharged quickly, safely, and smoothly—giving electric vehicles (EVs) instant acceleration, responsive handling, and fast recharging times.
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Are electric cars better than gas?
The electric vehicle is the answer to humanity’s search for high-efficiency, clean, safe, and noiseless transportation.
Energy-saving, overall carbon emission reduction, local pollution reduction, and limited dependence on oil are among the shining outputs of using electric vehicles.
The first Electric vehicle was built by Frenchman Gustave Trouve in 1881. Thereafter we saw an era of competition between gasoline and electric vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles were also introduced.
Electric vehicle battery technology
Growing demand for clean energy caused a steady rise in the demand for electric vehicles too. What is the source of this green energy in an electric vehicle? The base should be clean, right? The only thing which drives the vehicle is the pure electricity that is extracted from the battery, in which two or more electric cells are connected.
The electric vehicle should be changed regularly. Now, let us examine the power source of an electric vehicle in detail. Here, electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy and makes mobility a possible option.
How long do electric cars batteries last
When one drives, energy is extracted from the battery and it starts depleting. The dashboard of the vehicle informs the time to charge. It is very simple to charge the vehicle, as easy as we charge our mobile phones. The battery is normally charged from mains electricity through a plug and a battery charging unit.
Now, more and more charging stations are setting up around the world. A good sign and a better step towards a green future!
How do battery electric cars work
The major components of any electric vehicle include an electric motor, a traction battery, a battery management system, a battery charger, a cabling system, a frame, a controller, and lubricants.
The power supplied to the motor is controlled by the controller and hence the vehicle speed. Since the main power source of an electric vehicle is a battery source, its features are important to note.
An electric vehicle battery should be able to produce high energy density in a single charge. This is inevitable for high mileage and stability of power. Maintenance-free and safety mechanisms should be another feature. The battery should be recyclable and obviously environmentally friendly.
Lithium ion electric vehicle battery
The lithium-ion battery is the most common battery type used in electric vehicles on a commercial scale. Lithium-ion batteries are thus enabling a new generation of electrified vehicles. Higher energy density made this battery more popular among electric vehicles.
How does a lithium-ion battery works?
The working is similar to other battery mechanisms. The three primary functional components of a lithium-ion battery are the anode, cathode, and electrolyte.
An external load is connected across the electrodes which force the ions to move. When lithium ions are transferred from the cathode into an anode through an electrolyte medium, the current is produced. Hence charging occurs.
The transfer of lithium ions from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte marks the discharging event. There is no or minimal deposition of metallic lithium on the anode, thus making the usage safer.
A slower rate of discharge, high energy efficiency, good high-temperature performance, better cycle life, and conventional design adds to the importance of lithium-ion batteries.
Other electric vehicle battery technologies
Another most widely used electric vehicle battery is a lead-acid battery. In the lead-acid cells, the negative plates have a spongy lead as their active material, while the positive plates have lead dioxide as the active material, and the electrolyte used is the sulfuric acid. Extreme low internal resistance is an important characteristic of this battery.
Nickel-based batteries are also used widely where the important ones are nickel-iron, nickel-zinc, and nickel-cadmium.
Nickel-cadmium is more famous and its negative electrode acts similar to a fuel cell. It offers better faster charging of the battery.
Sodium-based batteries are also available and are capable to run at high temperatures. Thus, it is preferable for large electrical systems.
Some metal-air batteries like Aluminium-air battery, Zinc-Air battery also meets the needs of electric vehicles.
Challenges of Electric vehicle Batteries
Even when the electric vehicle is considered as a solution to many existing problems worldwide, it is not free of challenges. When we said charging your car is as simple as charging a phone, it was about the procedure. But, the charging environment is not so abundant.
Electric vehicle battery charging
Even if new and more charging stations are emerging; still these infrastructures are not adequate. So, a large number of electric vehicles without enough charging stations is not a good idea.
How much are batteries for electric cars?
As we know, an electric vehicle is high in cost and is one of the major challenges. This will affect the market and number of people using Electric vehicles. Proper measures are welcomed which helps in the reduction of cost.
Is Electric vehicles really Green? NO..
Electricity is the driving force of an electric vehicle, if this power is derived from a non-renewable source, and then there is no point. We burn fossil fuels generated electricity, to run vehicles, in turn, adds pollutants to the environment and without being aware of this the customer believes that by using electric vehicle he contributes towards the clean world.
This is another challenge, but instead of using fossil fuels, the usage of clean energy sources will make the choice of an electric vehicle, the best option.
How long do electric vehicle battery last
Another thing witnessed among people is range anxiety. People are not confident about reaching the destination using an electric vehicle. As we stated above, the lack of enough charge stations is the main reason. Reliability thus poses a challenge to the electric vehicles.
Limited driving range, forces people to choose, petrol or diesel vehicles over electric vehicles. Battery issues also cause a threat to this sector. Thus, it is really important to find solutions for these challenges for ensuring a position among vehicle competitors.
The Future of Electric Vehicle battery
When examining the benefits of an electric vehicle, we wish not to discuss the future of electric vehicles but the electric vehicle as our future. But, unfortunately, the high competition and numerous challenges of electric vehicles force us to discuss its future.
However, the statistics provide us hope. Yes, studies show that Electric vehicles by 2025 will hit 10% of global passenger vehicle sales. The UK government pledge to ban the sales of all new non-electric cars by 2035.
Imagine the bright effects of this! Comparing to the last 5 or 6 years, in many countries, there is nearly a 10,000% increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road. Electric vehicles are not confined to personal vehicles, but all over the world, they contribute to public transport as well.
EV for a better furure
Nowadays, concern about a green environment is growing among people and thus will surely increase the production of electric vehicles. Upcoming technologies are offering varieties of models, better battery management, and more customer-friendly applications.
Electric vehicle battery manufacturers
Some of the future versions that we can expect include the Audi Q4 e-Tron model offers two styles of electric SUV in smaller sizes than the existing model. BMW has announced the introduction of the BMW iX with a number of configurations with 300-mile range, all-wheel drive, and a 500ps model.
More affordable versions like Dacia Spring will be there in the future. A lot of other companies are in the middle of intense competition in producing affordable and better versions of electric vehicles.
Thoughts on Eletrric Vehicles
Pure electricity helps people to move around the world, in the form of electric vehicles. But, even after this invention, we are not able to exploit this completely. Dominant Fuel vehicles which use fossil fuels are still more in number. Technologies will introduce more sophisticated electric vehicles for us, thus in the future, electric vehicles will rule over the transportation industry. Let us hope for a better future, with ‘clean’ vehicles around.