In this blog, I would like to discuss the advent of electric vehicle and the beginning of the replacement of fossil fuel cars and fuel stations. I remember betting with my cousin Sabu in 1960s about the fate of cinema theatres. I argued with him that the introduction of television will wipe out the popularity of cinema theatres, as people can watch cinema at home. But his vision was that not everyone will have the financial freedom to buy a television and the cinema theatres would be there as it was then. Now we see most cinema theatres are dilapidated eye sores in town centres. Some have been converted into evangelical churches, some others are converted into entertainment halls and a few are utilised by the homeless people. Like that are we going to witness sea change in the running of vehicles?
Emissions from cars and trucks are not only bad for our planet, but they are bad for our health. Air pollutants such as particulate bodies and nitrous oxide from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles cause asthma, bronchitis, cancer, and premature death.The UK government made a law not to manufacture cars powered by fossil fuel after 2030. Currently only 1.5% of UK vehicles are electric, but more and more road users are going to switch over to electric cars once the availability of charge points increases. Electric vehicles do not work like internal combustion engines (ICE) of traditional cars. In the 1980s, we used to spot the early morning approach of a milk float powered by battery. To ensure the peace and quiet of the sleeping residents, the electric milk float was ideal and did not make any noise or fumes. Like computers in 1970s, it took decades for the dormant electric car technology to take off! Disappointing battery capacity that limited the distance the cars could be driven between charges was one of the reasons for the delay.
When the components of the electric vehicles are analysed, we find that the technology is not that complicated to warrant such delay. They are;
1.Charge port, to connect to an external power source
2.Inverter , converts DC to AC for motor, and AC to DC for storage on braking.
3.Electric traction motor, its revolutions per minute are far higher than ICE providing quick acceleration.
4.Power electronics converter ,controls the speed of the motor and torque .
5.Thermal system for cooling maintains optimum temperature of the system
6.Traction battery pack , Lithium-ion battery, stores electricity for the use by electric traction motor, weighs about 500 kg.
7.Transmission, transfers mechanical power from the electrical traction to drive wheels.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed, it sends a signal to the controller which adjusts the vehicle’s speed by changing the frequency of the AC power from the inverter. The.DC current from the traction battery is converted to AC current which is required by the motor. The motor turns the wheels through a cog. When the car is decelerated it produces power which is sent back to the battery. The number of revolutions per minute of the motor is far higher than that of internal combustion engine.
Although Tesla launched their electric car in 2008,
it did not catch on, in spite of the cheap running cost. This was
because the electric vehicle running range was short, the long length of
charging time, limited vehicle choices, high upfront cost, difficulty
finding a mechanic, lack of government initiative and lack of charging
infra structure. When more people started using electric cars,
George Osborne,then the chancellor of the exchequer, reduced the subsidy to
buy an electric vehicle. Electric vehicles now include cars, transit
buses, trucks, of all sizes, tractors and motor bikes. There are bikes
which are powered by lithium ion battery which is becoming popular.
Norway,
one of the oil producing countries, boasts 20% of their cars are
electric. By 2030, at least 50% of UK cars will be powered by
electricity. The electric car ownership jumped 53% in 2020 and more and
more people are keen to drive electric cars. A few years ago I had an
opportunity to test drive a Tesla S with autopilot, which was an
unforgettable experience. I felt the acceleration and smoothness of
drive were second to none. China invested £8 billion to promote electric
vehicles. The Chinese government reduced the licence fee
substantially for electric cars. China currently has 500000 charging
points for electric vehicles. One of the reasons for this fierce
promotion was to get rid of the smoke and environmental pollution by
fossil fuel cars and to meet their carbon-reduction target. China also
has abundant lithium ore for the production of lithium ion battery.
Tesla reduced the price for their cars in China because of cheaper
batteries and government subsidies. Therefore Tesla got a unique
position in manufacturing Tesla Model 3 in China. Tesla has a
commanding lead over other manufacturers in manufacturing electric cars .
India is lagging behind other countries
in manufacturing and promoting electric cars. This is because of the
bureaucracy, lobbying by conventional car dealers to keep the status
quo and the lack of infrastructure. In India only 22 out of a1000
people have a car, and most of them are reluctant to change even the
manual gear system. Moreover both government and people are not that
bothered about the smoke or pollution of the environment. It is
difficult to to drive a silent electric car as pedestrians and animals
jaywalk along the road carelessly.
Tesla
and Nissan are the pioneers in electric car running, but now most car
manufactures have launched attractive electric cars with different
specifications.Owning an electric car is not suitable for everyone, as
those who do not have an off road parking space or garage cannot get the car
charged overnight. The price of electric cars has been static for the
past 10 years, but normally it is higher than that of fossil fuel cars.
However one can get three year old cars, for 33% of its original price,
because the depreciation of the value of electric cars is high. A
battery size of 40 kWh requires 8 hours to charge and the cost is round
£3.00. This is much cheaper than the price for fuel to drive a similar
distance. One needs to consider the life of the battery,the range of
battery, available garages where the vehicle can be serviced and the
availability of charging points nearby, prior to buying an electric
car. But I am sure in the near future most governments will pave the way
for more infrastructure to attract road users to switch over to
electric vehicles.
Dr.C.J.George
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