What is an electric car?

Electric vehicle technology has rapidly progressed over recent years, with new and previously inconceivable innovations helping drive this new way to view transportation in a modern world. With quantum leaps in electric motor and battery cell high-tech mechanics, automotive OEMs across the globe are racing to switch their model line focus to specialize in electricity as opposed to gasoline combustion.

While there is still much work to be done in the means of battery car charging station networks to support this wave of new vehicles, the path to this very near future of automotive is quickly taking shape. According to a 2021 Consumers Reports article, over 100 BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) will be hitting the market in the next five years, giving drivers who want to embrace this technology a wide selection of experiences to choose from.

A key component to the success of any electric vehicle lies in its’ battery capabilities. Liquid Lithium-Ion batteries are one such preferred battery tech that can be found in many electric vehicles. Lithium ions move from the negative electrode through an electrolyte to the positive electrode during discharge, and back the opposite way when charging. Li-on batteries utilize use an intercalated lithium compound as the material at the positive electrode and usually graphite at the negative electrode. Another emerging battery type used in some newer models are considered Solid-State, which use thin layers of solid electrolytes to pass lithium ions between negative and positive electrodes. With solid-state batteries being as much as eight times more expensive to produce, and hard to build at scale, these batteries will more likely be reserved for luxury electric vehicles.