Battery electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that utilizes a battery pack to power the vehicle’s motor. These types of vehicles do not have internal combustion engines and other energy sources (like fuel cells, etc.).
BEV is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. BEV is also known by other names like all-electric vehicle or pure electric vehicle. BEV is a type of plug-in electric vehicle.
BEVs include bike, car, train, bus, truck, spacecraft, scooter, bicycle, etc. All of them use battery packs and electric motors only. Batteries can be charged by a dedicated charger specially designed for charging electric vehicles. The electricity is generally taken from a normal electrical grid. Solar photovoltaic panels are also used nowadays to charge the BEVs. This reduces the burden on the electrical grid.
BEVs use rechargeable Li-ion or Lead-acid batteries to power the electric motor. As a result, the electric motor drives the vehicle.
Battery electric vehicle advantages
1. These vehicles do not emit greenhouse gases. Hence it is an eco-friendly vehicle.
2. BEV has fewer moving parts as compared to the conventional vehicles that run on gasoline, diesel, petrol, etc.
3. The cost of running this vehicle is cheaper than the conventional vehicle (IC engine vehicle) since the cost of electricity is cheaper as compared to petrol or diesel assuming driving the same distance.
4. The cost of charging BEVs is further reduced by the use of renewable sources of energy.
5. It requires less maintenance as compared to the other commonly used vehicles.
6. It is safer for humans as it emits zero harmful gases.
7. It is quieter than the petrol/diesel run vehicles.
Battery electric vehicle disadvantages
1. The cost of purchasing a BEV is higher as compared to conventional vehicles. But the government is nowadays giving subsidies to promote an eco-friendly mode of transportation.
2. The lack of a good charging station network and hence causes range anxiety among customers.
3. The time taken by the batteries to fully charge is around 8-12 hours. Hence it can’t be used like conventional petrol/diesel run vehicles.
4. There are fewer BEV models available to choose from in comparison to petrol/diesel run vehicles.
5. BEV has a shorter range in comparison to conventional vehicles.
