The Different Types of Electric Vehicles

types-of-electric-vehicles
Different Electric Vehicles

Introduction

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular due to their many benefits over traditional gas vehicles. When it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), there are a few different types that you might be aware of. The first electric car was invented way back in 1839 by British scientist Sir William Siemens. Today, there are many different types of vehicles we use daily that are powered by electricity including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc. There are a few different ways to produce electricity from electrical vehicles. One of the simplest ways is called photovoltaic or solar energy. Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight directly into electricity using solar cells.

Another type of Electric Vehicles is one that uses a fuel cell. They work just like our gas cars, except instead of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and NOx, they emit only water vapor and heat. Batteries are another option for generating electricity in EVs. To charge these batteries, a charging station or charger converts household alternating current to direct current. Charging stations come in two forms: standard charging station and fast charging station. A standard charging station takes six hours to fully charge an electric vehicle whereas a fast charging station can charge an electric vehicle fully in about 30 minutes. Most people cannot drive long distances on a single charge, so a fast charging station is ideal for commuting. Understanding the difference between these types of EVs can help you make a more informed decision about which one is right for you. 

In this blog post, we will explore the different types of electric vehicles and their key features. From all-electric vehicles to hybrid electric vehicles, we will cover everything you need to know to make an informed decision about your next car. Read on to learn more about the different types of electric vehicles and find the one that is right for you.


Types of electric vehicles 

1. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

What is a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)?

This type of Electric Vehicles are electric vehicles that use rechargeable batteries to store energy created by the motion of a flywheel or some other device connected to the wheels. The first battery-electric was invented in 1859 by Nicola Tesla. He called it the 'polyphase' system, where the alternator would take alternating current from the coil and send it to the battery. When the battery became full, the current would flow back to the coil and start over. Because the current is alternating, the voltage stays constant and thus no rectifier is necessary.

A battery-electric car uses rechargeable batteries to store electrical power and run electric motors. Batteries can be charged using any number of methods including charging stations, plugging into an AC outlet and having a generator charge them while driving, or solar power. A battery-electric car's motor(s) provide propulsion via their own electric current supplied by the batteries, without relying on combustion engines (which produce carbon dioxide).

 2. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)

What is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)?

PHEV's are similar to BEVs except they have an additional battery pack that stores energy while plugged in. Plug-in Hybrid technology combines both a battery-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered solely off of battery electricity. This combination gives plug-in hybrids longer range than pure battery cars and more acceleration than conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles. In addition, they can be plugged in at home to get recharged overnight and then drive around town until depleted.

 3. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)

What is a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)?

The hydrogen fuel cell vehicle emits only water vapor as a pollutant. Unlike coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric generation, hydrogen does not contribute greenhouse gases. Fuel cells use hydrogen fuel to react electrochemically to generate power, much like a rechargeable battery. However, rather than storing chemical energy in batteries as is the case with batteries, fuel cells convert hydrogen directly into electricity after reacting with oxygen from air. The resulting electricity can be stored in a battery just like any other kind of battery; however, unlike other kinds of batteries, fuel cells do not have a usable storage capacity beyond what is consumed in generating electricity. Instead, fuel cells must be continually refilled with hydrogen during operation.

 4. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV)

What is a Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV)?

Hybrid vehicles combine both fossil fuels and electricity to propel themselves forward. Unlike BEVs, hybrids can travel on battery power alone with no need of recharging. However, hybrid cars consume more fuel than either BEVs or EV's due to the fact that they still require traditional fuel.

 5. Hydrogen fueled vehicle

Hydrogen fueled vehicles use hydrogen as the primary fuel source. Hydrogen can be produced from many different types of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Hydrogen can also be generated chemically from various substances. Compressed hydrogen may be stored temporarily inside tanks similar to those used to store compressed natural gas. Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-flammable gas widely used in industry, medicine, and science.

 6. Hydroelectric Vehicle

Hydroelectric vehicles rely exclusively on the force of moving water as a means of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. The potential energy of falling water is converted into electric current through turbines. The amount of electrical energy available to the vehicle is determined by the height of the drop in elevation of the power station relative to sea level. As long as the difference between the two levels remains relatively stable, the same amount of power can be extracted each time.

 7. Solar EV

Solar EVs use photovoltaic panels to harness the sun's rays to create electricity. Photovoltaic systems consist of several individual solar panels that are wired together and mounted on top of a frame. Electricity is generated when sunlight strikes the panels. The electric current generated by the panels flows through wires and connectors and is sent to charge accumulators (such as lead acid, lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, etc.) located in the vehicle. Energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, ultracapacitors, or other high-voltage capacitors are used in series with the accumulators to increase the voltage and amperage while simultaneously decreasing the time required to accumulate sufficient energy to make it worthwhile to begin running the electric motor. Currently, solar vehicles require special parking spaces reserved for this type of vehicle because of their low speed and limited range. In addition, these vehicles cannot travel as fast as regular vehicles due to their slow acceleration, and therefore must either operate all day or all night to compensate.

 8. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)

Fuel Cells - PEM-fuel cells are a clean alternative to fossil fuels due to their low emissions. They function similarly to batteries, storing chemical energy to produce current flow and heat.

 9. Wind Power 

Wind turbines capture the kinetic energy of air currents produced by natural phenomena like gusts, updrafts and downdrafts and turn them into mechanical motion.

 10. Geothermal Power 

Geothermal energy harnesses heat energy from naturally occurring underground springs. Steam is then converted to electricity via heat pumps and turbines.

 11. Ocean Wave Energy 

Ocean wave energy is created using ocean waves. Waves move water back and forth along the surface of the sea, causing them to oscillate vertically.

 12. Nuclear Power 

Nuclear reactors utilize nuclear fission to produce heat energy. This heat is transferred to a working fluid, which turns the fluid into steam. The steam is then used to run a turbine.


Conclusion

Electric vehicles have been around for quite some time now. Even Tesla has had their own type of electric vehicles since 2010. But over time, they have evolved and changed drastically. As we continue to improve upon them, they’ll keep getting better at what they do. Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular as people realize how much cleaner they are compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles. Most people don’t want to buy gasoline anymore, especially if they know what happens to it once it gets pumped into our cars. There are many different types of electric cars, and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.

As you can see, there are many different types of electric vehicles out there, and each one has their own pros and cons. You should try to find the one that fits your lifestyle the best. One thing that I think is really interesting about the electric car industry is that the newest technology is constantly taking over. We saw this happen with the switch from manual transmission cars to automatic ones. Now, we’re seeing the change from batteries to fuel cells. If you’re looking to get a new car soon, there are plenty of options out there. Just remember to look for things like range, safety, speed, efficiency, safety, and reliability.