A Seminar Report
On
Electric Vehicles: A Global Perspective BY
NISHANT DUGGED
(16BME058)
Under the Guidance of
Mr. Parth Prajapati
Assistant Professor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
School of Technology, PDPU
Submitted to
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
School of Technology,
Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
2020
i
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar report entitled “Electric Vehicles:
A Global Perspective” is prepared and submitted by Nishant Dugged and has
been carried out under our supervision for the partial fulfilment of the
requirement for the award of the degree of “Bachelor of Engineering in
Mechanical Engineering department” of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum
University, Gandhinagar and to our knowledge it has not been submitted
elsewhere for a degree.
Mr. Parth Prajapati Prof. Vishvesh Badheka
Assistant Professor Head of department
Mech. Eng. Dept. Mech. Eng. Dept.
PDPU PDPU
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me the possibility to
complete this report. A special gratitude I give to my seminar mentor, Mr. Parth Prajapati
whose contribution in stimulating suggestions and encouragement, helped me to coordinate my
project especially in writing this report.
Furthermore, I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of all
the supporting people, who gave guidance at small level to complete the task of research about
“Electric Vehicles: A Global Perspective”. Last but not least, many thanks go to the head of
the department, Prof. Vishvesh Badheka for his constant support throughout the seminar.
I have to appreciate the guidance given by other supervisor as well as my colleagues especially
in our project presentation that has improved our presentation skills thanks to their comment
and advices.
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Abstract:
Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly and becoming common, with many manufacturers
currently offering models that plugin. There are dozens of more models expected to hit the
market over the next few years. And there's been increasing interest from car shoppers.
Example, in 2010, just 1,919 EVs were sold in the U.S. In 2018, sales hit 233,411. A 2019
survey, conducted by Consumer Reports and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS),
shows that 63 percent of prospective car buyers in America are interested in electric vehicles.
A growing number of consumers may be interested, but most have had limited experience
with electric vehicles, despite that some EVs have been on the market for years, including
models from Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Tesla.
Though the numbers suggest that EV is going to excel in the near future but in reality, there
are many factors that come into the picture. This paper aims to put down the different
perspectives of the Electric Vehicle Market of the World. The Electric Vehicle segment
carries a big potential business with it, although the initial thoughts are quite similar to every
vision, but has some or many loopholes in it due to which EV is not able to have the business
or market dominance as it has to be.
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Table of Contents:
Page
Sr. No Content No.
1 Abstract i
2 Table of Content ii
3 List of Tables iii
4 List of Figures iii
5 List of Symbols and abbreviations iii
6 Introduction iv
Literature Survey and Research
7 Methodology v
The Current Status of The Global EV
8 Market v
9 Global and Indian Context vi
10 Challenges xvi
11 Analysis and Conclusion xix
12 Appendices xx
13 References xx
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List of Tables
1. Percentage of EVs in USA
2. Electric vehicle and infrastructure status. Credit: Global EV outlook 2018
List of Figures
1. Global Electric Car Sales and Market Share
2. Number of Electric Cars in circulation
3. Overseas Assets of Chinese lithium companies
4. Top 5 countries with electric car sales globally
List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature
1. EV(s) - Electric Vehicle(s)
2. CAGR - Compound Annual Growth Rate
3. Wh - Watthour
4. MJ – Megajoules
5. EVSE - Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
6. LT - Low Tension
7. HT - High Tension
8. BEVs - Battery Electric Vehicles
9. PHEVs - Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
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Introduction
Electric Vehicles are undoubtedly the next big thing in the automobile industry. From the
first electric vehicle that was developed in the 1800s to the present time of the 21st century,
the industry has grown on its own. Touted as the future of mobility, electric vehicles (also
known as electric drive vehicles), are fitted with various components and elements, like the
batteries which, unlike conventional fuel tanks, can be charged using electricity. These
batteries, in turn, store and use the energy needed to power a set of electric motors, which
ultimately propels the car forward. Because an electric car is devoid of the clutch, gearbox
and even an exhaust pipe, it is significantly quieter and offers a smoother ride than
conventional gasoline-driven vehicles. When fully charged, a standard EV is capable
of covering somewhere between 150km - 200km before it needs to be recharged.
Electric mobility continues to grow rapidly. In 2018, the global electric car fleet exceeded 5.1
million, up 2 million from the previous year and almost doubling the number of new electric
car registrations. The global electric vehicle market size was valued at $118,864.5 million in
2017, and is projected to reach $567,299.8 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 22.3%
from 2018 to 2025. China is world’s largest electric car market, followed by Europe and
USA. China produced more than 200,000 all-electric commercial vehicles last year,
amounting to nearly 5% of the total output of the world. EV has come to be giant because of
the necessities to curb the pollution anyhow and as for that the transportation is considered to
be one of the biggest influencing factors to contribute the toxic supplements to the
atmosphere, so EV somehow plays the important role in it.
An Electric Vehicle Business carries a lot of business as well as energy conservation potential
in it, provided it is well implemented keeping in mind all the limitations and uncertainties.
India, being the next global manufacturing hub can also work on EVs but only when the
convenience of the gasoline car is in order for people to buy an electric car.
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Literature Survey and Research Methodology
The work is completely based on the secondary method of research. The data was collected
with the aid of various authentic reports and government portals pertaining to sustainable
energy departments and electric mobility. Sometimes, the data gathered gave the different
outcome for which, rigorous research was done in order to get the closest to appropriate and
as accurate statistics as possible. After reading every article or report, some or the other
iterations were done that helped out to get the better results with more and more clarification.
A few of the research papers were also read to get the gist of the data in specific component
of Electric Vehicle like batteries, well to wheel emissions etc. Basically, this secondary
research gave the macroscopic view of the overall Global Electric Vehicle Scenario.
The Current Status of The Global EV Market
As more and more governments across the world are aggressively looking for ways to benefit
from the ongoing EV revolution, the market opportunity in the space has grown dramatically
over the years. Thanks to the push from local governments and corporates, the sector is
expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.3% between 2017 and 2026, as per BIS Research.
New registrations of electric cars hit an all-time high in 2016, with over 750K sales
worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
With a 29% market share, Norway currently boasts the most successful deployment of
electric vehicles globally, followed by the Netherlands at 6.4% and Sweden with a 3.4%
market share. Recently, the Scandinavian nation of Norway set a new world record, with
electric and hybrid vehicles accounting for nearly 52% of its total car sales in 2017 against
40% in 2016.
Coming closely behind are China, France, and the United Kingdom, all of whom have
electric car market shares close to 1.5% respectively.
In 2016, China accounted for nearly 40% of the world’s total electric car sales. In fact,
Chinese OEMs produced 43% of the 873K EVs built worldwide in 2016. With more than 200
Mn electric two-wheelers, 3.3 to 4 Mn low-speed electric vehicles (LSEVs) and over 300K
electric buses (as of 2017), China is currently the global leader in the electric mobility race.
For the first time in 2015, the global electric vehicle fleet surpassed 1 Mn, which was later
doubled in 2016.
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Across the globe, some of the key players are Tesla Inc. (U.S.), BYD Company Limited
(China), Volkswagen AG (Germany), Nissan Motor Corporation (Japan), and Mitsubishi
Motors Corporation (Japan) among others.
Notable EV components manufacturers include Samsung SDI (South Korea), Automotive
Energy Supply Corporation (Japan), LG Chem. (South Korea), Panasonic Corporation
(Japan), and Continental AG (Germany), etc.
The acceptance of EVs has been rising and its global presence being stronger, which is also
validated by various organisations, a model example of which is Formula – the newest
entrant of the Formula racing series, which tours worldwide, encouraging constructors and
car drivers push their limits in order to obtain the most durable and efficient vehicle.
THE GLOBAL CONTEXT
Over the last decade, a collection of circumstances has conspired to create an opening for
electric mobility to enter the mass market. Those forces include:
1. Climatic change: The prospect of rapid global temperature increase has created the
need for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and the associated emissions. India has
committed to cutting its GHG emissions intensity by 33% to 35% percent below 2005
levels by 2030.
2. Advances in renewable energy: Over the last decade, advances in wind and solar
electricity generation technologies have drastically reduced their cost and introduced
the possibility of clean, low-carbon and inexpensive grids. India proposes to add 175
GW of renewable energy capacity by 2020 and to achieve 40 percent of its electricity
generation from non-fossil sources by the same year.
3. Rapid urbanization: Economic development, especially in emerging economies, is
creating a wave of urbanization as rural populations move to cities in search of
employment. While urbanization is an important component of the process of
economic development, it also stresses upon the energy and transport infrastructure
leading to congestion and pollution. According to a recent study by WHO, India is
home to 14 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world. Electric vehicles (EVs) can
improve that scenario by reducing local concentrations of pollutants in cities.
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4. Data capture and analysis: With the rise of GPS enabled smartphones and the
associated universe of mobility applications, mobility has undergone a digital
revolution. That digital revolution has created the possibility of greater utilization of
existing transportation assets and infrastructure. For EVs, which rely on lower
variable costs to offset relatively high fixed costs, this enhanced utilization is a critical
element of achieving total costs of ownership compared to internal combustion
vehicles.
5. Battery chemistry: Advances in battery technology have led to higher energy
densities, faster charging and reduced battery degradation from charging. Combined
with the development of motors with higher ratings and reliability, these
improvements in battery chemistry have reduced costs and improved the performance
and efficiency of electric vehicles.
6. Energy security: The petrol, diesel, and CNG needed to fuel an internal combustion
engine (ICE) based mobility system requires an extensive costly supply chain that is
prone to disruption from weather, geopolitical events and other factors. India needs to
import oil to cover over 80 percent of its transport fuel. That ratio is set to grow as a
rapidly urbanizing population demands greater intra-city and inter-city mobility.
As a result, developed economies such as EU, the USA, and Japan as well as
developing economies such as China and India have all included EVs in their policies
to lower their carbon emissions while providing convenient and cost-effective
mobility.
In the New Policies Scenario, the demand for annual battery capacity added to EVs is
expected to grow by a factor of 15, from around 68 GWh in 2017 to 775 GWh in 2030. China
is expected to retain its leadership in global demand and contribute to half of the global
battery capacity demand, followed by Europe (18%), India (12%) and the United States (7%).
Ultimately, all the factors and forces help to fulfil the need of Electric Vehicle in global
market. As the figure mentioned below, shows the Global car sale has increased in last 5
years.
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Figure 1
Taking the example of USA; California, topped the tables for both 2017 and 2018 with EV
market shares of 5.02% and 7.84% respectively. Apart from California, the other top ten U.S.
states for EV sales in both years were as follows (data courtesy of Alliance of Auto
Manufacturers):
2018-2017 2017 EV 2018 EV 2018 vs
EV EV
YOY Market Market 2017
Position State Sales Sales
Sales Share Share YOY Share
2017 2018
Increase W/in State W/in State % Increase
2 New York 10,090 15,752 56.11% 1.03% 1.56% 51.46%
3 Washington 7,068 12,650 78.98% 2.51% 4.28% 70.52%
4 Florida 6,573 13,705 108.50% 0.52% 1.03% 98.08%
5 Texas 5,419 11,764 117.09% 0.39% 0.78% 100.00%
6 New Jersey 5,033 9,230 83.39% 0.91% 1.59% 74.73%
7 Massachusetts 4,632 8,990 94.08% 1.35% 2.53% 87.41%
8 Colorado 4,156 7,051 69.66% 1.57% 2.61% 66.24%
9 Oregon 3,988 5,976 49.85% 2.36% 3.41% 44.49%
10 Illinois 3,812 7,357 93.00% 0.62% 1.20% 93.55%
11 Pennsylvania 3,346 6,063 81.20% 0.55% 0.92% 67.27%
Table 1. Percentage of EVs in USA
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Figure 2
THE INDIAN CONTEXT
While many countries have included EVs as an element of transportation policy, their
responses have varied according to their stage of economic development, energy resource
endowments, technological capabilities, and political prioritization of responses to climate
change. In India, a particular set of circumstances which are conducive to a sustainable
mobility paradigm have created an opportunity for accelerated adoption of EVs over ICE
vehicles. These are:
1. A relative abundance of exploitable renewable energy resources.
2. High availability of skilled manpower and technology in manufacturing and IT software.
3. An infrastructure and consumer transition that affords opportunities to apply technologies
to leapfrog stages of development.
4. A universal culture that accepts and promotes sharing of assets and resources for the
overall common good.
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These circumstances position India to pursue an EV policy which systematically ensures that
India’s EV program keeps pace with the global scale since large economies seem to take
significant steps towards electrification of vehicles. India’s growth prospects create potential
for developing leadership in EV in certain segments. In that sense, the policy will encourage
a path which starts with India-specific characteristics and initiatives for its auto sector,
building towards global relevance and applications. The key objectives of the EV policy are:
1. Reduce primary oil consumption in transportation.
2. Facilitate customer adoption of electric and clean energy vehicles.
3. Encourage cutting edge technology in India through adoption, adaptation, and research and
development.
4. Improve transportation used by the common man for personal and goods transportation.
5. Reduce pollution in cities.
6. Create EV manufacturing capacity that is of global scale and competitiveness.
7. Facilitate employment growth in a sun-rise sector.
Table 2 Electric vehicle and infrastructure status. Credit: Global EV outlook 2018
As shown in Table 2, there were only 222 publicly-accessible chargers in India in 2017, in
comparison to 130,508 in China, 32,976 in Netherland and 22,213 in Germany in the same
year (EV outlook, 2018).
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In recent years, the government of India has taken some serious steps to increase the pace of
public charging facility installation. These steps include treating electric vehicle charging as a
‘service’ under the Electricity Act, 2003, the opening of the electric vehicle charging market
for all and introducing dynamic pricing with time-of-day tariffs.
India recently released a draft notification for socket outlets or vehicle connectors to be used
in electric vehicle chargers. Draft ‘Bharat EV charger’ standards specify the charging
standard for India.
CUSTOMIZING INDIA’S EV POLICY TO THE INDIAN AUTO-INDUSTRY TODAY
India has been a laggard in the global race towards the electrification of automobiles, with no
clear guiding policy, unlike China, who offered hefty subsidies and incentives to promote
battery-powered cars in its efforts to reduce dependence on oil imports.
In the absence of clear government support, the nascent push towards electric mobility is
largely being driven by personal choice. Indian consumers currently have roughly 10
electric/hybrid car variants to choose from, compared to 54 in the U.S. and over 100 in China.
Although the government has taken some steps in recent years, the short-term visionary steps
and inconsistency in decision making have been the primary roadblocks in electric vehicle
adoption in India.
An Indian think tank revised its electric vehicle penetration target from 100 per cent of
vehicle sales to 30 per cent within one year of announcement. As of now, India has no formal
policy announcements or notifications on electric vehicles.
On a brighter note, some of the government incentive schemes have certainly shown some
positive outcomes in the country’s electric vehicle sales. National Electric Mobility Mission
Plan (NEMMP) 2020 aims to promote hybrid and electric vehicles (Government of India,
2012), resulting in the development of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid
and) Electric Vehicles (FAME), which incentivised the purchase of electric vehicles. Under
the FAME scheme, the government is expected to spend around INR 140 billion, which
includes incentives for the customers to purchase electric vehicles and incentives for the
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manufacturers to research them. In early 2018, an interim arrangement was set up to enable
charging stations to operate without a license, potentially improving the conditions of electric
vehicle charging stations.
The Kerala government has set a target of putting 10 million electric vehicles on the road by
2022. The state rolled out an electric vehicle policy (EVP) studded with tax holidays and the
creation of common-charging infrastructure.
The state of Karnataka is also aggressively incentivising the production of electric vehicles,
establishing a target of $4.83 billion in investments that will help generate 55,000 jobs.
State governments are setting electricity tariff policies for charging electric vehicles. The
Delhi state electricity regulatory commission has set the electricity tariff (TARIFF ORDER
2017/18) at INR 5.50/kWh (supply at LT) and INR 5/kWh (supply at HT). Andhra Pradesh
state DISCOM (Distribution company) has filed a petition for a tariff order for electric
vehicle category tariff: INR 6.95/kWh (Bloomberg New Energy Finance Report). The state of
Maharashtra has planned to set up a special electricity tariff for electric vehicle charging.
These initiatives will certainly reduce the cost of ownership for electric vehicles and speed up
the adoption process.
While India is operating in the same global context as other countries who have adopted an
EV policy, it has a unique mobility pattern which other countries do not share. An EV policy
for India must be tailor made to India’s particular needs. While vehicle growth in India is
rapid, ownership per 1000 population has increased from 53 in 2001 to 167 in 2015, a key
difference between India and other countries and the types of vehicles being used. India uses
a large variety of motorized transport on roads and its auto-segments are quite different from
that of most of the world. Based on the last six years of sales data, the vehicles on Indian
roads are estimated to consist of:
1. Two-wheelers: 79% of the total number of vehicles.
2. Three-wheelers (passenger and goods), including tempos: 4% of the total number of
vehicles.
3. Buses and large goods vehicles like trucks: 3% of the total number of vehicles.
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4. Economy four-wheelers (cars costing less than ₹1 million): 12% of the total number of
vehicles.
5. Premium four-wheelers (cars costing higher than ₹1 million): 2% of the total number of
vehicles.
In India, premium four wheelers (cars) are only 2% of the total sales. However, most
advanced technologies are available in this category in global markets. In the near term, India
should foster early adoption of vehicles by premium customers which will pave the way for
consumer comfort with electrification, raise aspirations for indigenous products and make
advanced technology available in the market. The presence of world-class technology will
help India build a world-class ecosystem for high-quality component and subsystems usable
for all kinds of vehicles. In the longer term, India should establish technological and
manufacturing leadership in the economy segment of the market. The prevalence in India of
small vehicles such as two-wheelers, three-wheelers, economy four-wheelers and small goods
vehicles is unique among large countries. These small vehicles require a unique set of
technological and industrial capabilities. Here, India has an opportunity to take a leadership
role in the electrification of small vehicles. India’s potential volumes for these vehicles as the
nation grows, lays the foundation for transformational manufacturing and industrial policy.
That focusses on the development of technological expertise and industrial capabilities in the
production of small electric vehicles which can not only meet domestic demand but can also
place India in a position of global leadership. As other countries begin to look at smaller
vehicles with appropriate specifications, India can establish a position of leadership based on
domestic demand. Beyond significant domestic demand for smaller vehicles, another aspect
of the Indian mobility market is supportive of electrification: its high level of sharing. Shared
mobility in India has exploded, changing the way India travels. Taxi aggregators such as Ola
and Uber have increased from 130 million rides in 2015 to 500 million rides in 2016, leading
radio taxis to account for 72% of the overall market. This high penetration of shared mobility
in India increases both vehicle utilisation, which plays to the economic advantages of EVs,
and also creates natural and large-scale purchases of EVs.
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Chinese Influence of the Indian Market:
Currently, the full-fledged manufacturing facility for electric or hybrid electric vehicles is
held my Morris Garages, which is considered to be the baton-bearer of electric and hybrid
electric future in India since it is one of the only few manufacturers to have all supply chains
in place. Parented by the SAIC, better known as the Shanghai Automotive Industrial
Corporation, it happens to be a Chinese parent to a British Corporation. One of the most
important, yet rare components of Electric Vehicles, happen to be batteries, which require a
considerable amount of Lithium, which is globally controlled by China or Chinese
Corporations. Considering MG to come up as an EV giant, its rise would indirectly be
handing over the control of the Indian EV market partly to Chinese Vendors.
Figure 3
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When the history of electric cars is written, the person who’ll stand taller is Wan Gang and
not Elon Musk. Wan’s vision to make China an EV powerhouse revolutionised the global car
industry. I am going to give you three numbers to explain why:
Musk became the CEO in 2008 when Tesla was making less than 1,000 cars. Around the
same time, Wan was made the minister of science in China. He’s an auto engineer who
worked at Audi in Germany before he moved back to China. At the time, China was making
less than 1,000 electric cars. Last year, Tesla struggled to make about 180,000 electric cars,
China is now making 1.3 million electric cars.
Tesla has raised about $6 billion in total. In the last decade, the Chinese government
alone has invested $60 billion and about twice or thrice as much has come from private
industry.
Musk wants to electric cars to make the world a sustainable place. It’ll take a long time for
Musk alone to do it. Just the use of electric buses in China has already cut its oil consumption
by 300,000 barrels per day, which helps it to save $5 billion on oil imports each year.
Due to Wan’s efforts and strong government’s policies, China is now in the race with the
West. The policies included both carrots, in the form of direct and indirect tax subsidies, and
sticks in the form of limits in large cities on how many petrol or diesel cars could receive
licences.
Figure 4
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Challenges
The International Energy Agency has said there will be a net increase in carbon emissions
due to electric vehicles when considering life-cycle emissions in countries, like India and
China, which have a carbon-intensive power generation mix.
In its report on electric vehicle, IEA says under the New Policies Scenario, India will reach
an 11 per cent EV market share by 2030 (for all modes combined, excluding two- and three-
wheelers where the share will be 70 per cent). Under the EV30@30 Scenario outlook, India’s
electric mobility transition could develop a favourable policy environment and achieve a 25
per cent EV market share by 2030 across all modes, except two and three-wheelers where
over 70 per cent of sales will be electric by the same year.
Though electric two-wheelers are not currently a prime policy focus in most regions, they are
projected to be a significant 39 per cent of the world two-wheelers (in terms of stock share)
by 2030. “This high share primarily reflects China’s lead and continuing commitment to the
electrification of two-wheelers, together with India’s stated ambition to electrify its two-
wheelers (the two countries are the world’s largest two-wheeler markets),” says the report.
EVs cost more on average than typical gas-powered cars, and despite significant advances in
range, they may not be ideal for some one-car households. Plug-in hybrids solve the range
problem, but they still need a place to plug in to take full advantage of their propulsion
system.
Electric vehicle owners need to have ready access to an outlet (or 240-volt battery charger)
and a parking spot for overnight charging, unless they are relying entirely on workplace
charging.
For EV drivers, planning when and where the car will be charged is a constant part of
ownership.
Unlike refuelling a gas car, which takes only a few minutes, recharging an EV can take 25-60
minutes (depending on the battery size and charging speed) using fast chargers and several
hours with slower, Level 2 chargers (see below for more details on levels). Note also that in
cold weather or extreme heat, the range plummets dramatically. Of course, an EV doesn't
have to be somebody's only car. A conventional gas-powered car can fill in where a pure EV
falls short—and vice versa—in a multi-car household.
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Need for Charging Infrastructure:
Just like conventional vehicles rely on petrol pumps or gas stations for refuelling, the mass
adoption of electric vehicles mandates a robust charging infrastructure. Also called electric
vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the EV charging stations are often installed by utility
companies as on-street facilities. Others are situated at shopping centres, public destinations
and even workplaces and can be operated by private companies.
EVSEs are currently classified as per the rate at which the batteries get charged. In fact, the
charging times of plug-in electric vehicles are dependent on a number of factors: the level of
depletion, its energy storage capacity as well as the type of EVSE. The charging process can
take anywhere between 30 minutes (fast charging) up to 24 hours, depending on the
specifications of the battery and the charger.
Currently, there are two main types of plug-in EV charging stations in the world: AC and
DC. An AC charging station supplies current to the on-board vehicle charger and typically
offers 8 to 24 km range per 30 minutes of charging. A DC charging station supplies current
directly to the car’s battery and can provide up to 129 km of electric range for every 30
minutes charge.
Fast charging (more than 40 kW), on the other hand, delivers over 100 km of a range within
10 to 30 minutes. Currently, it takes a little over an hour to fully charge a Tesla car at one of
the firm’s supercharging stations. By switching out the battery pack, however, drivers could
find themselves back on the road much sooner. This is essentially how the battery swapping
system works.
The electricity consumption from EVs increases significantly in India, which by 2030
accounts for 7 per cent of total electricity consumed by EVs worldwide. In China, the country
characterised by the highest EV stock share, the total electricity draws from EVs in 2030 is
five-times larger than today’s power consumption from EVs.
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Well to Wheel Analysis
In the transport sector, electric vehicles (EVs) are widely accepted as the next technology
paradigm, capable of solving the environmental problems associated with internal
combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). However, EVs also have environmental impacts that
are directly related to the country’s electricity generation mix. In countries without an
environmentally friendly electricity generation mix, EVs may not be effective in lowering
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
1. Well-to-Wheel efficiency of a small Indian petrol car
Petrol has a calorific value of 34.3 MJ/litre. (34300000 Joules or 9528 Wh or 9.5
kWh)/litre (as, 1MJ = 277.78Wh)
The fully considered well-to-wheel efficiency of a petrol-powered car is equal to
➔ the energy content of petrol (34.3 MJ/litre) minus the refinement & transportation
losses (about 33% in India), multiplied by the km per litre.
➔ So, a regular petrol car giving 15 km/litre has an efficiency of
1/ (34.3 divided by (100% minus 33%)) x 15 km/l = 0.293542 km/MJ or 0.293542
km/277 Wh
➔ In other words, to travel a distance of 1 km, a small petrol car must expend 3.45 MJ
or 955 Wh of energy.
2. Well-to-Wheel efficiency of a small Indian electric car
After observing data from users of the Mahindra e2o electric car, we find that on an
average, an electric car in Indian road conditions consumes 90 Wh/km
➔ We know that 1 Wh = 3600 J, so 90 Wh = 324,000 J. And the power plant efficiency,
conversion and transmission losses in electricity in India are 70% or more.
➔ So, an Indian electric car @ 90 Wh/km has an efficiency of 1/ (3600 divided by
(100% minus 70%)) x 10^6 x (1/90) km/Wh = 0.93 km/MJ.
➔ We then multiply this by the "The full cycle charge and discharge efficiency of the
electric car". Let us take this factor as 80% for the e2o.
➔ Then the final efficiency is 0.93 x 80% = 0.74 km/MJ or 0.74 km/277 Wh
In other words, to travel a distance of 1 km, a small electric car must expend 1.35 MJ
or 375 Wh of energy.
➔ Verdict
A small electric car is more than 2.5 times efficient than an equivalent petrol car.
xxi
1. Well-to-Wheel efficiency of a diesel SUV
Diesel has a calorific value of 38.4 MJ/litre. (38400000 Joules or 10666 Wh or 10.6
kWh)/litre
The fully considered well-to-wheel efficiency of a diesel-powered SUV is equal to
➔ The energy content of diesel (38.4 MJ/litre) minus the refinement & transportation
losses (about 33% in India), multiplied by the km per litre.
➔ So a regular diesel SUV giving 10 km/litre has an efficiency of 1/ (38.4 divided by
(100% minus 33%)) x 10 km/l = 0.17 km/MJ or 0.17 km/277 Wh
➔ In other words, to travel a distance of 1 km, a diesel SUV must expend 5.88 MJ or
1633 Wh of energy.
2. Well-to-Wheel efficiency of an electric SUV
After from the official EPA data of the Tesla Model X electric SUV, we know that that it
has an efficiency of 237.5 Wh/km
➔ We know that 1 Wh = 3600 J, so 237.5 Wh = 855,000 J. And the power plant
efficiency, conversion and transmission losses in electricity in India are 70% or more.
➔ So a Tesla Model X electric SUV @ 237.5 Wh/km has an efficiency of 1/(3600
divided by (100% minus 70%)) x 10^6 x (1/237.5) km/Wh = 0.35 km/MJ.
➔ We then multiply this by the "The full cycle charge and discharge efficiency of the
electric car". Let us take this factor as 90% for the Tesla.
➔ Then the final efficiency is 0.35 x 90% = 0.32 km/MJ or 0.32 km/277 Wh
In other words, to travel a distance of 1 km, an electric SUV must expend 3.12 MJ
or 867 Wh of energy.
➔ Verdict
An electric SUV is more than 1.8 times efficient than an equivalent diesel SUV.
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Conclusions
In line with this growth, the market is expected to have more than 10.8 Mn units by
2026, as per a survey by BIS Research. High levels of vehicle pollution and the
burden of the import oil bill put huge pressures on India to shift from conventional
vehicles to electric vehicles, whilst presenting the automobile sector with a great
opportunity. Growth of electric vehicles in India has been long held back in
comparison to other countries due to poor government policies and infrastructure
support. Recent changes in policies represent good progress, but India requires faster,
consistent and stronger policy frameworks to continue improving.
Appendices and References
➢ https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/EV_report.pdf
➢ https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/electric-cars-101-the-answers-to-all-
your-ev-questions/
➢ https://inc42.com/features/electric-vehicles-overview-indiae-evs/
➢ https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-articles/73491/india-framework-
electric-vehicle/
➢ https://www.pluginindia.com/blogs/calculating-well-to-wheel-efficiency-of-electric-
vehicles
➢ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/how-can-india-transition-to-electric-
vehicles-heres-a-roadmap/
➢ https://interestingengineering.com/6-interesting-statistics-about-electric-vehicles
➢ https://www.ft.com/content/455fe41c-7185-11e9-bf5c-6eeb837566c5
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