If the number of cars sold in Australia shot up by 200 per cent in a single year, you’d probably notice, not least because it would be extremely hard to find a parking space.
Incredibly, though, that’s how much Australian sales of electric vehicles (EVs) grew in 2019, and chances are you’ll be seeing a lot more of them on our roads in the coming years as we accelerate towards emission-free driving.
The UK government has pledged to phase out the sale of new cars with petrol or diesel engines by 2030 as they move towards a zero-emission transport future. In Norway, where more than 60 per cent of all new cars sold are already electrified, the goal is 2025.
According to an August 2020 survey by the Electric Vehicle Council, the shift in our thinking is already happening, with some 56 per cent of Australians already considering an EV as their next car purchase.
So, what exactly is an EV, and how does it differ from a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle? Let’s take a look at the technology and find out how electric vehicles work.
All-electric vehicles – 100 per cent electric, zero emissions
What you might call an all-electric or battery electric vehicle (BEV) is comparable to a modern smartphone. It, too, uses lithium-ion batteries, which need to be recharged regularly, depending on how far you drive.