Introduction
An electric vehicle is one powered by an electric motor rather than a traditional petrol/diesel
engine. This electric motor is powered by rechargeable batteries that can be charged by common
household electricity.
History of electric vehicles
1900S
Electric cars are nothing new. Interest in motor vehicles increased greatly around the 1900s and
at that time there were about twice as many electric cars on the road than petrol/diesel cars. It
wasn’t until the 1920s that interest in electric cars dwindled. The reason was that electric cars
were limited by their low top speeds and low range (just a few miles). In addition, in 1912 the
electric starter motor was developed for petrol cars, eliminating the traditional drawback of
petrol cars: having to use a hand crank to get the car moving!
It was Henry Ford who put the nail in the electric car coffin when his company began to mass-
produce the Model T. This slashed the price of petrol cars to about half that of an electric car and
so in the early 1900s almost all electric car manufacturers began to cease making them.
The limited maximum speed of electric cars (up to 30mph) limited their practicality. For most of
the 20th century, British milk floats made up most of the world’s number of electric vehicles.
Interest in electric cars returned following the energy crises of the 1970s and 80s; with the
availability and price of oil being shown to be increasingly volatile, people could see the
potential benefits of battery-powered cars. A few big car companies brought out models and
some were sold to environmentally-minded members of the public. However, in general electric
vehicles were still losing out to the style and lower price of their petrol-fuelled cousins.
2000S
In the 2000s, the development of hybrid vehicles, plus another fuel crisis, saw the technology
adopted by larger numbers than ever before. Tesla’s Roadster, which went on sale in 2008, was a
game changer for the industry. The attractive design and extended range of the Roadster
appealed to a larger market than ever before and encouraged competitors such as Nissan and
Chevrolet to launch their own models.
As of September 2016, there are more than one million pure electric cars and vans owned
globally.
Working Principle of Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Electric Vehicle
There are two types of EV technology: hybrid and pure electric.
FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLE/CAR
The main parts in an electric car are a rechargeable battery, controller and electric motor. First,
the battery is powered. Then the controller converts the current from DC-AC so that it can be
used by the motor. The motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy.
HYBRID VEHICLE/CAR
The same technology exists in hybrid cars, alongside a small gasoline engine running a
generator. This powers the car at cruising speed, and batteries provide extra power when
accelerating. Batteries can recharge themselves when the car is decelerating or standing still.
Hybrid technology means that your petrol goes much further, saving you money and reducing
environmental impact.
What are the benefits of electric cars?
They produce no tailpipe emissions, so are better for the planet.
They are exempt from road tax and from the London Congestion Charge.
They often have a smoother drive than petrol cars.
They are cheaper to run.
Do not need much maintenance, as they have fewer moving parts.
Electric Vehicle Promotion in world
• The scenario analysis highlights the fact that it is quite possible to reach the EU 2020
targets without EVs. Meeting the longer term targets however, i.e. in 2050 (and likely
intermediary targets from 2030-2050), would prove to be very difficult without EVs, and
given the massive biofuel requirements, perhaps even impossible. Hydrogen based
personal vehicles could form part of the solution, but at this point in time it would appear
that EVs and PHEVs will be a more cost-effective solution. In addition, the production
and on-board conversion of hydrogen also involves additional processes that increase the
overall energy use for hydrogen vehicles relative to EVs.
• The scenarios demonstrate the likely future importance of EVs and PHEVs in the EU
passenger vehicle segment. Given the lifetime of a personal vehicle, a transition to such a
large segment of electrical drivetrains will take time, and equally important, will require
technology advancement and cost reductions. To spur this technology advancement and
cost reduction it is important that EV production and utilisation rates are increased in the
upcoming years. The primary objective of the remainder of this report is therefore to
identify and provide recommendations regarding EU level measures and incentives that
can promote EV diffusion.
Electric Vehicle Promotion in India
• Electric Vehicles in India are still relatively new. They account for just 1 % of the total
vehicle density. India unveiled the ‘National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP)
2020’ in 2013 to address the issues of national energy security, vehicular pollution, and
growth of domestic manufacturing capabilities.
• While you might see a lot of e-rickshaws zipping across the narrow lanes of Karol Bagh
in Delhi, a major shift has yet to arrive towards Electric Vehicles. Only a handful of
electric cars are available in the market, and the small-vehicle market is still dominated
by conventional vehicles.
• “We are going to introduce electric vehicles in a very big way. We are going to make
electric vehicles self-sufficient like UJALA. The idea is that by 2030, not a single petrol
or diesel car should be sold in the country,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal said while
addressing the CII Annual Session, 2017.
Reasons for EV development
As modern culture and technology continue to develop, the growing presence of global warming
and irreversible climate change draws increasing amounts of concern from the world's
population. It has only been recently, when modern society has actually taken notice of these
changes and decided that something needs to change if the global warming process is to be
stopped.
Countries around the world are working to drastically reduce CO 2 emissions as well as other
harmful environmental pollutants. Amongst the most notable producers of these pollutants are
automobiles, which are almost exclusively powered by internal combustion engines and spew
out unhealthy emissions.
According to various reports, cars and trucks are responsible for almost 25% of CO 2 emission
and other major transportation methods account for another 12%. With immense quantities of
cars on the road today, pure combustion engines are quickly becoming a target of global
warming blame. One potential alternative to the world's dependence on standard combustion
engine vehicles are hybrid cars. Cost-effectiveness is also an important factor contributing to the
development of an environment friendly transportation sector.
Introduction to Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)
Consistent with the definition of hybrid above, the hybrid electric vehicle combines a gasoline
engine with an electric motor. An alternate arrangement is a diesel engine and an electric motor
(figure 1).
Figure 1: Components of a hybrid Vehicle that combines a pure gasoline with a pure EV.
As shown in Figure 1, a HEV is formed by merging components from a pure electrical vehicle
and a pure gasoline vehicle. The Electric Vehicle (EV) has an M/G which allows regenerative
braking for an EV; the M/G installed in the HEV enables regenerative braking. For the HEV, the
M/G is tucked directly behind the engine. In Honda hybrids, the M/G is connected directly to the
engine. The transmission appears next in line. This arrangement has two torque producers; the
M/G in motor mode, M-mode, and the gasoline engine. The battery and M/G are connected
electrically.
Functions of different parts of Electric Vehicle
Controller
An electric vehicle motor controller is a machine that is employed to regulate the torque
generated by the motors of electric vehicles by means of modifying the energy flow from the
power sources to the motor.
Brushless DC motor
A brushless DC motor (known as BLDC) is a permanent magnet synchronous electric
motor which is driven by direct current (DC) electricity.
Potentiometer
The signal from the potentiometers tells the controller how much power to deliver to the electric
car's motor.
Battery:
A rechargeable battery is made up of secondary cells. The most familiar rechargeable battery is
the leadacid battery that is commonly used as a car battery.
DC-to-DC converter
Therefore, an electric car has a normal 12-volt lead-acid battery to power all of the accessories.
To keep the battery charged, an electric car needs a DC-to-DC converter. This converter takes
in the DC power from the main battery array (at, for example, 300 volts DC) and converts it
down to 12 volts to recharge the accessory battery. When the car is on, the accessories get their
power from the DC-to-DC converter.
Electric Powertrains
An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that is powered, at least in part, by electricity. EV
configurations include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) which are powered by 100% electric
energy, various hybrid- electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
(PHEVs). This summary presents the differences between these basic EV configurations.
Battery Electric Vehicles
A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is a vehicle that is powered entirely on electric energy, typically
a large electric motor and a large battery pack. Based on the type of transmission; the use of a
clutch, gearbox, differential, and fixed gearing; and the number of battery packs and motors there
are many variations on the BEV design. However, a basic BEV system is shown in Figure 1.
Transmissi
Motor/
Battery
Generator
on
Figure 1: Schematic of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) powertrain
Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Unlike a BEV, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) relies on two energy sources, usually an internal
combustion engine and an electric battery and motor/generator. A Mild Hybrid is the least
electrified type of HEV. A Mild Hybrid is a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE)
vehicle with an oversized starter motor that can also be used as a generator, usually called an
integrated starter-generator (ISG) or a belted alternator starter (BAS), and an oversized battery
that powers and is recharged by the motor. A simple Mild Hybrid system is shown in Figure 2. In
a Mild Hybrid, the engine must always be on while the vehicle is moving. However, the
motor/generator can be used to enable idle stop in which the engine is turned off while the
vehicle is at idle. The motor/generator can be used at high loads to assist the engine and increase
vehicle performance. At low loads, it increases load on the engine and recharges the electric
battery.
Liquid
Transmission
Engine
Fuel
Motor/
Battery Generator
Figure 2: Schematic of a Mild Hybrid powertrain
Series Hybrid Electric Vehicles
In a Series Hybrid there is a single path to power the wheels of the vehicle, but two energy
sources. As shown in figure 3, the fuel tank feeds an engine which is coupled to a generator to
charge the battery which provides electrical energy to a motor/generator to power the wheels
through a transmission although a direct coupling can also be used. The motor/generator is also
used to recharge the battery during deceleration and braking.
Liquid
Transmission
Fuel Motor/
Generator
Engine
Generator Battery
Figure 3: Schematic of a Series Hybrid powertrain
Although most Series Hybrids use an ICE, it is also possible to design a Series Hybrid using
a Fuel Cell powered by hydrogen, creating a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).
Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles
In a Parallel Hybrid, there are two parallel paths to power the wheels of the vehicle: an engine
path and an electrical path, as shown in figure 4. The transmission couples the
motor/generator and the engine, allowing either, or both, to power the wheels. Control of a
Parallel Hybrid is much more complex that for a Series Hybrid because of the need to
efficiently couple the motor/generator and engine in a way that maintains driveability and
performance.
Liquid
Transmission
Engine
Fuel
Motor/
Battery Generator
Figure 4: Schematic of a parallel hybrid powertrain
Series-Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles
A Series-Parallel HEV has both Series and Parallel energy paths. As shown in figure 5, a
system of motors and/or generators that sometimes includes a gearing or power split device
couples allows the engine to recharge the battery. Variations on this configuration can be very
complex or simple, depending on the number of motors/generators and how they are used.
These configurations can be classified as Complex hybrids (such as the Toyota Prius and Ford
Escape Hybrids), Split-Parallel hybrids, or Power-Split hybrids.
Liquid
Transmission
Engine
Fuel
Motors/
Battery Generators
Figure 5: Schematic of a series-parallel hybrid powertrain
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is an HEV that can be plugged-in or
recharged from wall electricity. PHEVs are distinguished by much larger battery
packs when compared to other HEVs. The size of the battery defines the vehicle’s All
Electric Range (AER), which is generally in the range of 30 to 50 miles. PHEVs can
be of any hybrid configuration. Although no PHEVs are available on the market
today, a number of companies have begun to sell conversion kits and services to
convert a standard HEV into a PHEV by adding additional battery capacity and
modifying the vehicle controller and energy management system.