Electric powertrains are key components of modern cars that convert electrical energy to mechanical propulsion for propulsion of their vehicle, typically composed of an electric motor and battery pack. By harnessing electrical energy more effectively for propulsion purposes, electric powertrains help lower emissions while improving fuel economy.
EVs are revolutionizing the automotive landscape. Their increasing production threatens legacy suppliers like engine and transmission manufacturers who may lose market share as their market shares may shrink due to market disruption.
Cost
Electric vehicles (EVs) offer many advantages over their gasoline-powered counterparts, yet come at a higher price tag. Some of this extra expense includes costs related to charging batteries on a daily basis; additionally there are costs related to using an electric motor as propulsion source; additionally there may be costs related to using its regenerative braking function for returning kinetic energy back into the battery pack.
As the EV market expands, manufacturers are working to reduce costs associated with operating an electric vehicle (EV). They do this through increasing efficiency, decreasing system size and using advanced cooling requirements reduction technologies such as silicon carbide MOSFETs for power electronics switches in order to extend vehicle range.
SiC MOSFETs boast several advantages over silicon transistors, such as higher switching and conduction efficiencies allowing for lower temperatures of operation, greater durability against radiation damage, lower resistance levels that help minimize heat loss from battery power loss, as well as better battery lifespan.
Electric powertrains feature a reduction drive that transforms the high torque output from electric motors into manageable speeds for vehicle acceleration. The final drive ratio depends on a vehicle’s specifications and driving conditions to provide maximum fuel economy and acceleration.
An affordable powertrain is essential to making electric vehicles mainstream. Though still relatively unpopular compared to their gas-powered counterparts, EVs still remain less costly to produce and more accessible to purchase at retail price points than gasoline models. As manufacturers reduce production costs they can make EVs more accessible and encourage more people to make the switch.
Studies are being undertaken to develop new electric traction motors made with non-rare earth materials at prices comparable to HEV motors. The DOE’s Electric Drive Technologies (EDT) program is working alongside original equipment manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and national laboratories on developing these new motors and their associated systems.
Electric motors could replace transmission gears on MHDVs and allow stationary operations to utilize their regenerative braking feature more effectively. On some PHEV applications such as utility service trucks known as “bucket trucks,” electric motors could allow travel to job sites quickly while using battery power to reduce liquid fuel consumption during field operations.
Environmental Impact
An electric powertrain can significantly decrease transport sector petroleum consumption and GHG emissions, but cannot eliminate fossil energy consumption entirely as electricity must still be generated from non-renewable sources. As such, electric vehicles should be combined with other energy-efficient technologies – including improved conventional technology, development of low carbon fuels production pathways as well as demand side reduction measures – for maximum reductions.
Electric Vehicles have lower life cycle emissions than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles because they do not produce exhaust gas emissions, yet their carbon footprint varies considerably depending on where and how they are driven and charged. Countries using hydropower for energy have much fewer environmental effects when charging EVs while countries that rely heavily on coal energy use have greater environmental consequences when charging. One key element in reducing their carbon footprint are batteries.
As battery technology improves, EVs should become increasingly less environmental impactful than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). An EV’s main components include its battery and electric motor; with the former housing a high-voltage Li-ion cell that is rechargeable via AC charger or through regenerative braking capturing energy lost when an ICE vehicle decelerates.
But it’s essential to recognize that batteries in electric vehicles incur substantial environmental costs, especially with regard to production steps such as smelting aluminium and steel, which emit significant greenhouse gas emissions during their creation. Furthermore, batteries require significant amounts of raw materials – further increasing their environmental footprint.
Research programs have been implemented to develop cost-effective and sustainable electric drive systems, such as the Electric Drive Technologies program funded by the Department of Energy and several national laboratories. It aims to address key powertrain challenges through collaborative partnerships with vehicle original equipment manufacturers, tier-1 suppliers and academic institutions; partnerships that include modeling/analysis support as well as component level and subsystem testing services provided by SwRI; these partnerships also include sub-system/system level testing of vehicle systems – an area in which SwRI excels.
Energy Efficiency
Electric powertrains offer several advantages over their internal-combustion counterparts. Their primary benefit lies in not emitting any pollution into the environment while drawing their power from renewable resources such as wind, solar or nuclear. Furthermore, electric powertrains require less maintenance, helping lower operating costs considerably; plus, they allow for quieter and smoother operation as well as stronger acceleration.
Electric powertrains boast one major advantage compared to their gasoline counterparts: energy efficiency. Electric vehicles convert over 86% of electrical energy to mechanical energy, as opposed to around 40% for gasoline engines, without producing heat which reduces drivetrain size allowing for a smaller battery size and cost.
However, electric vehicles (EVs) still don’t match up to gas-powered vehicles in terms of efficiency. One primary constraint lies with limited battery capacity – researchers are working tirelessly on increasing this capacity but this remains an expensive proposition and as a result driving range remains limited for BEVs.
Numerous factors affect the energy efficiency of an electric vehicle (EV), including terrain, weather conditions and tire pressure. Design elements like sleeker designs with properly inflated tires may help minimize air resistance to increase efficiency.
Verbruggen conducted a study using an optimization approach to examine the impact of powertrain components and architecture on energy consumption. Their research demonstrated that distributed powertrains could save up to 14% in battery energy due to eliminating mechanical transmission components with associated power losses; furthermore a two-speed gearbox can increase vehicle energy efficiency by as much as 7%.
Though electric passenger cars have become more efficient over time, in order to meet GHG and energy reduction targets they will still need to increase their efficiencies further. Furthermore, their potential to decrease petroleum dependence will be limited due to slow fleet turnover rates and limited alternative fuel production pathways; however, plug-in hybrids and full BEVs could make an important contribution in cutting transportation-related emissions.
Range
EV range can be defined by how far a single charge will take it, which is determined by its battery capacity (how much energy it stores). Furthermore, other factors like electric motor power and vehicle size also play a part. As EVs can be driven on highways, city streets and even off-road terrain it is essential that they can accommodate various driving environments and climate conditions.
Most electric vehicles (EVs) typically offer an estimated range of 200 to 250 miles on one full charge, though some models can travel much further due to advances in technology that include better batteries and motors that allow these EVs to match the range of gas-powered vehicles without compromising performance.
Numerous factors can decrease an electric vehicle’s range, including climate conditions, acceleration intensity and how often its heater is utilized. To mitigate these effects, cars need to be designed and constructed efficiently – this is why BMW creates more energy-efficient EVs with features like automated transmission and aerodynamics.
One factor that can dramatically decrease an electric vehicle’s range is driver behavior. Although these vehicles boast impressive torque and can reach 60mph in less than four seconds, aggressive driving can substantially diminish their range. Furthermore, it is essential that consistent speeds be maintained in order to minimize excessive energy use and expenditure.
To accurately measure a vehicle’s range, experts conduct tests using a chassis dynamometer with international test procedures and real-world usage scenarios. Test results are then compared with each other to identify sources of deviations. Multi-scale analysis may also be conducted, including looking at integration issues such as cell to pack integration, power capability and conversion efficiency as well as accelerated battery aging tests conducted to gauge their impact on range measurements.
This information helps potential EV buyers make informed choices when selecting an electric vehicle model to purchase, as well as fleet managers looking to reduce range anxiety and operational costs.