Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by electricity instead of petrol or deisel. They have a battery instead of a petrol or deisel tank, and an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a combination of fuel and electric vehicles, so they have a battery, an electric motor, a petrol or deisel tank, and an internal combustion engine. PHEVs use petrol/deisel and electricity as fuel sources.
When you want to drive your EV or PHEV, you simply plug it in to charge the battery. This can be done at home or at work or wherever else you may want to park your car while it’s charging up.

Whether you’re a petrol-head or an environmentalist, it’s hard to deny that electric cars have been making some big waves in the automotive industry.

Since Tesla first introduced their Model S in 2012, interest in electric vehicles (EVs) has only increased. In 2018 alone, more than two million EVs were sold worldwide – a number that is expected to grow even further as more people embrace cleaner and cheaper alternatives to petrol power.

But as we all know, there are always pros and cons when it comes to choosing between petrol or electric. So let’s take a closer look at the major differences between these two types of cars:

While petrol cars need petrol stations, EVs need chargers. As more Australians choose to drive an EV, public charging infrastructure will need to expand rapidly to meet demand. While many EV drivers would like to use renewable energy to charge their vehicle’s battery, the reality is EV battery power is still largely generated by fossil fuels. This means EVs do contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, but surprisingly their contribution is less than 50% of a comparable petrol car.

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common battery used in electric vehicles. The exact chemistry varies from that of consumer electronics batteries, but research and development are ongoing to reduce their relatively high cost, extend their useful life, and address safety concerns in regard to overheating.

Lithium-ion batteries are made up of a positive and negative electrode, with a solid electrolyte separating them. In regular consumer electronics, these are often made of graphite, but EV batteries use other materials such as silicon, nickel, cobalt or aluminum. The electrodes can also be made from different materials depending on the type of battery being manufactured.

The electrolyte is usually a liquid solution that facilitates charging and discharging. This liquid also acts as a coolant to prevent overheating during charging or discharging. The most common electrolyte used in lithium-ion batteries is based on organic solvents such as ethylene carbonate (EC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or diethyl carbonate (DEC). Other components include an aluminum foil separator between the positive and negative electrode layers; a cathode material for the positive electrode layer; a separator for the cathode layer; a separator for the anode layer; and a carbonaceous material for the anode layer