3 min read
 |
| INDEPTH : On types of power trains in electric vehicles |
Whereas, a Plug-in Hybrid with only 50 KM of ONLY Electric capacity can run 1600+ KM on a full tank!
Amazing isn’t it!?
Are you confused? Ok, let's discuss it in-depth.
What are Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) :
 |
| BMW 330e a plug in hybrid PHEV, it has 22 miles of electric only range. |
Let's start by discussing what is the meaning of PHEV.
A Plug-in Hybrid is a class of electric vehicle that has two power sources.
#1 Conventional IC Engine and
#2 Electric motor with short-range capability only.
The idea is that you just plug-in the car to the grid, to recharge the battery at the end of each day. This allows you to get the full 1600 KM of range.
The early versions of the Chevrolet Bolt were a Plug-in hybrid.
A younger me was fascinated by the Bolt; its users would report refuelling maybe once a month!
No wait it still fascinates me. Lol.
Since then the Chevy Bolt has adopted an all-electric powertrain and also GM has moved out of India. ( My dream to own a Camaro went out the window )
Components of a PHEV :
 |
| Components of a plug-in hybrid car are displayed above. image source : adfc.energy.gov |
The Plug-in hybrid vehicle shares the component with a Hybrid Electric vehicle (HEV). You can read about this in my article on HEVs.
How do they work? How are they so fuel efficient? :
I won’t tempt you anymore, I know you have been eagerly reader to know how the magic happens. LET'S GET TO IT.
The technique of how PHEVs are able to get such good range is rather simple.
The car runs only on power from its Energy Storage System (ESS) until it is completely depleted; After this, the IC Engine turns on and fuel is burnt.
On average a person commutes less than 35KM only per day as reported by a study in 2018.
This is why you are able to save so much fuel.
On a day-to-day basis, you can expect to use electric power 90% of the time. In other words, You reduced your daily fuel consumption by 90%!
Regenerative braking also plays a vital role for PHEVs; you are recharging that battery every time you brake and so that above number can go close to 93%!
Why are PHEVs better than BEVs? :
 |
| Chevrolet Camero a classic American muscle car. image source : unsplash |
Large car companies that produce Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) such as Tesla, Lucid, Ford and many more new entrants, all have to tackle Range Anxiety of customers.
Range Anxiety is the fear of not having sufficient charge to reach your destination.
Charging a BEV is not as convenient as filling up petrol /diesel and it also takes a tedious amount of time to do so.
This among other factors has stalled the widespread adoption of BEVs.
In short, PRAY that you are near a charger when the battery inches towards the zero mark!
Plug-in Hybrids are also better than a traditional gas engine. Of course, they greatly reduce greenhouse emissions but also that they are more energy-efficient.
Allow me to explain myself.
If you are travelling in high traffic, your engine is likely to idle often. Not only are you using fuel when you idle but also the fuel consumed bursts up shortly to accelerate from standing.
I have only been telling you about the advantages of a plug-in but it’s not all fairies and butterflies.
What are the disadvantages of a PHEV? :
 |
| A man plugging in his phev to a home all outlet. image source : freepik |
# Batteries as flammable and they do not like heat something an engine produces in excess
# Plug-in are harder to maintain because your mechanic is not likely trained to do so.
# They are much for expensive than a typical car.
# If you use a person you do a lot of road trip, fuel economy is going to be bad.
Conclusion:
Owing to their issues with complexity in technology, operation and maintenance, PHEV are becoming increasingly rare.
As the world moves towards a greener all-electric fuel with BEV the plug-in hybrids have been a stepping stone forward. The recent boom in charging infrastructure and better battery technology has supported the notion.
So long PHEV. Or are they?
NEXT Read :
INDEPTH - Battery Electric Vehicle ( BEV )
INDEPTH - Hybrid Electric Vehicle ( HEV )
INDEPTH - PLUG-IN HYBRID Electric Vehicle ( PHEV )
INDEPTH - MILD HYBRID Electric Vehicle ( MHEV )
INDEPTH - FUEL Cell Electric Vehicle ( FCEV )INDEPTH : What are Plugin in Hybrids PHEV and How they Work | Krityatirtha Paul
Comments
Post a Comment