Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
💻

Electric car

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

An electric car, or electric vehicle (EV), is a way to travel using electricity. Most people use this term for a battery electric vehicle (BEV). These cars use energy stored in on-board battery packs to move the wheels.

Electric car diagram
Electric car diagram

Some other types exist, like plug-in hybrids (PHEV) or fuel cell vehicles (FCEV). These use different ways to create electric power. Electric cars are very quiet and respond quickly when you drive. They also have no exhaust emissions, which helps keep the air clean.

Eletroposto6
Eletroposto6

Because they are efficient, they make less waste heat than gas cars. This means they do not need large or complicated cooling systems.

To keep an electric car moving, you must recharge the battery. This is done by plugging the car into a power supply. You can charge at home, in parking garages, or at public charging stations.

Okružní, PREpoint - nabíjecí stanice PRE-2
Okružní, PREpoint - nabíjecí stanice PRE-2

Scientists are even working on new ways to charge, like inductive charging. This uses special technology to charge without a plug. Another idea is battery swapping, where you trade a low battery for a full one.

NIO Power Battery Swap (cropped)
NIO Power Battery Swap (cropped)

Some drivers worry about how far they can go before needing a charge. This feeling is often called range anxiety. However, more fast chargers are being built to help solve this.

Electric cars have a very long history. Robert Anderson is often credited with inventing the first one between 1832 and 1839. Many inventors made progress in the 1880s. Gustave Trouvé showed an electric car in Paris in 1881. In 1884, Thomas Parker built a car in England using special rechargeable batteries.

Kateřinská 42, Praha 2
Kateřinská 42, Praha 2

By 1897, electric cars were even used as taxis in Britain and the United States. They were very popular until gas cars became easier to use. A big change happened in 1912 when electric starters made gas cars easier to start. This caused electric cars to lose their popularity for a long time.

Today, electric cars are making a huge comeback. In 2023, 14 million plug-in cars were sold worldwide. This was 18% of all new car sales.

BEVsSales-2010-2023ByCountry
BEVsSales-2010-2023ByCountry

China has the largest number of electric vehicles in the world. By December 2024, China had sold 22.09 million units. In the United States, California leads in sales. The Tesla Model Y became the best-selling car in the world in 2023.

Tesla Model Y 1X7A6211
Tesla Model Y 1X7A6211

The Tesla Model 3 was also very successful, passing 1 million sales in 2021.

Owning an electric car can change how you spend money. The battery is the most expensive part of the car. However, battery prices have dropped a lot since 2010.

Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Luca Galuzzi 2006 a
Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Luca Galuzzi 2006 a

You can save money on fuel because electricity is often cheaper than petrol. You also save about 50% on maintenance and repairs. This is because electric motors have fewer moving parts than gas engines. Most batteries are designed to last a very long time. Many warranties cover the battery for 8 years or 100,000 miles. This helps make owning an EV a smart choice for many families.

493 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (38)
File:Volkswagen ID.3 at IAA 2019 IMG 0779.jpg
Volkswagen ID.3 at IAA 2019 IMG 0779.jpg
File:For_Americans_and_Europeans,_price_is_the_main_barrier_to_buying_an_electric_vehicle;_Chinese_people_are_more_divided_and_have_concerns_about_driving_range.png
For_Americans_and_Europeans,_price_is_the_...
File:Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Luca Galuzzi 2006 a.jpg
Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Luca...
File:Electric car diagram.svg
Electric car diagram.svg
Energy flow in cars (recuperation in green).pdf
File:V10084P006.jpg
V10084P006.jpg
File:Kateřinská 42, Praha 2.jpg
Kateřinská 42, Praha 2.jpg
File:Nissan Leaf battery pack DC 03 2011 1629.jpg
Nissan Leaf battery pack DC 03 2011 1629.jpg
File:BEV EPA range comparison 2020 model year USA.png
BEV EPA range comparison 2020 model year USA.png
File:Eletroposto6.jpg
Eletroposto6.jpg
File:Okružní, PREpoint - nabíjecí stanice PRE-2.jpg
Okružní, PREpoint - nabíjecí stanice PRE-2.jpg
File:NIO Power Battery Swap (cropped).jpg
NIO Power Battery Swap (cropped).jpg

+ 26 more

More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.