Instead of a gasoline- or diesel-powered engine, there’s an electric motor under the hood: electric cars are all the rage these days, especially considering the public debate on how to mitigate the consequences of climate change. We have the 10 most exciting facts and a glossary of key terms relating to the electric car for you.
e-car from ford on display at the E-cologne 2019
Photo: sarah janczura
1. What types of e-cars are available??
Electric cars are differentiated in terms of their drive systems.
Pure electric vehicles, Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which theoretically have an electric motor that provides the entire drive system. According to the current state of the art, however, these vehicles still require some assistance for longer distances. That’s why some models have a range extender built in. This is an additional internal combustion engine that supplies the battery with energy and is therefore only indirectly involved in the drive system.
Fully hybrid on the other hand, they have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, both of which serve to propel them. If the battery used can be recharged via an electrical outlet, it is referred to as a plug-in hybrid.
Furthermore there are microhybrid vehicles, that do not have an electric motor at all, but use the electric braking energy to z. B. to power the vehicle electrics. And there are mild hybrid vehicles, which, in addition to an internal combustion engine, also have an electric motor that is fed via the braking energy (recuperation) and provides support above all when starting off.
Strictly speaking, according to the electromobility act of 2015 includes purely battery-electric vehicles as electromobiles, but also fuel cell vehicles and plug-in hybrids. For the latter, there is still the restriction that they produce CO2 emissions of around The batteries must not exceed a weight of 50 grams per kilometer driven, or must have a minimum range of 30 kilometers using only electric propulsion. From 2018, this minimum range will be increased to 40 kilometers.
<h2>2. How the energy is stored?
The vast majority of today’s electric cars use lithium-ion traction batteries. These have a very high power and energy density, but also have disadvantages. So it takes a very long time to fully charge them again. In addition, they discharge themselves during longer rest periods. The batteries are still very expensive to manufacture and have a relatively short service life.
Researchers are therefore working on alternatives such as stacked batteries that can be 1.The electric cars are expected to have a range of up to 000 kilometers, highly efficient batteries with glass, such as those developed by the co-inventor of lithium-ion batteries, silicon air batteries, which would be unrivaled in terms of price, and environmentally friendly redox flow batteries, such as those used by the Liechtenstein-based company nanoflowcell in its electric cars.
Job search for engineers
Tesla recently published test results with its research partner, introducing a new million-mile battery. This super battery is expected to last 1.6 million kilometers.
3. How far can you get?
The range that can be achieved with a single battery charge depends on the storage capacity of the installed battery. Theoretically, considerable ranges equivalent to those of a car with an internal combustion engine would be conceivable. However, the still very high manufacturing costs for the batteries stand in the way.
The traction batteries currently installed by carmakers offer an average range of approx. 100 to 600 kilometers per charge. The cars with the longest range include two newcomers: Tesla’s Model E, which is scheduled for market launch at the end of 2017, and opel’s ampera-E. The jaguar I-pace S covers 420 kilometers.
4. How long does the battery last??
The service life of the batteries used in electric cars is limited. Experts believe that lithium-ion batteries will be available after about 1.000 charging processes must be replaced. Assuming a range of 100 kilometers per charge, a battery will last around 100 kilometers.000 km long. Depending on the intensity of use of the vehicle, this means a durability of approx. 5 to 10 years.
The above-mentioned batteries must first come out of the test phase before a reliable statement can be made about their service life.
5. How many electric cars are on the road in germany??
On 1. January 2019 83.200 electric vehicles on german roads. In january 2017, the figure was just under 55.000 e-cars. Incidentally, most electric vehicles were found in the south and west of the republic and in the cities.
But Germany still has a lot of plans: by 2020, the government wants manufacturers to put one million electric vehicles on the road in Germany, especially plug-in hybrids and vehicles with a range extender.
6. Which countries are considered pioneers of electromobility?
In europe, the absolute pioneers are the netherlands, norway and france. Norway is now ahead of most european countries. The norwegian government waives value-added tax for e-car buyers and takes over import duties. Drivers can also look forward to reduced vehicle tax.
Globally, china remains the benchmark in absolute terms all things electromobility. In the Middle Kingdom, more than 142 vehicles were built in the first quarter of 2018.000 e-cars sold.
7. What does an electric car cost??
Electric cars are still significantly more expensive to buy than cars with purely internal combustion engines. Depending on the manufacturer and vehicle type, prices can be up to twice as high. And according to an ADAC study, these only pay off in exceptional cases. Even though the lack of a clutch or exhaust system means that fewer wear parts have to be replaced in electric cars, which means lower workshop costs, the high purchase price means that the vehicles cannot usually compete with gasoline or diesel-powered cars in terms of profitability, i.e. cost per kilometer.
But in germany there is an environmental bonus, a purchase premium for electric vehicles that can be applied for. For pure electric vehicles, there are 4.000 euro premium, for plug-in hybrids 3.000 euro. the federal office of economics and export control (bafa) has a document available that lists all eligible models.
8. Do you have special rights with an electric car??
Yes. In the electromobility act (emog), which came into force in june 2015, electric cars are granted special rights. These include reduced parking fees, preferential treatment for access restrictions, such as those set up to combat noise and exhaust fumes, and dedicated parking spaces with charging facilities in public areas.
9. Where you can charge your car?
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, 300 new vehicles are to be built by 2030.000 charging points will be available in Germany, most of them fast-charging stations. At present, electric car drivers can park their vehicles at 20.650 publicly accessible charging stations for electric vehicles. They are mainly found in metropolitan areas and public parking garages, according to the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). Around 12% of charging stations are fast-charging stations.
An interactive map of where charging stations are located in Germany is published by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). But even there, not all available stations are listed.
10. How environmentally friendly are electric cars??
The production of the batteries used in electric cars requires an enormous amount of energy, which initially has a negative impact on the overall energy balance of the electric vehicle. Also, cars are only as clean as the electricity they use. As long as a large proportion of this is obtained from coal-fired power plants instead of renewable sources, this has a negative impact on the environmental balance of electric cars.
However, if you look at the entire life cycle of the electric car, it comes out on top in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption significantly better than vehicles with internal combustion engines. Electric motors emit no pollutants and make the car permanently independent of fossil energy sources. Ultimately, however, consumption is also important: the less electricity it consumes per kilometer, the more it protects the environment.
Glossary for e-car drivers
Alternating current (AC)
Alternating current (AC) is the English term for alternating current. E-cars only store direct current in their batteries. However, the electricity for charging that comes from the wall socket and many charging stations is alternating current (AC).
The battery is the most expensive component in an electric car. As a rule, lithium-ion batteries are installed, which consumers are also familiar with from smartphones and notebooks. The vehicle needs the accumulator for propulsion.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV)
Battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is the name given to the electric car. The term BEV is used when a pure e-car is to be distinguished from a hybrid vehicle. A hybrid car has both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.
Fuel cell
The fuel cell is the alternative technology to the battery electric car. The fuel cell uses hydrogen, which is stored in a tank. In combination with oxygen, electrical energy is generated in the cell.
Combined charging system (CCS)
The European fast-charging system CCS stands for combined charging system. There is a CCS plug for the system, which can be used for DC and AC charging. Most electric cars in germany are equipped with CCS.
Contemporary amperex technology (CATL)
CATL is the best known chinese battery producer. The manufacturer is building a new battery factory in erfurt at a cost of 1.8 billion euros. One of CATL’s biggest customers is BMW.
Driving a gasoline or diesel car produces more CO2 than is good for our earth’s atmosphere. CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a colorless gas and an important component of our air. The increase in CO2 emissions increases the greenhouse effect and thus global warming. E-cars do not emit CO2 directly at the car, which is an argument for driving e-cars. Critics, however, criticize CO2 emissions in the production of accumulators.
The start-up e-.Go is based in aachen and produces the german electric car "ego life her. Series production started in 2019. Engineer.De reported here. The e.Go is available from 16.000 euro.
Efficiency
The high efficiency is one of the advantages of the battery electric car. An electric car needs only half the energy of a hydrogen-powered car to cover a distance and only one sixth of what an internal combustion engine consumes.
Solid-state battery
The solid state battery is a development stage of the rechargeable battery. The electrolyte is not liquid but solid. In the laboratory, a solid-state battery achieves three times the energy density and can thus offer more range.
Molecular hydrogen H2 is used in hydrogen cars. These are also electric cars, as they are powered by electricity. However, the electricity is not stored in a battery, but is generated by the fuel cell in the car.
hybrid car
The hybrid car has two drive concepts, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor with a battery. A hybrid car has various degrees of electrification and can range from mildly full to plug-in.
With the introduction of the ID, Volkswagen has.3 a revolution started. At the IAA 2019, the electric car of the car company was the eye-catcher. VW has launched 3 versions of the electric car on the market. Inside the ID resembles.3 a tesla.
Induction/inductive charging
The induction means the charging without cable. The energy transfer works via two metal coils and a magnetic field. The electric car charges via a charging pad, for example at a pillar in a parking lot. The second coil is in the car itself. If drivers park their cars in a parking lot and charge the vehicle there, it is considered induction.
Kilowatt hour
The kilowatt hour, or kwh for short, is the unit of measurement for energy. It indicates the power consumption. For the batteries in electric cars, the value is between 20 and 70 kwh. The power consumption of an electric car is around 15 kwh per 100 kilometers.
charging stations
The expansion of public charging stations for e-cars is progressing steadily. Currently there are 16.000 locations where drivers can charge their e-car. Some owners are starting to charge their electric cars privately, but the legal framework for this is often lacking.
Light electric vehicles (LEV)
Light electric vehicles are electric vehicles with two or four wheels that weigh less than 100 kilograms. These include e-bikes and e-scooters.
Lithium-ion battery
A lithium-ion battery is standard in electric vehicles. The energy density and durability are particularly high here. However, a lithium-ion battery is costly, so e-cars are often more expensive than a vehicle with an internal combustion engine.
Motor
The e-car’s engine is powered by electricity. Compared to an internal combustion engine, the motor is a simple machine that generates alternating magnetic fields. Attraction and repulsion cause the moving part of the motor to rotate around an immobile area called the stator.
zero-emission car
A zero-emission car is a vehicle that emits no harmful emissions during operation. The electric vehicle falls under this and is also called "zero emissions" designates.
0.5% regulation
Those who use e-cars and plug-in hybrids as company cars enjoy tax benefits. Since january 2019, the 0.5% rule applies. Instead of one percent of the gross list price, employees then only have to claim 0.5 percent in taxes. Here are some of the other control advantages for engineers.
ÖCost-electricity
ÖCo-electricity comes from renewable sources, i.e. wind energy or solar power. The eco-balance here is far more positive than with electricity from fossil fuels such as coal. If the electricity for building electric cars comes from fossil fuels, this is heavily criticized.
Plug-in hybrid
In the plug-in hybrid, two different drive motors are installed. As a rule, there is an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. What then is the difference to a hybrid car?? The electric motor in this variant is charged via a charging cable.
Range
Range is a critical factor in the production and sale of e-cars. The range depends on the battery and consumption. A normal tesla model 2 usually travels 632 kilometers. Driving fast and using an air conditioner reduces range.
Smart grid
The smart grid is understood to be an intelligent electricity network. The batteries of the electric cars are able to store surplus electricity from solar plants and wind turbines. In the event of a weather lull, the surplus power can be fed back into the grid. The cars and charging stations must be designed for this principle of bi-directional charging.
Tesla
The U.S. company is considered a pioneer of electromobility. The first e-car from Tesla was built from 2008 to 2012 and was christened the roadster. Tesla currently offers 3 models: model S, model X and model 3. Tesla is owned by elon musk and already has half a million e-cars on the market.
environmental bonus (in germany)
Electromobility is subsidized in germany: For pure battery cars, the federal government gives 4000 euros, for hybrid cars 3000 euros subsidy. ÜThe bonus can be applied for via the website of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. This applies to e-cars, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell cars, zero-emission vehicles and cars that emit less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Attention: on 1. A new directive to promote the sale of electrically powered vehicles came into force on July 2019. An acoustic warning system can now be subsidized with a lump sum of 100 euros.
To stimulate further demand for e-cars, the federal government is extending the premium to end of 2020.
Wallbox
Electric vehicles must be charged. The wallbox is a charging station in the wall standardized test procedures for private households. The charging power is higher than that of a conventional household outlet.
Hydrogen car
A fuel cell car is also called a hydrogen car. electricity is generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen inside the fuel cell.
WLTP stands for "worldwide harmonized light-duty vehicles test procedure. Legislation prescribes standardized test procedures to measure a car’s fuel consumption and whether it complies with emission limits. For the type approval of new passenger cars, the WLTP has been in force throughout the EU since 1 January 2009. September 2017 the new test procedure WLTP. The current fuel consumption and emissions test procedure is closer to real-world driving and provides more accurate test results than the current NEDC (new european driving cycle).
The U.S. introduced a new test procedure back in 2008 that provides more accurate information on expected fuel consumption on the road. The US cycle is called environmental protection agency, EPA for short.
Cycle life
This refers to the service life of the battery. Cycle stability is the number of times the battery can be charged and discharged before its capacity falls below a minimum power level. The battery of an electric car should last an average of 10 years.
