Electric vehicles may look like regular vehicles but on the inside, they are totally different. In an EV, the conventional ‘Internal Combustion Engine’ (ICE) is replaced by an electric motor that is powered by a battery. EVs use electricity stored in a battery to power an electric motor and get the wheels moving.
Electric vehicles don’t require multi-speed transmissions because of the so-called ‘engine’ in an EV, the electric motor. While internal combustion engines require multiple gears for power output, electric motors produce a consistent amount of torque. Also, electric motors deliver power instantly, which means that the process of gaining torque through revving, which takes place in conventional vehicles, is not required.
Conventional vehicles have a transmission system with several gears that allow the engine to reach different speeds. A gearbox in a vehicle will only let the engine reach different speeds depending on the gear it is in. EV drivers don’t need to worry about shifting gears. And there’s no clutch in an EV, only a brake & an accelerator. Although in lots of EVs, the driver may be able to choose different modes (for instance, eco mode, sports mode, highway mode) that offer different performances & efficiencies based on the performances.
When talking specifically about electric cars, it is much more similar to an automatic car than a manual one.
Types of Electric Vehicles:
The most common electric vehicle is a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). It is an all-electric vehicle with a rechargeable battery and no combustion engine. All the energy needed to run the vehicle comes from the battery which is recharged from the grid. BEVs are zero emission vehicles; they do not generate any tailpipe emissions.
Another type of EV is a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), which has both a conventional engine & an electric motor. All the energy for the battery is generated through regenerative braking. Regular hybrids cannot plug-in to the grid to recharge.
And another type of EV is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which too has both, an engine & an electric motor. Like HEVs, they can recharge their battery through regenerative braking. However, they have a much larger battery. Like BEVs, they plug-in to the grid to recharge.
No Engine, so No Engine Oil
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In an EV, there is no internal combustion engine & fuel tank. Therefore, EVs do not need engine oil. Conventional vehicles are complex. They consist of many parts that are always in action: crankshaft, valves, pistons, etc. The friction between these mechanical components releases heat and leads to a loss of energy efficiency. In simpler terms, this causes gradual wear and tear to the engine. The main role of engine oil is to reduce this friction and control the increase in temperature.
And this makes an EV’s overall maintenance cost much less than a conventional car. Look out for this space, as we address this subject in detail in our next EVJoints EVGuide blog ‘Are Electric Cars More Expensive to Maintain?’.
‘Refueling’
Many EV owners do the majority of their charging at home. Some workplaces, malls and residential societies provide charging facilities via public/semi-public EV chargers. The battery is charged by plugging into an EV charger using a charging cable.
Electric cars derive the electrical energy supplied by its battery to power the motor and move the wheels, unlike internal combustion engine cars which run on petrol/diesel. The owners of these conventional cars need to visit petrol pumps for refueling. In contrast, electric car owners have several ways of charging; at home or work while parked, or at public EV charging stations.
Conclusion:
If you’re looking to make the switch to an electric car, you don’t need to learn anything special. In fact, it is probably easier to drive an electric car compared to your current fuel-powered car as there’s a lot less to think about. As far as efficiency is concerned, EV motors are around 80% efficient at converting stored energy into movement. Engines, on the other hand, convert 20%. So EVs need around 4 times less energy overall, to do the same job.
Electric Vehicles don’t have an engine & gearbox because they don’t need one. They run on better and more efficient alternatives.
