Let's take a closer look at the inner workings of full battery electric vehicles
If you were to take apart a traditional vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, and take apart a battery electric vehicle, you'd notice that even though they serve the same purposes, the two are vastly different in their approach to transportation.
First let's start with a few things that you won't find in an electric vehicle:
- Gasoline, and a gas tank. Full battery electric vehicles do not require gasoline to drive. In a recent study by Ford Motor Co. and published in an article by Medium, they revealed that 42% of americans think that EVs require gas to run. They don't.
- An engine. Yup, that's right, because electric vehicles don't use gasoline or diesel, they don't need an engine to burn it. Traditional internal combustion engines have thousands of parts and hundreds of moving components that ultimately wear out and need replacing. The violent explosions that happen in these engines are what turn the energy stored in gasoline into a moving force. Boom.
- Because there is no internal combustion engine, you also don't need the support systems and components that help one, here is a list of a select few:
- Air Filter
- Spark Plugs
- Ignition Coils
- Timing Belt
- Oil Filter, or engine oil
- Alternator
- Starter
- Because there is no internal combustion engine, you also don't need the support systems and components that help one, here is a list of a select few:
- A complex transmission. Most electric vehicles don't have multiple gears at all. There are a select few, the Porsche Taycan to name one, that do have more than one gear.
- Air Intake or exhaust systems. If you ever look at the back of an EV you may notice that it doesn't have an exhaust. This is because, once again, it doesn't have an internal combustion engine and therefore has no need to incorporate these systems
Keep in mind, that the more parts you have, the more parts will require maintenance and eventually replacement. This is one of the reasons that EVs are less expensive to own over time, very little maintenance or repair costs!
What components make an EV work?
Electric cars need 6 main components to operate:
- A battery pack. This is the energy reservoir that contains the energy the car will use to drive, operate the heating and cooling, and run all of the other lights and accessories. Typically, batteries use direct current electricity that must be converted to AC, or alternating current, before being used in the electric motor. Sometimes, you will find direct current motors, but these are not common in mass produced electric vehicles. DC charging is faster because it charges the batteries directly.
- A power inverter. When an EV has AC motors, the energy from the battery must be converted in order to be used. The inverter also operates when the car is using regenerative braking converting the alternating current generated by the electric motors into direct current to be stored in the battery.
- An electric motor. The component of an electric vehicle that transforms the electrical energy from the battery into rotation that can be used to move the vehicle. There are many types of electrical motors and, even though the basic technology hasn't changed over the last 100yrs or so, there have been many improvements in motor design and efficiency.
- An onboard battery charger. Most EVs have a battery charger built into the car for level 1 or level 2 charging. This is AC charging, not DC fast charging. The charger is there to limit the total amount of power going into the battery to avoid damage to the battery or the electrical circuit the charger is plugged into.
- Battery Management System. The BMS manages the electrical current flow in and out of the battery to protect the battery and extend its life. Every EV is going to have a BMS that is designed specifically for the battery in the car. Thus, modifying the battery or adding a battery could prove to be quite difficult if the BMS is not also modified to compensate.
- Charging port. Much like the access port for the gas tank in an internal combustion engine car, the charge port is the location where energy enters the car.
Other components that are included in EVs that help them operate are:
- A cooling/heating system. If equipped, a thermal management system can extend the life of the battery pack. Cooling it while fast charging and on hot days, and even warming it up on cold days or to prepare for fast charging. The TMS works with the BMS to create optimal battery conditions.
- Electrically driven accessories. Unlike in a gas or diesel vehicle using accessory belts, the air conditioning, power steering, and other components us electricity from the battery pack to operate. The lights, radio, and other components typically use traditional 12 volt direct current.
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