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Electric cars on NewMobile.com? But an EV isn’t a phone! Well, “car” stands for “automobile.” And on NewMobile.com, we limit ourselves exclusively to EVs. They also have a battery and a display. So they’re practically smartphones on wheels.

Electric Car Brands

The number of brands with one or more electric cars in their lineup can (fortunately) no longer be counted on one hand. Virtually every self-respecting brand has one or is working on one. Some popular electric car brands are:

EV History

Electric cars are older than most people realize. Some of the very first cars already had electric powertrains. They typically used a lead-acid battery for this purpose because it was easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Electric cars were mainly popular in cities where electricity was readily available. Outside the city, electric cars were rarely seen. Eventually, fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines would dominate the market due to their lower costs and longer range. Starting in 1915, fully electric cars virtually disappeared from the market.

It wasn’t until after the oil crisis of the 1970s and the realization that CO2 emissions contribute to global warming that interest in electric powertrains began to grow again. By then, numerous new technologies had also become available, including lithium-ion batteries. Toyota capitalized on this trend by introducing the Prius in 1997: a car equipped with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. This hybrid powertrain significantly reduced fuel consumption. The Prius was therefore not fully electric.

The GM EV1, introduced a year earlier, was fully electric, but ultimately only 1,000 units were sold. In that regard, the Tesla Roadster, introduced in 2008, fared better, although no more than 2,500 units of that model were sold either. Nevertheless, it turned out to be the starting point for the enormous growth that electric cars would experience, partly because other manufacturers introduced their own models: Nissan with the Leaf, Renault with the Zoe, and BMW with the i3. Not to mention the sales success of the Tesla Model 3.

How Electric Cars Work

An electric car is powered by one or more electric motors. The energy required for this comes from the battery. By choosing renewable electricity generated by solar panels or wind turbines while charging, it’s possible to drive emission-free. Of course, emissions are released during the manufacturing of an electric car.

Types

In the automotive world, you’ll encounter various designations, ranging from fully electric to not electric at all. The most common types are:

BEV / FEV: Battery / Full Electric Vehicle (100% electric)
PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (gas-powered car with a plug)
BAHV: Battery Assisted Hybrid Vehicle (Mild Hybrid, gasoline-powered car without a plug)
FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (Hydrogen-powered car)
ICE: Internal Combustion Engine (Gasoline, diesel, or LPG-powered car)

Different Types of Batteries

Most electric cars have a lithium-ion battery. These types of batteries consist of a cathode (+), an anode (-), and a liquid electrolyte through which ions can move. The advantages of Li-ion are its high energy density, low weight, and long service life. The downside is that cobalt is required for production, and its extraction is not environmentally friendly and is associated with human rights violations.

The search is therefore on for new types of batteries. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) is emerging as a leading contender to succeed Li-ion. This type does not use cobalt. Solid-state technology is also a promising option, but it has not yet proven itself.

Charging

An empty battery needs to be charged. The most logical place to do this is at home. This can be done using a standard 230V outlet and a “Granny charger” (Mode 2). However, that’s not very fast. A charging station offers a solution. It can handle higher power and has a compatible plug. The type of plug you need depends on your car.

You can charge on the go at a public charging station or a fast-charging station. The latter are usually located along the side of the highway. Fast chargers use direct current (DC), can deliver more power, and therefore charge a battery faster. In the Netherlands, there are several providers of fast-charging stations, including Fastned. Some manufacturers have their own network of fast chargers, of which Tesla’s Supercharger is the best known.

The type of plug used to charge your car varies by brand, but the most common are:

CCS: Combined Charging System
CHAdeMO
Tesla plug
Type 1 (Yazaki)
Type 2 (Mennekes)