Batteries, a simple engine, an electronic calculator: an electric car is made up of far fewer elements than a conventional thermal model. But the devil is in the details of its energy management.
With an appearance sometimes identical to that of a conventional thermal car, an electric car carries much more limited technical elements. Goodbye fuel tank, internal combustion engine, gearbox and exhaust system, room for a large battery, an electric motor and a specific computer to manage everything. This allows electric models whose design is dedicated for this energy to adopt a so-called “skateboard” platform which incorporates a battery bed under the passenger compartment, a small electric motor at the front or at the rear (or even two motors). to provide all-wheel drive) and wheels at all four corners. The designers are then free to define a futuristic or classic bodywork and to make the most of the space thus cleared.
=> Electric car: all models on the market, their price, their range
=> The cheapest electric cars
The battery is usually a lithium-ion accumulator whose capacity is expressed in kWh, generally between 30 and 90 kWh depending on the model. The bigger a battery (with a high number of cells), the more it is able to offer a generous autonomy in the car. The consumption is simply counted in kWh / 100 km. The battery is also the heaviest component (several hundred kilos) and the most expensive in an electric car. It is necessary to distinguish its useful capacity (the actual maximum load which it accepts to preserve its longevity) from its nominal capacity, always higher. The charging speed depends on the capacity of the converter built into the car, even the compatibility of the battery with fast direct current charging for the most efficient: the higher the output in kW, the faster the “full” will be done. The fastest can regain several hundred kilometers in 30 minutes.
To propel the car, we distinguish three main types of electric motors, all with an excellent efficiency of around 90%, up to three times that of a heat engine: with permanent magnets (the most common), asynchronous, synchronous. They have in common their two basic elements, a static cylinder integrating electromagnetic coils, the stator, around a mobile rotating element, the rotor. They do without a gearbox, being satisfied with a reduction gear to transmit the torque to the wheels at the output of the engine. They are reversible, being able to take advantage of each deceleration to regenerate the energy dispensed and supply the battery. The energy efficiency of the operation of the assembly depends a lot on the quality of its electronic management or BEV (Battery Energy Management), a crucial point particularly well mastered by Tesla, with a longer experience than its competitors. But the dozens of electric cars that are joining the market offer increasingly sharp returns to improve their sacred autonomy.
Benefits
- Zero emissions: while driving, an electric motor causes absolutely no polluting emissions. Only fault, the higher mass of electric cars causes the release of more fine particles (tires, brakes)
- Silent operation: with absolute silence, even a slight whistle for some models, the road is calm. At low speed, regulations now require an audible signal so as not to frighten pedestrians
- Driving approval: the engine torque being available immediately, electric cars offer very lively acceleration, even sporty for the most powerful. Without a gearbox, with a strong deceleration when lifting the foot, the electric is particularly pleasant in town
- Access to all EPZs: who says zero emissions, says zero restrictions. Electric cars are of course allowed in limited areas in the city center
- Economy of use: charging at home at night costs on average € 4 for a small electric car
- Reliability: the simplicity of an electric motor exposes it to much less risk of breakdowns and its maintenance is very simplified
Problems
- Limited autonomy: depending on the size of the battery, the style of driving, the temperature, the type of road, consumption can skyrocket. On the highway for example, a Renault Zoe will travel about 200 km while it can do 300 on the road.
- Recharge time: between the limits of the terminals and that of the car, the maximum charging power can be limited. A Zoe can claim between 1h10 on a fast terminal and… 34h on a wall outlet
- Charging network: neither harmonious nor always reliable, the recharging network remains the weak point of electrical life
- Buying price : batteries are expensive and this is reflected in the purchase price of electric vehicles. Fortunately, some models like the Dacia Spring are more accessible (€ 12,403 bonus deducted)
- Battery aging: like on a smartphone, the battery loses capacity over time
=> What is the lifespan of an electric vehicle?
What uses? What profile?
As much to say from the outset, the electric car is not suitable for all automotive uses. Even if electrics are capable of it, long journeys are not their forte and consumption on the motorway is very high. On the other hand, the city is their kingdom, because it is there that their non-polluting mode of operation finds its full measure, they are very pleasant to lead, do not create noise pollution and moreover, they find the best autonomy. thanks to energy recovery during braking. But the paradox is that city dwellers, mostly living in apartments, rarely benefit from an outlet available. It is possible to have one installed in your parking lot, it is even a right, but it is sometimes complicated. The question to ask yourself before opting for an electric car is therefore that of its daily use. Home-to-work trips of a few tens of kilometers, with a charging station in the company? Here is a diagram very indicated. And for the long annual trip of the summer holidays, nothing prevents to rent a more suitable and spacious thermal vehicle, the calculation can be profitable. Some manufacturers (like Fiat) even offer this type of possibilities.
To read on auto-moto.com:
Used electric car: which one to choose? – PODCAST
Decrease in ecological bonus 2021: date, new amount, electric cars, hybrids
Electric car: 300 km behind the wheel… and at the terminal – VIDEO
Batteries, a simple engine, an electronic calculator: an electric car is made up of far fewer elements than a conventional thermal model. But the devil is in the details of its energy management.
With an appearance sometimes identical to that of a conventional thermal car, an electric car carries much more limited technical elements. Goodbye fuel tank, internal combustion engine, gearbox and exhaust system, room for a large battery, an electric motor and a specific computer to manage everything. This allows electric models whose design is dedicated for this energy to adopt a so-called “skateboard” platform which incorporates a battery bed under the passenger compartment, a small electric motor at the front or at the rear (or even two motors). to provide all-wheel drive) and wheels at all four corners. The designers are then free to define a futuristic or classic bodywork and to make the most of the space thus cleared.
=> Electric car: all models on the market, their price, their range
=> The cheapest electric cars
The battery is usually a lithium-ion accumulator whose capacity is expressed in kWh, generally between 30 and 90 kWh depending on the model. The bigger a battery (with a high number of cells), the more it is able to offer a generous autonomy in the car. The consumption is simply counted in kWh / 100 km. The battery is also the heaviest component (several hundred kilos) and the most expensive in an electric car. It is necessary to distinguish its useful capacity (the actual maximum load which it accepts to preserve its longevity) from its nominal capacity, always higher. The charging speed depends on the capacity of the converter built into the car, even the compatibility of the battery with fast direct current charging for the most efficient: the higher the output in kW, the faster the “full” will be done. The fastest can regain several hundred kilometers in 30 minutes.
To propel the car, we distinguish three main types of electric motors, all with an excellent efficiency of around 90%, up to three times that of a heat engine: with permanent magnets (the most common), asynchronous, synchronous. They have in common their two basic elements, a static cylinder integrating electromagnetic coils, the stator, around a mobile rotating element, the rotor. They do without a gearbox, being satisfied with a reduction gear to transmit the torque to the wheels at the output of the engine. They are reversible, being able to take advantage of each deceleration to regenerate the energy dispensed and supply the battery. The energy efficiency of the operation of the assembly depends a lot on the quality of its electronic management or BEV (Battery Energy Management), a crucial point particularly well mastered by Tesla, with a longer experience than its competitors. But the dozens of electric cars that are joining the market offer increasingly sharp returns to improve their sacred autonomy.
Benefits
- Zero emissions: while driving, an electric motor causes absolutely no polluting emissions. Only fault, the higher mass of electric cars causes the release of more fine particles (tires, brakes)
- Silent operation: with absolute silence, even a slight whistle for some models, the road is calm. At low speed, regulations now require an audible signal so as not to frighten pedestrians
- Driving approval: the engine torque being available immediately, electric cars offer very lively acceleration, even sporty for the most powerful. Without a gearbox, with a strong deceleration when lifting the foot, the electric is particularly pleasant in town
- Access to all EPZs: who says zero emissions, says zero restrictions. Electric cars are of course allowed in limited areas in the city center
- Economy of use: charging at home at night costs on average € 4 for a small electric car
- Reliability: the simplicity of an electric motor exposes it to much less risk of breakdowns and its maintenance is very simplified
Problems
- Limited autonomy: depending on the size of the battery, the style of driving, the temperature, the type of road, consumption can skyrocket. On the highway for example, a Renault Zoe will travel about 200 km while it can do 300 on the road.
- Recharge time: between the limits of the terminals and that of the car, the maximum charging power can be limited. A Zoe can claim between 1h10 on a fast terminal and… 34h on a wall outlet
- Charging network: neither harmonious nor always reliable, the recharging network remains the weak point of electrical life
- Buying price : batteries are expensive and this is reflected in the purchase price of electric vehicles. Fortunately, some models like the Dacia Spring are more accessible (€ 12,403 bonus deducted)
- Battery aging: like on a smartphone, the battery loses capacity over time
=> What is the lifespan of an electric vehicle?
What uses? What profile?
As much to say from the outset, the electric car is not suitable for all automotive uses. Even if electrics are capable of it, long journeys are not their forte and consumption on the motorway is very high. On the other hand, the city is their kingdom, because it is there that their non-polluting mode of operation finds its full measure, they are very pleasant to lead, do not create noise pollution and moreover, they find the best autonomy. thanks to energy recovery during braking. But the paradox is that city dwellers, mostly living in apartments, rarely benefit from an outlet available. It is possible to have one installed in your parking lot, it is even a right, but it is sometimes complicated. The question to ask yourself before opting for an electric car is therefore that of its daily use. Home-to-work trips of a few tens of kilometers, with a charging station in the company? Here is a diagram very indicated. And for the long annual trip of the summer holidays, nothing prevents to rent a more suitable and spacious thermal vehicle, the calculation can be profitable. Some manufacturers (like Fiat) even offer this type of possibilities.
To read on auto-moto.com:
Used electric car: which one to choose? – PODCAST
Decrease in ecological bonus 2021: date, new amount, electric cars, hybrids
Electric car: 300 km behind the wheel… and at the terminal – VIDEO
