With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more popular, the shift to decarbonising the private transportation sector is being accelerated by increased government support and rapid changes in technology. With more OEMs diving deep into EVs, investment in innovative solutions is also rising exponentially.
As competition fosters innovation and further research, here are some of the latest technological breakthroughs that scientists working on. Each has the potential to be the next big thing for the EV industry and give it the big push forward.
With countries like the US and India affirming support to cutting-edge technologies like electric vehicles, the sector looks set for momentous change.
Different battery technology
Automobile manufacturers across the world are already looking at different alternatives to the now ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries that are being used in EVs. From sodium-ion, manganese, to zinc-ion and others, OEMs are trying to find the perfect ingredients that have the right mix of scalability and costs.
The rising costs of lithium, cobalt and graphite, which form some of the main components in a modern electrical battery, and the growing logistical issues surrounding them have forced automobile manufacturers to look at alternatives.
Improving battery range and life
Concurrently, scientists and engineers are also working on ways to improve the range that each battery unit offers as well to extend the battery life of current generation EV batteries.
Range anxiety currently remains one of the main hurdles against greater EV adoption in the face of a lack of proper charging infrastructure in many places. The focus is on making batteries last longer, with engineers factoring in battery chemistries, the electrolytes used, and many other variables.
Wireless charging
Another advancement that may shake the electric vehicle space is the breakthroughs towards wireless charging for EVs. Using inductive charging technology, much like wireless charging works on smartphones and appliances, EVs may one day get charged just be standing on certain spots.
This would allow for charging infrastructure to expand much quicker and easier than before as they could be added to already existing infrastructure like parking areas and roadside curbs or even driveways. Trials are already underway in the UK, and more developments are expected to follow.
EV adoption by fleets
As autonomous driving slowly inches towards reality, even without fully autonomous driving EVs can be a great boon to fleets of vehicles. From taxis to delivery vehicles, fleets of vehicles may be switching to EVs based on the advantages that a connected system of vehicles will have. Not to mention the savings in form of lower fuel and maintenance costs.
Most EVs have their own charging standard, which is most likely different from the charging standard of EVs of another make. But as electric vehicles become more popular, the development of standardised chargers also brings with it the added benefit of making charging much faster than before.
High wattage ultra-fast chargers capable of adding tens of kilometres of range within just minutes are already appearing in some countries as charging infrastructure ramps up in advancement.
Electrified roads
While the electrification of passenger vehicles is a great way to reduce carbon emissions, the lion’s share of emissions belongs to commercial trucks and other large vehicles. Currently, work is underway to explore whether overhead electrical cables, much like the ones that city trams or metro services use, can be used by large commercial vehicles to charge their batteries on the go or even to run their vehicle completely.
Battery swapping
While battery swapping is not a new technology, recent changes have made it a far more valuable prospect for smaller EVs than ever before. Battery swapping can overcome many of the shortfalls of traditional EV charging while charging infrastructure continues to build up in the country.
