A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is relatively simple and easy to operate compared to an internal combustion engine (ICE). High voltage batteries, electric motors with power electronics controllers and single speed gearboxes make up the most basic powertrain architecture.
As a means of distinguishing them from Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), pure electric vehicles are sometimes referred to as BEVs. HEVs have a hybrid powertrain (internal combustion engine plus electric motor).
Electric vehicles with batteries are growing in popularity because they provide an alternative to conventional transportation systems.
BEVs have the biggest advantage over internal combustion engines because they are highly efficient, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. However, the high voltage battery has a low energy density, which is a major drawback.
Electric vehicles’ range is determined by how far they can travel in a single charge. This is determined based on the approval cycle of the vehicle (NEDC, FTP, etc.).
Battery electric vehicles can be classified in accordance with their range, maximum speed and acceleration performance:
- EVs used in the neighborhood: A small vehicle with a low range (less than 25 kilometers)
- EVs for the city: Vehicles with a limited range (less than 50 kilometers)
- EVs powered by batteries that provide full performance: The range of these vehicles is between 100 and 600 km, so they are the equivalent of traditional passenger vehicles.
Some BEVs are Followings according to Cars and Driver:
- Lucid Air:Â This EV has a range of 410 miles.Â
- Mercedes-Benz EQS:Â This EV has a range of 400 miles.Â
- Chevrolet Silverado EV:Â This EV has a range of 400 miles.Â
- Hyundai Ioniq 6:Â This EV has a range of 300 miles.Â
- BMW iX:Â This EV has a range of 290 miles.Â
- GMC Hummer EV Pickup:Â This EV has a range of 290 miles.Â
How Do Batteries Work?
There are many cells in a car’s battery pack that contain both positively charged cathodes and negatively charged anodes. Batteries are electrical devices that produce electricity through a chemical process. An electrolyte separates these two components from one another, providing insulation as well as allowing ions to move between them.
An ion is a negatively charged elementary particle that flows across an electrolyte, bringing electrons with it. This transfer of electrons is what creates the electrical current within a battery. As soon as all the ions have flown across an electrolyte, the battery becomes depleted and must be recharged.
The process of charging involves returning electrons to the ions, providing them with an electrical current, and driving them across the void once again.
What Is Thermal Runaway?
The most common fear associated with BEVs is something called thermal runaway, just as it is with internal combustion engines. It is a type of fire that is usually caused by a short in the battery pack, caused by damage to the battery pack, like when it is involved in a major accident.
Shorting out a battery can create sparks that can ignite electrolyte, especially with chemistry based on lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, which is the most commonly used. Oxygen, present at the end of the oxide, allows these fires to feed themselves, making them increasingly intense and difficult to suppress.
Lithium-iron-phosphate is one of the newer chemistries that does not have this problem.
There is a 29-fold greater chance of combustion-powered vehicles catching fire than electric vehicles. These fires are frightening and difficult to extinguish, but they are rare.
Cost to Replace an EV Battery
Battery packs are a substantial portion of an EV’s overall cost, even though the cost of replacing them has decreased significantly over the past few years. There’s no doubt that a full battery pack replacement on an EV is a costly proposition.
Depending on the Tesla Model S, you might need to spend about $15,000 to $25,000 on a new battery pack.
The batteries are guaranteed for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Lithium-ion packs are normally replaced for free at this point, so there’s no need to freak out.
Generally speaking, once an older car’s battery comes out of warranty, you’re on your own. But, you need to keep some context in mind. Since the 2017 Tesla Model S’s battery is coming out of warranty, the car’s battery pack could easily cost over $100,000 in new condition.
A 2017 Mercedes-Benz S550 would be comparable to this. Imagine if it needed an engine replacement.
According to Mercedes’ own price sheets, you’d spend about $4,000 for one piston alone. You’ll actually need eight of them.
What Are Charging Standards?
The different charging standards used to charge BEVs is one of the more confusing aspects of the vehicle. The good news is that it’s about to get much easier. Many charging standards have come and gone over the years, but now most manufacturers are following a new standard known as NACS.
Ford and others have also adopted this plug shape, making it easy to connect to all vehicles and charging stations. Tesla first developed this plug shape, and has since been adopted by Ford and others.
Ford and others have also adopted this plug shape, making it easy to connect to all vehicles and charging stations. Tesla first developed this plug shape, and has since been adopted by Ford and others.
What Is an EV’s Charging Speed?
There are also different plug types, and different EVs charge at different rates, based on the amount of current they can draw from the grid or some other source like solar power or even another battery system.
It is usually measured in kilowatts (kW), which is a measure of the rate at which energy is transferred. More kilowatts mean more juice flowing, which means a faster recharge of the car’s battery.
Chargers and charger networks use different maximum speeds, but you’ll often find high-speed chargers with speeds of up to 350 kW, while your typical home charger has speeds of up to 15 kW.
A BEV designed for regular gas won’t run better if you plug it into a 350-kW charger just like you won’t get a faster charge if you plug it into a higher-octane fuel. Just like a car designed for regular gas, a car designed for higher-octane fuel won’t run better on high-octane fuel.
Be sure to choose wisely at the charger if you’re driving a slower car, lest you block a person who really needs the high-speed charger.
What Are EV Tax Credits and Incentives?
Electric car tax credits are another factor that has become increasingly nuanced. Previously, each electric car sold in the U.S. benefited from a single, $7,500 federal tax credit.
A maximum federal credit of $7,500 is still available for electric cars, although it can scale downward based on where the cars are manufactured and the battery materials used to make them. Some EVs are eligible for the full credit; others are not.
Although, in general, it means that many fewer cars are eligible for incentives than before, the good news is that it is no longer a tax credit.
After reading this story, it’s a lot easier to understand how the money gets credited immediately toward the purchase or lease price of a car, and hopefully also toward the purchase or lease of a BEV.
People Also Ask
1. What is a BEV electric vehicle?
An electric vehicle powered exclusively by electricity stored in its onboard battery is known as a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). As opposed to hybrids, BEVs are powered solely by electric motors and do not have internal combustion engines. External power sources, such as electric charging stations or home charging units, are required to charge these vehicles.
2. What does BEV mean on a battery?
Battery-powered vehicles are referred to as BEVs. They are vehicles powered by batteries, without the help of gasoline, refined petroleum products, or other fuels. Each battery must be recharged to run the vehicle’s electric motor.
3. What is meant by BEV?
A battery electric vehicle is an electric vehicle powered only by electricity. It emits no exhaust and relies on a motor for its movement. BEVs are fully electric, emitting no exhaust and have no exhaust pipe.
4. What is a battery electric vehicle?
The Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) uses electricity stored in a large battery to operate. There is no combustion of fuel or emissions from tailpipes, so it has to be charged by plugging it into an external power source, such as a home charger or public charger station, in order to function. Electric vehicles provide clean, efficient, and zero-emission transportation.
