What is an electric vehicle?

An electric vehicle (EV) is a mode of transport which is powered by electricity. Unlike conventional vehicles that use a gasoline (petrol) or diesel-powered engine, electric cars and trucks use an electric motor powered by electricity from batteries or a fuel cell. A key advantage of EVs over other forms of transport is that they hold the potential to significantly reduce pollution by having zero exhaust emissions.

How does an electric vehicle work?

EVs have an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine (ICE). The vehicle uses a large traction battery pack to power the motor and must be plugged in to a charging station or wall outlet to charge. Most EVs use lithium-ion batteries, which have higher energy density, longer life span and higher power than most other practical batteries.

There are three main types of EVs. Hybrid EVs (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs are both powered by petrol and electricity. The former generates energy through the car’s own braking system to recharge the battery, while the latter can recharge through any external source of electricity. Meanwhile, battery EVs (BEVs) are fully electric, meaning that the vehicle emits no emissions from the exhaust and does not contain the typical liquid fuel components, such as a fuel pump, fuel line, or fuel tank.