Extended-Range Electric Vehicles

Extended-range electric vehicles. yes, that is a thing now! Whenever people talked about electric vehicles there was one overly mentioned disadvantage- the range. To battle, the same inventors came up with the new idea of extending the range of electric vehicles. Just increase the range. Voila, the problem is solved! Such an easy fix. Well, if you are wondering how did they manage to do it, let us find out!

Electric vehicles often are touted as next-gen vehicles. These vehicles that run on electricity might save the world from global warming! Replacing the smoky cars which run on gasoline is a difficult task, which the electric vehicles would aptly do. Electric vehicles come with many other benefits apart from just being easy on the environment.

They can get you a ticket to the carpool lane. That is one of the most sought-after perks, and one of the many reasons why people buy an electric car.

When talking about electric cars, most people usually say it has a short-range. Because an electric vehicle could not fulfill this requirement, many people did not buy it. Instead, they would buy the polluting car with the internal combustion engine. To change this ideology electric vehicles that had an extended range was introduced.

Contents hide

1 What are Extended range electric vehicles?

2 Why do we need range extenders?

3 Benefits you would have if you would use a range extender.

What are Extended range electric vehicles?

APU is just another internal combustion engine used for the only reason of recharging the electric motor. This engine comes with its fuel tank. The gasoline burnt in this engine also releases effluents into the atmosphere. You would ask, how does this solve the problem? Well, it does not, but it does significantly reduce the number of waste gases released into the atmosphere. The APU should have an output voltage higher than the requirement of the car. If that is not the case, the battery will continue to discharge and would continue to decrease.

When the battery reaches a lower threshold, the APU automatically kicks in and begins the process of recharging. The driver does not need to keep an eye out for the level of battery to switch on the APU. This addition makes the electric able to drive to large distances.

Some abbreviations are famous for such vehicles which have an extended range. We present to you some of the most popular ones:

EREV: Extended Range Electric Vehicle
REEV: Range Extended Electric Vehicle
E-REV: An Extended Range Electric Vehicle
PHEV: A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

One can plug the PHEVs into external sources of power to facilitate the charging of the battery.

Why do we need range extenders?

What purpose do they serve?

We did answer this question in the introductory paragraph. Well, allow us to elaborate and support our statements with facts!

What do you feel is the average range of EV’s? On a single charge, most EV’s can run up to 250 miles. That is quite a short distance. Considering that the people in gasoline-run cars would only have to wait for a few minutes to refill their fuel tanks the electric vehicles have a disadvantage. There are some Ev’s that take a minimum of 4 hours to recharge, while the maximum time may range up to 12 hours! This time feels to be colossally long. It affects the choice of the buyer.

Numerous electric car drivers feel disturbed when they see the low battery light flash up. They have even coined a word for this distress- the range anxiety. This feeling kicks in when the low-battery sign flashes with no charging stations nearby! What other option does a person have at this moment? The only option that remains is towing the car to the nearest charging station. That ultimately means a big hole in your pocket!

Recent developments in technology have bettered the odds of electric vehicles. While Tesla has started to manufacture electric vehicles with a range of over 300 miles, other companies are following the suit! This focus on the range has cropped up many innovative solutions- one of them being the range extender. In this, the APU recharges the battery when the car is on the move. The addition of range extenders to the car means some pollution but, it is still way less than traditional cars.

Benefits you would have if you would use a range extender.

With this addition to the electric vehicle, the car companies have declared the most visible disadvantage null and void. Electric cars are improving with every passing day and will soon be ready to take over the world. When the EV’s in your fleet have enough range, you can replace your traditional vehicles. Electricity is cheaper. Also, EV’s do not need much maintenance! The benefit the APU provides you are many. Extend range means the electric vehicles become available for distant travel. It reduces the burden on your wallet. It makes the life of fleet managers easy.

Let us look at some of the benefits these range extenders give you.

Range anxiety reduction: Well, you obviously won’t have any range anxiety. This is because you would know your car can go that extra mile. A Range Extender takes that tension off your shoulder so that you can focus on your driving.
Range autonomy: The extended range gives the choice of allotting an electric car to longer routes. It makes the life of a fleet manager very easy. Electric vehicles reduce the burden on both your shoulder and your wallet even!
Productivity gains: When you have an EV with a longer range you have a choice. It increases your productivity. The overall efficiency of your fleet increases.
Lower costs: Even if the extender uses fuel, the amount of fuel required is quite less. This means more savings. Can you hear that jingling of coins in your pocket? We are sure you do!