Although electric vehicles (EVs) have created enough buzz in the Indian market to date, their history goes back to 2010. Under the erstwhile Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the government has decided to incentivize the concept of electric mobility. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) approved an INR 95-crore scheme, which was aimed to incentivize EV manufacturers for every unit sold.
Since then, the central government has taken several laudable initiatives to create awareness around EVs and the benefits they bring to the table, thus helping Indian masses rapidly adopt this innovation.
But before moving further, let’s find out more about the basics OF EVs. What are EVs and what are their types?
An electric vehicle runs on an electric motor that comes equipped with a rechargeable battery as compared to a conventional vehicle that comprises a combustible engine and runs via a mix of fuel and gases. EVs come with limited energy storage capacity, hence their batteries need to be replenished, once drained, from an electrical power source. These innovations are designed to revolutionize the auto sector, especially in terms of cutting down the rising carbon footprint across the globe and other environmental threats that are caused by internal combustion engines (ICEs).
There are three types of electric vehicles:
Battery Electric Vehicle – These EVs are mostly equipped with detachable batteries that can be charged using regular electric sockets found at home, office, parking lot, etc. Traditionally, such EVs used lead-acid batteries which were affordable but offered an average lifespan, efficiency, and capacity.
Today, leading EV players – including Nexzu Mobility – have switched to Lithium-Ion batteries. These batteries, although slightly higher in terms of cost, offer superior efficiency and an enhanced lifespan. For instance, Nexzu’s Dextro and Dextro Plus come with 24 aH Lithium-Ion batteries that can be charged within 4-5 hours and offer an impressive mileage of 110km per charge.
Evidently, given their enhanced technologies, today’s battery EVs are not just powerful but also reliable.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle – These vehicles come equipped with two charging modes. They can be plugged into an external source just like a regular EV or can be recharged through an inbuilt regenerative braking feature, which acts as an energy recovery mechanism. Banking on gasoline engines for electricity generation, these vehicles can use this energy immediately or store it for later use.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle – The third and final type of EV is Hybrid EVs that are an alternative to conventional fuel-powered cars and come equipped with both, an in-built combustion engine that runs on fossil fuel as well as an electric motor that is chargeable. Users can switch between the two modes according to their needs. However, since these EVs completely rely on regenerative braking technology, they cannot be charged directly from an external source.
