ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GO ELECTRIC.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: THE RISE AND THE FALL

Beginning in the 1830s, many Europeans were interested in researching an electric locomotive. It is very tough to decide who started it first but a few among them were -

1. Hungarian inventor Ányos Jedlik built the first crude but viable electric motor(DC motor), provided with a stator, rotor and commutator. He later tried to power a tiny car using this motor in 1828.
2. In 1832, Robert Anderson a British inventor built the first crude electric carriage using non-rechargeable primary cells.
3. In 1835, In the Netherlands, Sibrandus Stratingh a professor from the University of Groningen built a small scale electric vehicle.
4. American blacksmith and inventor Thomas Davenport built a toy electric locomotive, powered by a primitive electric motor, in 1835.
5. In 1838, a Scotsman named Robert Davidson built an electric locomotive that attained a speed of four miles per hour (6 km/h).
6.  In 1902, the Studebaker Automobile Company entered the automotive business with electric vehicles, though it also entered the gasoline vehicles market in 1904

Electrified trains were used for coal transport, as the motors did not use precious oxygen in the mines. Switzerland's lack of natural fossil resources forced the rapid electrification of its rail network. One of the earliest rechargeable batteries – the nickel-iron battery – was favoured by Edison for use in electric cars in 1913.

In the 1900s the major industry manufacturers Baker Electric, Columbia Electric, Detroit Electric, and others, and at one point in history out-sold gasoline-powered vehicles. In 1900, 28% of the cars on the road in the US were electric. EVs were so popular that even President Woodrow Wilson and his secret service agents toured Washington, D.C. in their Milburn Electrics, which covered 60–70 mi (100–110 km) per charge. But due to the powerful engine capacity of the combustion engines, fuel-based automobiles started getting more attention and the EV market lost its significance.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES REINTRODUCTION

The reintroduction of electric vehicles started in the 1970s when NASA started using electric vehicles for space programs. During this time, petrol and diesel prices have increased and the shortage of resources created a huge issue in the industries globally.

The big and small scale manufacturers started to explore alternative sources of energy and hybrid vehicles were invented. Along with hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles research and development started. Companies started investing heavily in the research and development of alternative resources and electric vehicles were one of the best options.

By 1990 the new set of regulations was passed keeping environmental preservation in mind and many companies started converting the models into electric vehicles and trying to achieve the same speed and power as that gasoline engines.

During the late 20th and early 21st century, the environmental impact of the petroleum-based transportation infrastructure, along with the fear of peak oil, led to renewed interest in electric transportation infrastructure. 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 renewables such as solar power and wind power or any combination of those. The carbon footprint and other emissions of electric vehicles vary depending on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation. The electricity may be stored in the vehicle using a battery, flywheel, or supercapacitors. Vehicles using internal combustion engines usually only derive their energy from a single or a few sources, usually non-renewable fossil fuels. A key advantage of electric vehicles is regenerative braking, which recovers kinetic energy, typically lost during friction braking as heat, as electricity is restored to the onboard battery. The invention of lithium-Ion batteries was a huge breakthrough in the electric automobile industry.

That is all about the history of the evolution of EVs.

PRESENT DAY ELECTRIC VEHICLES MARKET

In the current day scenario, The global electric vehicle market was valued at $163.01 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $823.75 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 18.2% from 2021 to 2030.

Today the market leaders of the electric vehicle business is -

• TESLA (Market Capital - $1.137 trillion)
• RIVIAN (Market Capital - $41.02 billion)
• LUCID MOTORS (Market Capital - $40.58 billion)
• NIO (Market Capital - $33.34 billion)
• LI AUTO (Market Capital - $29.32 billion)
• XPENG (Market Capital - $26.04 billion)
• NIKOLA (Market Capital - $4.18 billion)
• FISKER (Market Capital - $3.28 billion)
• ARRIVAL (Market Capital - $2.35 billion)
• PROTERRA (Market Capital - $1.62 billion)
• FARADAY FUTURE (Market Capital - $1.59 billion)
• LION ELECTRIC (Market Capital - $1.55 billion)

INDIA IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES MARKET

India’s electric vehicle market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 90 per cent in this decade to touch $150 billion by 2030, a report by consulting firm RBSA Advisors.

In the last decade India has been focusing of environment preservation goals and a lot of companies have started manufacturing and sales of the EVs in India. A few 4-wheeler manufacturers among them are-

1. MAHENDRA ELECTRIC
2. TATA MOTORS
3. HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC
4. REVA
5. OLECTRA GREEN
6. OLA ELECTRIC
7. MG MOTORS
8. AMPERE VEHICLES PVT.LTD
9. MG EV
10. MENZA MOTORS

BEST DESIGN E-BIKES

In my opinion these are a few well designed e-bikes that are currently in the market or soon to be launched.

1. ULTRAVIOLETTE F77
2. OBEN RORR
3. REVOLT RV400
4. JOY E-BIKE SKYLINE
5. EARTH ENERGY EV
6. TUNWEL TZ 3.3
7. KABIRA MOBILITY KM 4000
8. TORK KRATOS
9. JOY E-BIKE MONSTER
10. KOMAKI RANGER
11. CYBORG BOB-E
12. ODYSEE ELECTRIC EVOQIS
13. ATUMOBILE ATUM VER1.0
14. ONE ELECTRIC KRIDN

These are a few cool and stylish bikes if you are looking to go Electric.

BEST DESIGN E-SCOOTERS

In my opinion these are a few well designed e-Scooters that are currently in the market or soon to be launched.

1. OLA S1
2. ATHER 450X
3. BAJAJ CHETAK
4. TVS IQUBE
5. BOUNCE INFINITY
6. HERO ELECTRIV PHOTON
7. OKINAWA I-PHRASE

BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Electric vehicles are around 3-5 times more efficient than internal combustion vehicles in utilizing energy.
• Electric vehicles save energy by regenerative braking. Around 30%-70% of the energy used for propulsion can be recovered, with higher percentages applicable to stop-and-go city driving.

Aspects related to global warming needs a shift to automobile solutions that reduce / do not produce greenhouse gas emissions.

• India can become a global provider for clean mobility solutions and processes that are affordable and scalable.
• Electric vehicles are much quieter and may contribute to a reduction in noise pollution levels in the cities.
• Energy efficiency and emission reduction has improved in automobiles. Yet, the growth in total number of vehicles on road, and the resulting total pollution and total energy consumption removed all gains made by betterment in energy efficiency and emission reduction by automobiles. Energy efficiency measures and pollution control measures did not keep pace with the sales growth in vehicles.
• Through smart charging, electric vehicles can help to balance the balance-supply variations in the electricity grid, and provide a buffer against electricity supply failures.
• Electric vehicles have much fewer moving parts as compared to vehicles with IC engines. Thus, being simpler, they are cheaper and easier to maintain.
• Electric motors can deliver high torque at low speeds. As a result, electric vehicles deliver much better performance while starting off and on slopes than IC engine-powered vehicles.

CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIA FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Lack of charging infrastructure.
• cost is more
• Lack of renewable energy of grid infrastructure
• battery capacity

THIS IS ALL THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GO ELECTRIC.

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I hope that the content was informative and precise. I mainly choose this topic because a lot of people have discussed with me about this and also i heard a lot of people speaking about the Electric vehicles and how it can help the environment recover from the pollution. May this article help you guys to choose the right vehicle for yourself.

-PRANAYBHONAGIRI

Linkedin id- Pranay Bhonagiri

Email- pranaybhonagiri@gmail.com