Electric Vehicles (EVs) have radically transformed the automobile sector and are now considered a highly viable alternative to the internal combustion engine (ICE). In 2024, the electric car sales in India shot up by 20%, peaking at 100,000 units – a significant increase of 82,688 from the previous year with electric vehicles substantially being a part of new car registrations in India.
From smart innovations in efficiency, safety, and convenience to advancements in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies, regenerative braking, and robust charging solutions, EVs are gaining popularity like never before. Let’s take a look at what the future has in store for Electric Vehicles and shed some light on the technologies that go in their making.
Advancements in Charging Technologies
The battery of an EV is its lifeblood – just as gasoline is to a traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). And so, charging is unarguably the most important aspect of owning and operating an EV. One of the biggest apprehensions for people who are considering an EV is the fear of Range anxiety – the ominous feeling that the vehicle will run out of charge before reaching its destination. But the recent advancements in charging technologies seem quite promising to overturn that emotion of range anxiety into a confident ride.
Ultra-Fast Charging: Breaking the barrier of slow charging speeds, these powerful new variants of ultra-fast chargers are highly efficient and can charge an electric vehicle’s battery under 30 minutes that significantly reduce range anxiety.
Wireless Charging: Wireless charging takes advantage of electromagnetic fields to charge the batteries of electric vehicles without the need of any physical cables. In this technology, a magnetic coil mounted under the car’s underside is aligned to an electromagnetic field inducing charging pad for charge to take place wirelessly. These charging systems take up less space and can be installed in garages and parking lots.
Bidirectional Charging: Bidirectional charging technology enables electric vehicles not only to charge their batteries from the power grid, but also gives them the capability to supply it back. The electric vehicle in this scenario doubles up as a mobile energy storage unit that can even power a household or provide buffer electricity to a power grid during times of peak energy demand. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) are the two popular Bidirectional systems that make electric vehicles a contributing part of energy systems.
Regenerative Braking and Fuel Efficiency
Regenerative braking is a unique feature of electric vehicles that helps conserve energy and is cost efficient. The working principle of regenerative braking is fairly simple. Just as the brakes are applied on the vehicle, the electric motor reverses its function and the kinetic energy generated by the motor is converted into electricity to recharge the batteries. This technology comes with a lot of benefits:
Energy Efficiency: Regenerative braking takes the burden off charging stations and the energy sent back to the batteries helps in smooth operation of the electric vehicle.
Better Battery Life: Regenerative braking reduces stress on the main batteries, boosting its longevity by restoring energy that otherwise would be lost as heat due to friction.
Less wear and tear on Brakes: Unlike traditional friction brake systems, regenerative brake systems undergo a lot less levels of wear and tear thereby increasing their shelf life and mitigating the frequency of part replacement.
Smoother Driving Experience: Nowadays, many EV manufacturers offer one-pedal-driving systems that slow down the vehicle as soon as one lifts their foot off the accelerator pedal. This braking system offers a much smoother and intuitive driving experience.
The emergence of ADAS and its evolution
ADAS or Advanced driver assistance systems is a breakthrough technology that offers better safety to drivers while operating vehicles. The ADAS system is comprised of an array of sensors and cameras that are highly responsive in blind-spot detection, pedestrian detection, and offers parking assistance and lane departure warning. This electronic technology uses automated systems to increase safety and reduce reaction times to potential hazards on the road while the vehicle is in motion.
ADAS: Present and Future
Present: During the early days of its inception, ADAS was known primarily for anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and cruise control that were later improved upon to include features such as adaptive cruise control, emergency braking and lane-assist systems that can be found in most of the modern vehicles on road today. This technology predominantly relies on a bank of sensors and cameras to monitor the vicinity and offer quick response in the event a potential hazard or obstacle is detected, thus enhancing safety and convenience.
Future: In the near future, the capabilities of ADAS will be further bolstered by technologies such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a navigation system used in aircrafts. LiDAR is an advanced radar that uses light instead of radio waves to measure distance offering better accuracy and precision. This along with real-time traffic integration will make the vehicles of tomorrow a lot safer and reliable.
Conclusion
As more and more nations move towards reducing their carbon footprint, embracing electric vehicles will not only help achieve this goal, but will also encourage the automobile industry to bring about innovations in the present technologies for a better driving experience
