A battery-powered electric vehicle is an automobile, truck, van or bus powered by an electrical motor that runs on batteries and does not use fossil fuels for power. This allows for lower operating costs and eliminates tailpipe emissions.
The cruising range of an EV is limited by the size and chemistry of its battery, but advances in lithium-ion batteries are increasing the amount of time a car can be driven between charges. The charging infrastructure for EVs varies by country and is expanding rapidly, with new DC fast chargers capable of providing 10 miles or more of range in less than 30 minutes. The regenerative braking system in most electric cars can also decrease the wear and tear on conventional brakes, saving further maintenance expenses.
EVs can mitigate transport-related negative externalities, such as air pollution (emissions of volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons, particulates and oxides of nitrogen), noise, space occupancy and congestion. Nonetheless, they do not by themselves reduce parking occupancy or improve traffic flows and driver working times.
Achieving a widespread EV fleet will require incremental and radical measures to reduce costs and make the vehicles more attractive, including spreading best practices, optimizing designs, implementing e-as-a-service business models, and reducing battery cost through economies of scale and technological innovations such as inductive charging and supercapacitors. As alternative solutions such as green hydrogen and biofuels have different limitations, EVs are the most promising solution to decarbonize passenger transport. Regulatory targets and a wide range of incentives are helping to accelerate their uptake.