Seeing the sky-high petrol prices a lot of you might be contemplating purchasing an electric vehicle (EV). However, due to various reasons like range anxiety, battery degradation, not knowing how the vehicle works and more, many end up deciding otherwise. If you are one who wants to understand how EVs work and what is the difference between hybrid and pure electric cars then you have come to the right place. Here we will take a look at explaining that and then some.
EV powertrains in a few words
EVs store electricity in rechargeable batteries, which then power the electric motor that turns the wheels. The amount of torque generated by EVs is much higher compared to internal combustion engines. This is because the engine is not required to combust the fuel and derive power from it. The electricity is transferred directly from the battery to the motor, making the cars feel faster and lighter to drive. Also, take note, you should always take a look at the amount of km an EV can travel on a single charge and then compare it to your daily commute. This will help you in staying prepared and also will help lower range anxiety.
Charging the battery?
You can charge your EV’s battery either at home with a slow charger or a home installed fast charger, or you can charge it using the rapid-charging network that the company, third-party companies and the government is installing. You can simply connect the EV to a charger and wait for it to fill up. The range and the charging time will be shown on the instrument cluster for your knowledge.
Slow chargers are typically rated up to 3kW and can charge vehicles within 8-10 hours. Fast chargers are rated between 7kW to 22kW, and tend to charge the vehicles between 3-4 hours. Lastly, Rapid chargers are rated from 43kW and can charge compatible vehicles within 30-60 minutes.
Types of EVs
There are different types of EVs that you can take into consideration. Some run purely on electricity when there are hybrids that use both electricity and fossil fuels.
Purely electric vehicles run only on the battery and cannot be driven without a charge. Plug-in hybrids are vehicles that mainly run on electricity but also have a traditional fuel engine that kicks in when the battery is completely drained. Hybrid electric vehicles run mainly on fossil fuels like petrol or diesel but also have an electric battery too, which recharges using regenerative braking. These vehicles let you switch between fuel and electricity with a button toggle. Note Hybrid electric vehicles do not have a charging port and mainly rely on petrol or diesel to run.
Main parts that make an EV
EVs consist of a lot fewer moving parts compared to ICE vehicles, which reduces the chances of a breakdown and keep the service costs down. Major parts in an EV include an electric motor/engine, inverter, drivetrain, batteries and charging input.
Weather conditions
EVs depend on weather a lot, with the temperature outside affecting how much energy an electric car consumes. For example, in summer you will manage to get a longer drive out of EVs when compared to the winter season.
