HYBRID
ELECTRIC VEHICLES – ENVIRONMENT
News:
The hybrid EV imperative
What's
in the news?
●
Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a
crucial element for the world’s transition to becoming net-zero.
Electric
Vehicles:
●
Any vehicle propelled by an electric
drivetrain, taking electric power from a portable, electrical energy source, is
called an Electric vehicle (EV).
Different
Types of EVs:
1.
Hybrid EV:
●
In hybrid EVS an internal combustion
engine (ICE) is used to produce electricity with an electrical generator.
●
A small battery, typically 1-5kWh, is used
in a hybrid EV as an energy buffer to store the electricity.
●
The battery can’t be charged from the
grid.
2.
Full EV:
●
Also called a battery EV or a plug-in EV
has no ICE and hence no tailpipe emissions.
●
The battery typically is much larger at
20-120 kWh and it can only be charged from the grid.
3.
Plug-in hybrid EV:
●
It is still a hybrid EV with a much larger
battery, typically 5-15 kWh.
●
This larger battery can also be charged
from the grid. This means a plug-in hybrid operates like a fully electric
vehicle as long as there is energy in the battery.
4.
Fuel-cell EV:
●
It uses a fuel cell to produce electricity
with a small battery buffer to manage variations.
Significance
of Hybrid EV:
1.
Fuel Efficiency:
●
Most vehicles with hybrid technology offer
better fuel efficiency, more power, and minimum emissions.
2.
Increased Mileage:
●
The design of hybrid vehicles for reduced
engine size and car weight as compared to ICE vehicles, translates into
increased mileage to favour the demand for these vehicles.
3.
Instant Torque:
●
With the increase in total power and
torque, HEVs can deliver instant torque and provide high torque even at low
speeds.
4.
Auto Industry Transition:
●
The automotive industry is transitioning,
with an increasing focus on hybrid and battery electric vehicles (BEVs or EVs).
●
The rise in fossil fuel prices, increase
in the adoption of clean mobility solutions, and stringent government norms for
emission control are driving the growth of the EV market.
Challenges
in adopting Hybrid EVs:
1.
Higher Cost:
●
In a price-sensitive market like India,
one of the major challenges for HEVs is the high vehicle cost.
●
Battery increases the cost of the vehicle,
making it pricier than vehicles powered only by an ICE.
2.
Lack of Infrastructure:
●
India’s road to a fully-electric ecosystem
still has a few hurdles - inadequate infrastructure, lack of high performing
EVs.
3.
Robust Manufacturing Ecosystem:
●
The absence of a robust manufacturing
ecosystem for the materials associated with the EV revolution, coupled with the
concentration of the supply chain in certain regions.
WAY
FORWARD:
●
HEVs will play a critical role not only in
reducing fossil fuel consumption, carbon emissions and pollution but also in creating
a local EV parts manufacturing ecosystem.
●
HEVs protect the huge existing investments
and jobs related to ICE parts manufacturing thus ensuring a faster and
disruption-free technology transition.
●
HEV adoption will also accelerate BEV
(Battery EV) adoption as these technologies have common electric powertrain
parts that will help in aggregation of demand at parts level for local
manufacturing, thereby helping in reducing cost for HEVs and BEVs to create a
viable ecosystem for electrified vehicles.