EVs are steadily growing in popularity, and it’s becoming more clear to see that the future is inevitably electrified. The essence of EVs is fun, with their clean, sleek, and futuristic designs that’ll help you avoid dripping gas on yourself or huffing exhaust fumes. These vehicles come with a lot to learn about too, so, let’s look at some fun facts about them.
Energy Conversion Efficiency
Electric vehicles are extra efficient at using energy compared to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles. Gas engines lose much of the energy stored in fuel when running, mostly as heat. They’re only able to use about 15% to 25% of the energy stored in fuel to move the vehicle down the street. EVs, conversely, are able to utilize about 65% to 70%. And to make things even better, they can also recoup another ~20% by the magic of regenerative braking, where braking the car recharges the battery. This results in efficiently utilizing ~90% of the energy.
Consider this example a Redditor shared. They broke down the math to show that a Tesla Model Y would be able to drive 300 miles using the energy equivalent to that in only 2.4 gallons of gas.
EVs Aren’t as New as you Think
While electric cars might feel like a new idea compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, they’ve been around longer than you think. In the early 1800s, bright minds in Europe and the US began knocking on the door of creating an EV. Robert Anderson, a Scottish inventor, is credited with developing the first crude electric carriage around this period. This first electric car, or carriage, was powered by battery cells but wasn’t rechargeable. It may not have been a fully understood idea at the time, but it’s considered to be the first electric vehicle, and thanks to giant leaps forward in battery technology, we’re finally starting to see commercially available electric cars.
50% Cheaper to Run
Obviously EVs are cleaner to run than ICE vehicles, but did you know that they’re also much cheaper to run too? Studies have shown that EVs are ~50% cheaper to operate than ICE vehicles. This is because EVs are much more efficient at using energy, as mentioned prior. Charging EVs at home tends to help this fact, as public chargers are usually a bit pricier. The state that you reside in and its energy makeup can also affect this. You can use this tool to estimate what your fuel costs would be with an EV.
Additionally, EVs are also cheaper to maintain, given that you don’t need to worry about oil changes, spark plugs, and brake pads as often. Electric motors also have less moving parts, which can mean that there could be less chances for something to fail.
EVs are Often Powered by Fossil Fuels
EVs are known as clean vehicles and not outputting any exhaust, however, many forget that some of the energy used to charge EV batteries comes from somewhere, and much is still produced using fossil fuels. Depending on where you’re charging the vehicle at, the electricity used may come from natural gas or a coal power plant.
You can check the total greenhouse gas emissions for a vehicle in a particular zip code at this page, and you can also see the average energy makeup for a particular state here. The goal is to steadily move towards more sustainable energy sources and less pollution as we drive into the future. As the electric energy grid becomes more developed, EVs will become even more advantageous.
EVs are Fast
If you haven’t driven an EV before, you may not know that they are quite fast. Their electric motors produce almost instant torque, meaning that when you press the gas (fuel) pedal, they will go and go quickly. This isn’t to say that their top speed is necessarily fast, but rather, their acceleration. The overall power and capability varies by model, but electric motors are fully ready to put you in the back of your seat.
Sports cars are adapting to using electric motors due to this unbeatable feature, whether in hybrid or full EV fashion. The low center of gravity that comes from the battery also can be of benefit. While the roar of a big engine will always have its supporters, manufactures like Porsche, even, are starting to produce a fully electric 911. If going fast is what sports-car-enthusiasts are about, they will surely consider EVs.
Countries Are Planning for the Future of Electric Cars
With the popularity of electric cars rising worldwide, many countries have set targets for when they plan to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles permanently. In Norway, they have set a very ambitious plan to phase out their fleet of gasoline cars by 2025. India and the UK have set their goal for 2030. This means that these countries will stop the sale of new ICE vehicles at this date. The US is lagging behind, with only California pledging to ban sales by 2035. This aggressive plan has let auto manufactures know they will have to adapt or be left behind.
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint by 50%
Switching to an EV can be a great way to reduce the amount of pollution that conventional vehicles produce. Most studies agree that an EV will produce about half the carbon that an ICE vehicle will over the lifespan. This is, of course, dependent on where the energy comes from to charge the battery. Countries like Norway and France have some of the cleanest energy sources, which makes the emissions footprint even less.
EVs Have Artificial Sounds
One of the biggest safety fears when electric cars first hit the market was the fact that, apart from the noise the wheels make on the surface of the road, they essentially make no noise. This is mostly a problem at lower speeds, as wind and road noise pick up above 20 mph. To counter this and make electric cars safer for pedestrians and cyclists, EVs are required to emit noise as a safety feature, labeled an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS). Manufactures are given some leeway in what sounds they choose, so the sounds may vary slightly.
Here’s an example of the feature:
We’ve become accustomed to the sound of cars running and exhaust coming out the tailpipe, so it could be hard to tell if an EV was running or not in parking lots and other situations, leading to accidents.
EV Quietness is Different
Additionally, the quietness of EVs can take some getting used to. Being accustomed to ICE vehicles, hearing all the other sounds of driving without the engine rumbling can be a funny experience. Things in the car, like a slight creaking of the chassis when corning may seem louder than before, but it’s just due to the absence of prior noise. It’s explained in this video:
Braking Charges Your Electric Car
Braking is a large part of driving, and you might be surprised at how much time you actually spend doing it, especially if you’re doing a lot of congested city commuting. Electric cars feature a regenerative braking system that harnesses the kinetic energy you use to brake to charge the battery. As mentioned earlier, this feature helps EVs reach their lofty efficiency stats. This feature is what earlier hybrid vehicles, such as the Prius, relied on to charge their smaller electric motor.
An Electric Car Battery is Like 300 Smartphone Batteries
An EV battery is pretty powerful. Being able to drive up to 300 miles while carrying passengers and going highways speeds, it ought to be. To put its power into perspective, it would be equivalent to about 300 of those batteries powering the device in your pocket right now.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Some fun and interesting facts about the future of automobiles. Hopefully you learned something and can see the reason why people are excited about these cars.
Passionate writer who loves to learn about all things that go and share that knowledge.