The emergence of Electric Vehicle

We all hear the word Electric Vehicle in our day-to-day life or read about this in newspapers or articles. But do we know what it is exactly? Electric vehicles or EVs are vehicles that are fully or partially powered on electric power. The popularity of Electric Vehicles is rising as there has been a technological advancement and decline in the cost of manufacturing electric vehicles and their parts. The rise in the manufacturing of electric vehicles is also dependent upon the availability of raw materials which has obviously increased in large amounts because of the advent of new technologies.

There two main types of electric vehicles

1. Battery electric vehicles Battery powered electric vehicles have approximately 99% fewer parts which are moving and needs maintenance. They create very little noise as compared to other vehicles. The BEVs have no exhaust, spark plugs, and clutch or gears. It doesnot pollute the environment, instead uses rechargeable batteries.
2. Plug in hybrid electric vehicles Plug in hybrid electric vehielces offer a mixture of battery and petrol (or diesel) power. Rather than only relying on an electric motor, these vehicles make better option for long journey. But the problem with the plug in hybrid electric vehicles is that it needs more maintenance, it has more engine noise, emissions and the cost of petrol. But the advantage is that it have smaller battery packs, which means a reduced vehicle price range.

Read one of our Studies on Electric Vehicle

Emergence of electric vehicles

1. The development of electric vehicles started back in 1835, when two small-scale EVs were created, one in the United states while other in the Holland by Thomas Davenport. Later Davenport developed the first battery operated electric car, although the batteries created were non-rechargeable and couldnt give the car much range. Several other who came into the market along this period including French inventor Gaston Plante, created some better batteries, but couldnt find a solution to the practical vehicle.
2. In the early 1900s, American inventors started working on creating EV. William Morrison who worked with the American investors created a successful and practical electric car which is considered as the first successful EV, although it still lacked range. During this time Hybrid electric vehicles were also created to solve several issues with the Electric Vehicles.
3. In today’s world, electric vehicles became more popular among people who are looking for greener energy sources. Many EVs are capable of driving fairly good distances on their batteries. In 2008, the Tesla Roadster became availableto the public which fairly fitted into the requirement of the EV. Even this was not a perfect fit, but in one charge of the battery fairly covered more than 200 miles. Mitsubishi i-MiEV in Japan became the second model of successful EV. But Tesla marked the beginning of the modern Electric Vehicle period.

Factors responsible for the emergence of electric vehicles

• Pollution control  We all are aware of the fact that we must reduce pollution from our environment. As the increasing pollution is causing global warming and several health issues. So the most eye-catching feature of electric vehicles is that it helps in curbing air pollution as most of the environmental pollution is caused by vehicles.
• Reduces import of oil There are many countries like India who spend a large amount of money on importing oil such as petrol and diesel which are used as fuels in vehicles. This impacts the economy of any country as the money can be used on any other developing factors. A push towards the emergence of electric vehicles will reduce the import cost of oil to a greater extent.
• Change in climate Many countries have signed an agreement with the Paris Climate Accord to curb air pollution which will result in better climatic conditions with time. Several sources of greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced to fulfill the agreement at the Paris Climate Accord. The push towards meeting these climatic conditions is giving rise to the emergence of electric vehicles.
• Increased production of sustainable energy The penetration of electric vehicles in the market will push the government and companies to produce more electricity to meet the demands of EVs. One of the major advantages of producing electric vehicles is their storage capability. If this can be combined with the ability to generate power using solar energy, EV batteries can help with power grid balancing. This will help in increasing the production of sustainable energy in a massive amount.
• The advent of new technologies Evolvement of new technologies has improved the evolution of electric vehicles. New technologies has been used in the making of batteries for electric vehicles and several charging points has been incorporated to make it more useful among local public. Performance of electric vehicles drastically improved after the development of batteries. The combination of proper batteries with renewable energy sources helped in reducing the need for oil, gas, and coal, thereby changing the foundation of several political and economic norms we currently take for granted.

So, in order to solve most of the political, economic, and environmental issues, EVs are a good option and must be incorporated. However, many automotive manufacturers aren’t ready to give up on the regular oil based vehicles. Because the average driver is much more comfortable and familiar with gasoline-powered cars, and many aren’t ready to lose their safety net. So, the government must work work towards the incorporation of EVs.

Browse Automotive Market:- Global Hybrid Vehicle Market