An electric vehicle (EV) is a motorized road car or truck that uses an electric motor to drive. It converts electricity into propulsion through an onboard battery pack or through an external charging station. In general, EVs use less oil and emit significantly lower levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants than conventional vehicles. In addition, some governments offer incentives to encourage consumers to buy EVs or install charging stations.
EVs have high power-to-weight ratios and can deliver much more torque than traditional engines. This gives them a good acceleration performance and allows some models to achieve 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. Some have a range of over 400 km, which makes them suitable for inner city trips, and are very quiet. In some cases, the battery may also provide short-term surge power to help with acceleration and regenerative braking can be used to put energy back into the grid.
The main obstacles to EV adoption are range anxiety and charging infrastructure, although government regulation and battery technology have been making progress. EVs are increasingly available in some cities, and the availability of public charging stations increases consumer confidence in the technology.
EV owners can charge at home with standard 120 V outlets or with a dedicated 240 V charging system, which can also be found at workplaces and some public parking spots. Most EVs can be charged in about 3 to 4 hours. Using DC fast charging equipment, EVs can be recharged to 80 percent of capacity in 20 minutes to 1 hour.