Electric vehicles (EVs) are already here and fast becoming the future of transportation

How and why will EVs be the main vehicles in the future?

Just like the internet and then the smartphone, electric cars will soon be a mainstream product that most of us never had and yet in the course of our lives changed everything beyond recognition.

This revolution is being accelerated not just by the natural growth of technology but also the grave danger that faces humanity and nature: namely global warming and climate change. Humanity’s back is against the wall. Which in reality is a great motivator and innovator.

Within transportation cars are the biggest source of greenhouse gases and electrifying them will go a long way towards halting the destruction to the thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the dark void of space. Fuel cell EVs that use hydrogen as the fuel source instead of a battery are also another option that could make headway. We have no choice but to give up fossil fuels – and fast.

Even if the electricity grids that power electric cars are fed by fossil fuels this is still better for the environment as EVs are more efficient at converting energy to power in addition to being emission free. They are cheaper, cleaner and perfectly adequate for home charging and the local area. Until longer lasting solid state batteries arrive on the scene and the charging networks have been fully built, the worry about having enough range to reach one’s destination will remain an issue but with good planning this can be avoided.

Automakers are scrambling for position in the new gold rush, eager to capture positions of dominance in this new industry. Tesla has been the leading innovator so far with the manic genius of Elon Musk at the helm, but others are close behind including established German automakers and one of the richest tech titans on the planet: Apple.

So far ‘halo vehicles’ like those from Tesla have been built for wealthy early adopters but ultimately products for the mainstream consumer will need to be mass produced. Gigafactories providing thousands of new jobs are being built on different continents to manufacture the powerful batteries needed to drive this revolution forward to achieve a zero-carbon future. Resembling gargantuan battery packs lying flat on the landscape, with access roads coming off them like attached cables, these huge factories manufacture not only batteries but the electric motors that make up part of an EV.

But all this comes at a price and as always there are winners and losers. The natural environment is being poisoned and destroyed in the hunt for the lithium and cobalt metals needed to make the essential batteries come to life. As production ramps up remote communities will be starved of their local drinking water, needed in huge quantities in the bright yellow and green lithium evaporation ponds covering the landscape in Chile’s Atacama salt flat.

Even this is only the beginning, just a trickle before demand for EVs turns into a raging torrent. Can the earth keep up with the demand? For even these metals are finite and non-renewable. Alternatives will have to be found and research is already underway.

Lithium-ion batteries

What are EVs, when it comes down to it? Giant batteries on wheels? EV car batteries after all work on the same technology as the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that most of us carry around inside our mobile phones.

However, EVs don’t use a single battery like a phone, but instead a pack which is composed of thousands of individual Li-ion cells working together. When the vehicle is being charged, electricity is used to make chemical changes inside the batteries. When driving, these changes are reversed to produce electricity and the batteries are discharged. Just like with a mobile phone, repeated charging and discharging of the battery will eventually lead to it being able to store less energy. The time to fully charge will decrease between journeys, but so will the range. EV batteries are predicted to last anywhere between 10-20 years before they need to be replaced. This has not yet come about as fully electric vehicles have not been on the roads long enough, but because the greatest cost of an EV is the battery pack itself it is likely that people will just replace their entire cars and the battery will go on to be recycled or used in domestic or business energy storage systems.

Charging an electric vehicle

Gone will be the days when we stood squeezing the pump handle, inhaling fumes as we heard the liquid fuel gurgle down into our fuel tanks, being careful not to get the stuff onto our hands or shoes. But there will be other challenges to get used to and iron out, not least waiting around somewhat longer if not charging from home or work and learning to manage ‘range stress’ in the early days.

Different countries will look for different solutions based on their available infrastructure. It will be impossible to install home chargers in the countless terraced houses found all over England. India is looking to follow in China’s footsteps and build hubs that swiftly replace batteries instead of charging them.

Construction of charging infrastructure has commenced in developed countries and is developing fast. Public charging is more expensive than home charging but thousands of free charging points do exist, although charging time restrictions or requiring an in-store purchase may be in force.  The main point here to understand is that until a full charging network exists, the tipping point will not be reached where people start to purchase electric vehicles en masse.

Driving an EV requires a completely different mindset about the way we have refuelled our cars and vehicles up until now. In fact, it is similar to how we charge our mobile phones – during the night while we sleep or at points during the day while at work or home. Unlike a traditional combustion engine vehicle that is often driven until the low fuel warning light comes on, EV charging works on a ‘top-up basis’ meaning drivers need to top-up their battery at various points throughout the day or week (depending on how far you drive and your driving style). Electric vehicle owners can utilise the time they are parked for charging while working, sleeping or pursuing leisure activities. There are 3 main options for topping-up – at home, at work and on the road via public charging.

Charging at work

After home charging, places of work will be the main site where people charge their EVs, in spite of the rise in hybrid working. An eight hour shift is more than enough to top up or fully charge an EV battery. Office and shop workers will have parking bays fitted with fast EV charging posts or points whereas large logistical hubs and warehouses will have dozens of rapid or ultra-rapid chargers constantly powering their fleets of vans and HGVs coming back and forth.

Businesses, charities and local authorities can all take advantage of the Workplace Charging Scheme, which comes with incentives to reduce carbon emissions. There are customised options that use battery storage, solar, Vehicle to Grid (V2G – a technology that enables energy to be pushed back into the power grid from the battery of an electric car) and Demand Side Response (DSR – reducing energy load in response to supply constraints, generally during periods of peak demand) which can be potential revenue streams.

How long does it take to charge an EV?

Charging is currently classified as being slow, fast, rapid or ultra rapid, depending on the type of vehicle and the site of charging.

Slow – this is normally rated up to 3kW for charging at home or the workplace. A 3-pin plug will suffice but it will take 8-10 hours to fully charge. This method will be a thing of the past. Home electric charging can be much cheaper but it is necessary to get the right EV electricity tariff.

Fast – rated at 7kW or 22kW and usually found in car parks at local supermarkets, shopping or leisure centres, cinemas, hotels and restaurants. It will take several hours to fully charge using a Type 1 or Type 2 socket. You could charge much of your battery in the time it takes to watch a film, eat a meal or go for a swim. This is the present scenario for most EV users.

Rapid – rated from 43kW this is especially found at dedicated EV charging stations, petrol stations, motorway service stations and warehouse distribution centres. It takes less than an hour to fully charge but is only compatible with rapid charge function EVs. This is the future as EV technology and infrastructure develops.

Ultra-Rapid/Fast – rated at 150kW or above. A network of Ultra Fast Charging (UFC) stations is currently being built across the UK. An ultra-fast charging point rated at 175kW can charge an electric car with a 100 mile range in as little as 10 minutes.

How can Live Electronics support manufacturers of EV vehicles and charging points/posts or stations?

Here at Live Electronics we are continually looking for the best products at the best price to help with modern technologies such as EV charging stations. Our keylock switches will allow you to lock your charging point with an ON/OFF switch. This is the perfect solution for units in exposed areas to give you control on who can charge from the unit. Buzzers and LED indicators can give corresponding audio and visual indication showing when the EV is plugged into the power supply, when charging has started or is complete and whether an error has occurred. We can also offer cable assemblies and wiring harnesses that are custom made to streamline your manufacturing process. We are also a supplier of Degson products meaning we can offer a range of high-end and competitively priced EV chargers and sockets – both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).