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ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVs)
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- What are EVs: An electric vehicle (EV) is one that operates on an electric motor, instead of an internal-combustion engine (ICE) that generates power by burning a mix of fuel and gases. Such EVs are seen as a possible replacement for current-generation automobiles, to address the issue of rising pollution, global warming, depleting natural resources, etc.
- History: EVs first came into existence in the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for motor vehicle propulsion, and in the 21st century, EVs saw a resurgence due to technological developments, and an increased focus on renewable energy due to climate change concerns.
- Powering and types: An EV can be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. EVs are everywhere - road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.
- Varieties of EVs: Just like the variety of technologies available in conventional fossil-fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) have different capabilities that can accommodate different drivers’ needs. A major feature of EVs is that drivers can plug them in to charge from an off-board electric power source. This distinguishes them from hybrid electric vehicles, which supplement an internal combustion engine with battery power but cannot be plugged in. (some models allow that)
- Two basic types: There are two basic types of EVs – (i) all-electric vehicles (AEVs) and (ii) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). AEVs include Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). In addition to charging from the electrical grid, both types are charged in part by regenerative braking, which generates electricity from some of the energy normally lost when braking.
- Climate change: From 1990s onwards, environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation led to renewed interest in an electric transportation. EVs differ from fossil fuel-powered vehicles in that the electricity they consume can be generated from a wide range of sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable sources such as tidal power, solar power, hydropower, and wind power. The carbon footprint and other emissions of electric vehicles varies depending on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation.
- How electricity is used: The electricity generated via any method can be stored on board the vehicle using a battery, flywheel, or supercapacitors. Vehicles making use of engines working on the principle of combustion can usually only derive their energy from a single or a few sources, usually non-renewable fossil fuels. A key advantage of hybrid or plug-in electric vehicles is regenerative braking, which recovers kinetic energy, typically lost during friction braking as heat, as electricity restored to the on-board battery.
- World EV market: China is adopting EVs on a large-scale rapidly. By 2019, the world's two best selling all-electric cars were the Nissan Leaf (300,000 in global sales) and the Tesla Model S (200,000 in global sales). These are relatively small numbers, though.
- Indian scenario: The first decision to incentivise electric vehicles was taken in 2010, by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), which announced a financial incentive for manufacturers for EVs.
- The scheme, effective from November 2010, was later withdrawn by the MNRE in March 2012. In 2013, India unveiled the 'National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020' to make a major shift to electric vehicles and to address the issues of national energy security, vehicular pollution and growth of domestic manufacturing capabilities.
- Then came the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, in 2015 which lasted till 2019.
- The FAME Phase II was announced in April 2019, to last three years.
- Major concerns include Lithium resources needed for batteries, and local EV manufacturing capability.
- Overall pace of EV adoption in India remained slow, and govt. focus was more on pandemic management through 2020 and 2021.
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