3/9/2017
Gasoline cars have been around for 132 years (since 1885!). So, hypothetically we should all be experts by now, right? Even though most of us use a car almost every single day, we still find ourselves asking “what the heck part is the mechanic talking about now?” when we drag ourselves into the dealership after that darn indicator lights pops up on the dashboard.
So it’s no surprise that electric vehicles, the new(er) kid on the block, also have a whole vocabulary associated with them. Although EVs have far fewer parts (and thus, less maintenance overall) compared to gasoline cars, here are a few terms you should know — either as a driver of an EV — or just someone who likes to know how things work…
1. Onboard Charger — Making the magic happen.
This baby is a piece of hardware that converts alternating current (AC) electricity into direct current (DC) electricity. AC electricity is used in our homes and practically everywhere else. Nikola Tesla was a huge fan of it. By comparison, DC electricity is far less common and was actually Thomas Edison’s jam. Tesla and Edison actually had a pretty epic feud over trying to convince the world which was better — AC or DC electricity. The fact that AC now rules most of our world today shows Tesla was clearly the winner. History lesson complete.
So, when you charge an EV, the electricity comes into your vehicle from the outlet as AC electricity. The onboard charger then converts it to DC electricity in order to be conveniently stored in your battery until you are ready to use it. Poof. Magic.
Perhaps most importantly, the capacity of the onboard charger controls how fast your battery fills up with electricity when you plug it into charge. Many EV manufacturers offer multiple onboard charger capacities, the bigger the more expensive. If speedy charging is important to you, consider upgrading now to save yourself time in the future.
2. Li-ION Battery — So hot right now.
Lithium ion batteries (also known as Li-ION batteries) are the main player in the EV world these days. Li-ION battery technology has reached such high popularity because they’re some of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. Interestingly, just a few years ago nickel-metal hydride batteries were all the rage, but were really only used in hybrid vehicles. That being said, don’t count nickel-metal hydride out of the game, or any other type of battery for that matter! With the projected growth of the electric vehicle industry, we can expect to see a range of new types of batteries and maybe some familiar, but revamped, types hitting the market over the next 10–15 years.
3. kW vs. kWh — The importance of an ‘h’.
The capacity of an EV battery is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours) and tells us how much energy the battery can store and then give to the electric motor. For example, a 2017 Nissan LEAF has a 30 kWh battery, which means the battery can provide 30 kW worth of power to the electric motor for one hour before needing another charge. KWhs define the amount of energy stored, and kilowatts (kW, aka 1,000 watts) define is the amount of power flowing at one point in time. In the EV case these kWs are flowing into the electric motor to drive the car forward. Therefore, you can think about kW usage in terms of your speed at any given moment and this is capped at the capacity of the electric motor installed in your EV (80kW for a Nissan Leaf for example). So while you could use 80 kW of power at any moment to drive your Nissan LEAF, in reality, you won’t — unless you’re ripping down the Autobahn at +100 mph. Your actual power usage will constantly vary and is largely dependent on your lead foot and how much you like air conditioning.
Now we know how electricity gets into the battery and what is looks like when it gets there, but how does the electricity actually get out of the battery? That brings us to our next term…
4. Inverter — Giving us the POWER.
When you are ready to stomp on that accelerator pedal, the DC electricity being stored in your battery is then converted real quick back into AC electricity by the inverter. That AC goodness is then shot over to the electric motor, which then starts to move your little electric wheels forward at an impressive rate. We’ve all heard of the Model S’s “ludacris mode”, but even a Nissan LEAF (the Pope’s choice EV) still packs a good punch off the line because of the instant torque of an electric motor. The overall efficiency of an inverter in changing DC to AC electricity is actually directly related to the range of the vehicle and will be a key area of focus as EV technology improves into the future.
5. Regenerative Braking — A free lunch! Really!
Arguably one of the best things about an electric vehicle is its ability to capture the energy created by braking and put it right back into the battery to use later. When you are driving along the energy needed to move the car forward travels from the battery to the motor to the wheels. But when you brake, the process reverses. Energy from your wheels is sent back to the motor. The motor then runs in reverse mode, slowing the car’s wheels down while also acting like an electric generator, producing electricity instead of consuming it. That produced energy is then stored in the battery. This is the main reason for why people who drive around more urban settings all day (read: LOTS of starting and stopping) tend to not have to charge as often as someone who is driving on freeways/highways all day — they are getting all sorts of free energy from braking so much!
6. Charging Network — Options, options, options!
So now that we have covered much of what is going on inside the electric vehicle itself — let’s talk about how to charge them. There are several options for charging electric vehicles these days — ranging from in your own garage, to your office building, to your neighbor’s driveway! And the options are only increasing as the networks of charging stations grow, making it easier and easier for electric vehicle drivers to find the best charging option that suits them.
Looking for the fastest charge possible when you are on a road trip? Check out EVgo’s network of DC fast chargers. Need a to find a station near your grocery store? PlugShare aggregates almost all publicly available charging stations in one application. Or if you need something more consistent, something you can reserve on a daily/weekly basis — EVmatch provides an online platform that matches you with the perfect station for your schedule.
Did we miss any key terms? Let us know!
Written by: Kelsey Johnson
