Electric Vehicles are considered as the major players of future transportation. Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution, vehicle manufacturers started focussing on the electric vehicle. Moreover, government policies help to gain momentum to the Electric Vehicle market. We can see that Tesla motors hold a major share of EV production in the US followed by GM. Now let’s see the top common questions about electric cars that everyone asks.
Common Question about Electric Cars
Lot of questions about electric cars and other electric vehicles are asked by people when they decide to go for EVs. Here we list and answer a few common questions about electric cars. Detailed article about some questions are published and they are linked to the question itself for further reading. Now we can read a few commonly asked questions about electric cars.
#1 Can I see any Electric Car on road?
I have never seen a pure electric car on road until 2013. Then I saw a Reva runs on the road silently. But electric cars were on the road for a long.
Are Electric Cars so rare? Not exactly.
Battery Electric Cars are less in number. But Hybrid Electric Vehicles are much popular than an electric car. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Mahindra Scorpio Intelli-hybrid, Honda Accord, etc. are a few among them. Along with the US, and Chinese markets, the Indian EV market is also growing.
Electric scooters are also running on the road. Hero Optima, Mahindra Genz, etc. are examples. But the Electric Vehicles do not hold remarkably large market share in the automotive industry.
#2 Why would one go for Electric Car?
Until the advantages of Electric Vehicle are more than that of conventional IC engine vehicles no one like to move towards them. Major vehicle manufacturers are slowly starting production of Electric Cars.
Cleanliness, zero noise, zero tailpipe emission, less maintenance cost, less running cost etc. are advantages of Electric Cars compared to conventional vehicle.
Since more manufacturers are coming forward with high-performance EVs it’s not a bad option to go for Electric Vehicle. Future of Electric Vehicle would be promising. Selection of EVs over conventional vehicles depends on many other factors also.
The initial cost of EVs is much higher. The cost would eventually get reduced since the production increases and technology advances.
#3 Do I need a licence to drive Electric Vehicle?
Based on the rating of the vehicle, the answer to the question changes. If the vehicle is a two-wheeler with a maximum speed of 25 km/h and power of 250W, then the driver does not require a driving license and vehicle need not be registered in India.
All the vehicles with a power rating more than a specified value should have to be registered and driver of the vehicle should carry a valid driving license.
There are more questions about electric cars are being asked. Read more to know a few more questions about electric vehicles.
#4 Are Electric Cars eco-friendly?
If an electric vehicle is assessed as a stand-alone entity on the road, it’s 100% eco-friendly. Battery EVs does not emit any gases and generate low noise. Hybrid Electric Vehicles have less emission compared to conventional vehicles.
Then why does the question arise? EVs get charged with electric power that has been generated from various sources. Most of the power generation happens from coal. Environmental pollution during electric power generation is much high.
Even though tailpipe emission of EV is zero, energy conversion pollutes the environment. The battery of Electric Vehicle is another environmental polluting agent.
If electricity is being generated from hydro Electric power stations and renewables sources of energy, EVs can be said as 100% eco-friendly.
Anyway they are less polluting than conventional vehicles.
#5 Are EVs safe to use?
Yes. As far as road safety is concerned EVs also abide by the norms. The main question might pop up when thinking about EV safety, would be about the fire hazard. High voltage Li-ion battery pack in EVs are made up of inflammable electrolyte.
Vehicle manufacturers take high responsibility and care about safety. For example, Tesla Electric Vehicles have a firewall between the battery pack and the passenger compartment.
Even though it’s caught fired the special construction slow down the spread of fire and alarm the passengers to get out of the vehicle. Following collisions, EVs have provision to get disconnected from battery to avoid further damage.
#6 How do we recharge an EV?
There will be always one common questions about electric cars related to charging! An Electric Vehicle moves using the energy stored in the battery. As fuel refill in a conventional vehicle, the battery has to be recharged in an electric vehicle.
Different kinds of charging facilities are available for an EV.
- Home charging
- Fast charging
- Charging station
Charging stations are popular in countries such as China, US, etc. Home charging is one of the best choices for EV charging. If the distance traveled by the vehicle is less than 100 km per day charging can be done at home itself.
Infrastructure developments in the field of charging stations have to be improved further.
#7 Can we go for long drives in EV?
How far Electric Vehicle travel with a single charge? An average of 125 km would be the answer. Battery technology is being developed day by day. As a result capacity increases and cost decreases.
So if the charging stations are distributed all along with the route, the long distance drives would be possible in an EV. Tesla motors installed charging stations all over the world and they are still expanding the reach of charging stations. It’s is possible to travel long distance without range anxiety once charging stations are available everywhere.
#8 Life span of Electric Vehicle battery?
Electric Vehicle battery contributes a lion share of cost and weight. Life of battery controls how economical the vehicle is. The replacement cost of a battery is high. Hence life span of the battery is a concern in EVs. A typical EV battery lasts 5 to 7 years.
Long lasting high energy density batteries are being developed for low cost to enhance electric vehicle growth.
#9 Why are electric cars so expensive?
The initial cost of EVs is much higher compared to conventional IC engine vehicles. The battery pack is the most expensive component in an electric vehicle. Advancements in the field of battery research in the last few years drastically reduces the cost of the battery. Large scale production of EV, competition in the market, etc. would reduce the cost further.
As of now, EV technology is not as established as IC engine vehicle technology and the initial cost of electric vehicles is much higher.
#10 How much would we spend for maintenance of EV?
The maintenance cost of the electric vehicle is less compared to IC engine vehicles. Most of the electronic components are either maintenance free or with less maintenance cost. Oil changes, repair of exhaust systems, engine repair, frequent maintenance of clutch, gearbox, etc. are completely unnecessary in an electric vehicle. This reduces the maintenance cost of an electric vehicle around 35% less than that of a conventional vehicle.
#11 How would be driving experience in Electric Cars?
Electric Vehicle uses electric motors for propulsion. Highly versatile speed-torque characteristics of an electric motor help to provide the best driving experience. One difference that the driver would feel is the silence of electric vehicle compared to a conventional vehicle.
Performance at low speed (less vibration, high and smooth acceleration) is impressive in an EV. Manufacturers try to facilitate the same or superior experience in EVs compared to IC engine vehicles. All-wheel drive electric vehicles are also coming to market to provide sporty experience to the driver or electric vehicle.
#12 Why don’t all established vehicle manufacturers develop Electric Vehicles?
It had been the situation until last year. But now major vehicle manufacturers declared their goals on electric vehicle development.
Tesla plans to sell 0.5 million electric cars by 2018 and 1 million electric cars by 2020. Volkswagen would sell 2-3 million electric cars by 2015. Ford’s plan is to develop 13 new Electric Vehicle models by 2020. Volvo will sell 1 million cars by 2025. Honda’s plan is to shift their 2/3 of total production to electrified vehicles by 2030. It includes BEVs, HEVs, and PHEVs. Chinese manufactures aim is to sell 4.52 million annually by 2020. BMW will be selling 15-25% of their total cars as the electric vehicle by 2025.
How promising would be the future of Electric Vehicles?
#13 Why would we go for Electric Vehicle rather than gasoline vehicle?
A few reasons can be listed as below
- Depletion of fossil fuels
- To reduce environmental pollution
- EVs are highly versatile and energy efficient
- Less noise
#14 Could power system supply enough energy to large number of Electric Vehicles?
Electric Vehicles at charging stations act as a highly concentrated load. Since it draws relatively large power during charging, the power supply would be stressed. At peak time EV charging may affect the power grid.
As the number of Electric Vehicles increases the capacity of the power grid also gets upgraded. So no need to worry about power system!
Renewable energy sources would supply power to charging stations and hence high power demand on grids can be avoided.
Vehicle to Grid (V2G) and Vehicle to Home (V2H): Why does grid integration of EV lag?
#15 Why are charging stations not that common?
Charging stations are not common because Electric Cars are not popular. Charging stations are basic infrastructure development that required to expand the EV market. Government starts to invest a large amount of money on charging stations and EVs. So we can expect a change soon.
Conclusion
Commonly asked questions about EVs are discussed in the post. Do you have more questions about electric cars? Please comment below 🙂