INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

Fundamentals of Electrical Vehicles

Dr. Apurv Kumar Yadav,

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engg.,
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification
EML: apurv@ee.iitr.ac.in
URL: http://apurv.ee.faculty.iitr.ac.in/index.html
 Outline

• Types of EV
• Comparison of BEV vs ICEV
• EV Subsystem

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 2

 Types of EV

FUEL CELL

NO
EMISSION

https://www.en-plustech.com/blog/4-types-of-electric-vehicles/

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 3

 Battery Electric Vehicle

• BEVs are also known as All-Electric Vehicles

(AEV). Electric Vehicles using BEV technology run
entirely on a battery-powered electric drivetrain.
• The electricity used to drive the vehicle is stored in a
large battery pack which can be charged by plugging
into the electricity grid.
• The charged battery pack then provides power to
one or more electric motors to run the electric car.
• Main Components of BEV:
• Electric motor, Inverter, Battery, Control
Module, Drive train

https://e-amrit.niti.gov.in/types-of-electric-vehicles

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 4

 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

• FCEVs are also known as Zero-Emission Vehicles.

They employ ‘fuel cell technology’ to generate the
electricity required to run the vehicle.
• The chemical energy of the fuel is converted directly
into electric energy.
• Main Components of FCEV:
• Electric motor, Fuel-cell stack, Hydrogen
storage tank, battery with converter and
controller

https://e-amrit.niti.gov.in/types-of-electric-vehicles

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 5

 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Cont.

https://electronicslovers.com/2020/05/are-hydrogen-fuel-cells-the-
future-of-transport.html
Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 6
 Hybrid Electric Vehicle

• HEVs are also known as series hybrid or parallel

hybrid. HEVs have both engine and electric motor.
• The engine gets energy from fuel, and the motor gets
electricity from batteries.
• The transmission is rotated simultaneously by both
engine and electric motor. This then drives the
wheels.
• Main Components of HEV:
• Engine, Electric motor, Battery pack with
controller & inverter, Fuel tank, Control
module

https://e-amrit.niti.gov.in/types-of-electric-vehicles

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 7

 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

• The PHEVs are also known as series hybrids. They have

both engine and a motor.
• One can choose among the fuels, conventional fuel (such as
petrol) or alternative fuel (such as bio-diesel).
• It can also be powered by a rechargeable battery pack. The
battery can be charged externally.
• PHEVs can run in at least 2 modes:
• All-electric Mode, in which the motor and battery
provide all the car’s energy
• Hybrid Mode, in which both electricity and
petrol/diesel are employed
• Main Components of PHEV:
• Electric motor, Engine, Inverter, Battery, Fuel tank,
Control module, Battery Charger (if onboard model)

https://e-amrit.niti.gov.in/types-of-electric-vehicles

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 8

 BEV

Advantages
• EVs reduces the CO2 emissions as compared to ICEV.
• The operating cost of an electric vehicles is less that that of ICEV.
• Allows better control and faster response
• ICE vehicles have many rotating parts, while the electric vehicle has a single moving
part (rotor of the motor). Thus electric vehicle requires low maintenance and more
reliable.
• Renewable energy sources can be utilized to charge the EV
• It is less noisy as compared to ICEV
• Power conversion in EV is more efficient than the ICE engine. ICE engine have a
efficiency of 40%, while EV propulsion efficiency is approx. 90%.

Disadvantages
• Electric vehicle technology is much more costly than internal combustion engine
vehicle.
• Electric vehicles require long charging time and have a relatively limited range.
Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 9
 BEV or FCEV

Disadvantages

• The internal combustion engine (ICE) looses 60 percent of its energy in the form of
combustion losses, this leaves us with 40 percent of the usable energy.
• On the other hand, the electric motor and power electronic converter used as a
propulsion system has an efficiency greater than 90%.
• The petrol has a specific energy density of 34.3 MJ/litre while the most advanced
lithium-ion battery has an energy density of 0.3 MJ/kg and about 0.4 MJ/liter
• If we divide the energy density of petrol by that of Lithium-ion battery we roughly
get a weight ratio of 100 to 1.

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 10

 BEV vs ICEV: Comparison

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 11

 BEV vs ICE: Operating Cost

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 12

 BEV vs ICE: Operating Cost

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 13

 BEV vs ICE: Operating Cost

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 14

 BEV vs ICE: Operating Cost

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 15

 EV Configurations- Centralised

Fig1: Rear Wheel Drive Fig2: Front Wheel Drive

• Centralized drive : Can be a rear wheel or front wheel drive

• The speed of the motor is decided based on the vehicle speed, wheel radius and gear ratio in
the gear box.
Advantages
• Centralized and easy control
• Less component count
Disadvantage
• No fault tolerant
Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 16
 EV Configurations- Two Wheel Drive

Fig1: Rear Wheel Drive Fig2: Front Wheel Drive

• Two wheel drive : Can be a rear wheel or front wheel drive
• The speed of the motor is decided based on the vehicle speed and wheel radius.
Advantages
• The gearbox/differential can be eliminated.
• Use of hub motor/in wheel motors
Disadvantages
• No fault tolerant
• Increased components count on the vehicle.
• Requires complicated control of the inverters.
Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 17
 EV Configurations- Four Wheel Drive

• It comprises of in-wheel/hub motors.

Advantages

• The gearbox/differential can be

eliminated.
• Fault tolerant- If either of the front two
or rear two power electronic converter
got damaged, the vehicle can still
operate.

Disadvantages

• Increased components count on the

vehicle.
• Requires complicated control of the
inverters.

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 18

 Subsystem of an EV

• In general, an electric vehicle consists of following main sub-systems

• Propulsion sub-system
• Electric motor
• Power electronic converter for electric motor
• Mechanical system:- gearbox, differential, suspension, brakes, steering
• Electronic controller Unit or Vehicle controller unit
• Energy Storage sub-system Propulsion subsystem Wheels

• Accumulator Vehicle
Electronic
Electric Gear Differential
Power Box Unit
Motor
• Accumulator Management unit Controller Converter
Wheels
• Charger to replenish the energy Mechanical System

• Communication system
Accumulator
• Vehicle to vehicle Management Accumulator
Mechanical Link
Unit
• Within the Vehicle Electric Link
Control Link

Charger
Energy storage
subsystem

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 19

 Propulsion Sub-system

• Propulsion system in an electric vehicle converts electrical energy (potential energy) to

the mechanical energy (kinetic energy). Thus, the propulsion system is responsible for
providing sufficient tractive force to the vehicle.
• The traction motor is used to provide the appropriate traction. The traction motor is
controlled using the power electronic converter and its associated control scheme. The
type of motor determines the power electronic converter and its control scheme.
• For example,
• In case of an AC motor, a three-phase inverter is used as a power electronic converter
with the controller capable of generating variable frequency and variable AC output
voltage. Also, called as an AC motor drives or adjustable motor drives or variable
voltage variable frequency motor drives.
• In case of a DC motor, DC-DC converter is used as the power electronic converter
capable of providing variable DC output voltage for the speed control.
• The propulsion system also consists of a mechanical transmission system which provides
appropriate conversion of speed and torque. Generally, a combination of gear box and a
differential box is used as a mechanical transmission system.
One Advantage of using electric vehicle is that a gear box with single gear ratio can be used

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 20

 Energy Storage Sub-system

• The energy storage system stores the electrical energy in the form of chemical energy. It
consists of an accumulator. Some of the common accumulator systems are
• Batteries
• Fuel-cell
• Hybrid of fuel-cell and battery
• Hybrid of ultra capacitor and battery
• The energy storage system also has an accumulator management system that monitors
and controls the health of the accumulator system.
• The energy storage system also has a charger to replenish the depleted charge of the
accumulator.

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 21

 Auxilliary Sub systems

• Auxiliary subsystems in an electric vehicle (EV) refer to various components and systems that
support the operation and functionality of the vehicle beyond the main powertrain

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

• Steering System
• Wiper System
• Lighting System
• Infotainment System
• Brake System
• ADAS System
• Suspension System
• Different Comfort Devices in Vehicle
• Battery Cooling System
• Motor Thermal Management Devices

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 22

 EV Design Methodology

• Vehicle design is a complex task and requires multidisciplinary knowledge in electrical

and mechanical engineering.
• The EV design process includes the following steps
• System level design:- This requires designers to understand the system level
requirements/specifications. Some of the specifications are maximum speed,
acceleration, mass, etc.
• Component level design/specification
• Energy storage system:- voltage, kWhr ratings
• Power electronic converter:- voltage, power rating
• Electric motor:- speed, torque, power rating, input specifications
• Gearbox and differential:- gear ratio
• Control unit:- inputs, outputs, communication protocol
• Modelling and iteration:- Vehicle dynamics needs to be studied, and design is
iterated until the goals are not met.
• Integration:- all the sub-system of the vehicle need to be assembled and packaged.

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 23

 EVs in India

• In India, EVs are:

• Two wheeler: scooters, mopeds, motorcycles
• 3-W: Passenger auto, goods carrier
• 4-W: Cars, sports utility vehicles (luxury), commercial vehicle (LCV (7 ton), ICV (8
to 10 ton), MCV (10-15 ton), HCV (16 ton and above)).

Pic Courtesy: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-08/HandbookforEVChargingInfrastructureImplementation081221.pdf

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 24

 EVs in India- Some Examples
Technical Tata Tesla Kia EV6 MG Hyundai Kona
specifications Nexon EV Model S Comet EV Electric
Battery Capacity 40.5 kWh 75 kWh 77.4kWh 17.3 kWh 39.2 kWh
Motor Type PMSM IM PMSM PMSM PMSM

Max. Power 141.04 bhp 259 bhp 320.55 bhp 41.42 bhp 134.1 bhp

Max. Torque 250 N-m 329 N-m 605 N-m 110 N-m 395 N-m

Range 453 km 673 km 708 km 230 km 452 km

Technical Ola Ather 450X Hero Electric TVS

specifications S1 Pro Photon
Battery Capacity 4 kWh 2.9 kWh 1.87 kWh 2.2 kWh
Motor Type PMSM PMSM BLDC Hub BLDC Hub
Motor Motor
Max. Power 11 kW 5.4 kW 1.8 kW 4.4 kW

Max. Torque 58 Nm 22 Nm -- 14 Nm

Range 195 km 90 km 89 km 75 km

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 25

 Vehicle Specification
Some of the important critical specifications for the electric vehicle are:-
• Cursing speed (maximum speed) : - it is the maximum speed that the vehicle can achieve. It is
influenced by the voltage of the accumulator pack, gear ratio, wheel diameter, and motor constant
(vdc/rpm).

• Acceleration:- it is the rate with which the vehicle reaches a predefined velocity. Typically, 0 to
60mph in ‘t’ secs. It is influenced by the torque generated from the motor, gear ratio, and power
rating of the drivetrain.

• Range:- it is the measure of the required energy in the system. It is equivalent to the mileage in
case of the gasoline engine. It is influenced by mass, power loss and type of the energy storage
system used.

• Mass of the vehicle:- mass plays an important role in determining the power demand needed by
the EV. Using lightweight materials results in mass reduction which reduces power demand and
consequently a smaller storage system is needed.

• Gradeability:- it is the ability of the vehicle to ascend a terrain with the gradient at the required
speed.

Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 26

 Electric Drive Requirements
• An electric propulsion system has a maximum rating for power, torque and speed.
• The maximum power rating is limited by the thermal performance, maximum torque rating is
restricted by the mechanical linkages and maximum speed rating is restricted by the bearing
ratings.
• An electric drive has a constant torque region and constant power region. The constant torque
region (which is at its maximum value) is maintained at the low speed to support the initial
acceleration and overcome the static friction. The constant power region (which is at its maximum
value) is maintained at higher speed region after the base speed is reached.
• These are the requirement of an electric drive, and the power electronic converter are made to
operate such that the selected motor follows the below mentioned torque and power variations.
P (Power) T (Torque)
Tmax(slope) Pmax/ω

Pmax Pmax = Tmaxωb Tmax Tmax = Pmax/ωb

Tmax

ωb ωmax ωb ωmax
ω(speed) ω(speed)
Power vs Speed Torque vs Speed
Apurv Kumar Yadav, Department of Electrical Engineering, IITR 27