Technical Review

Abstract
Since the past few decades IC Engines have been the standard prime
movers for most commercial & domestic applications. The rise in
demand for IC Engines also increased the demand for crude oil, a
commodity that is present in few countries around the world in
excess while being scarce in others, thus they relied on importing it.
Expansion in the volumes of IC Engine powered vehicles and their
widespread usage in the past few decades have slowly caused
degradation of our environment due to release of harmful gases and
pollutant as bi-products.
This has lead to the increase in popularity of electric vehicles that are
powered by electricity. A commodity which need not be always
imported and can also be produced from green & renewable
resources thus promoting independence from imports of crude oil.
This is a review of several reports and research papers written by
scholars and organizations studying about Electric cars and their
viability for a bright future.

Introduction
History of Electric vehicles
Thomas Davenport was an American inventor who is credited for
building the first practical electric vehicle (a small locomotive which
ran on a track) in the mid 1830’s. He paved the way for electrification
of vehicles. In the following years many new Electric vehicles were
invented and launched, mostly in USA. A notable example was the
Phaeton, which was built by the ‘Woods Motor Vehicle Co.’ in 1902.
It sold for $2000 while having a top speed of 14 mph OR 22.5kmph &
a range of 18 Miles OR 29 Kms. In the early 1900’s electric vehicles
had some advantages over their competitors like lower levels of NVH
and absence of smelly exhaust gases. They were gearless too thus
making them a great convenience.

The decline in use and production of the electric vehicle occurred in

the 1920s. Causes of the decline in production include: a better road
system, reduced price of gasoline by the discovery of the Texas crude
oil, invention of the electric starter, and the mass production
of the internal combustion engine vehicles.[1]

Present scenario of Electric Vehicles

In present times, due to advancements in technology and charging
infrastructure electric cars are slowly gaining popularity again.
Modern electric cars have a larger range of 250-500 miles on a single
charge and have charging duration that varies from an hour to 12
depending on availability. This is due to use of Lithium-ion batteries
that have a high energy density. They are coupled with ‘regenerative
braking’, a technology which converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy to
electrical energy so that it can be stored in the battery.

However, even today electric vehicles are costlier than their

counterparts due to high cost of their components although in the
present & coming years many manufacturers are investing in
research & development for cheaper and better batteries, which will
result in a lower cost for electric vehicles thus making them
affordable for the masses.
References
[1.] Argueta, R. ‘A Technical Research Report: The Electric Vehicle’.
http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/holms/Writing_2E-
_EV_Technical_Research_Report.pdf