Let’s talk the same language

This story first appeared in the December issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

I won’t sugar coat this. Electric vehicle technology is packed full of technical terminology and it is a very complex and technically demanding field.

While we are all enjoying the warm glow of being in the early adopter stage of this exciting transport and technology revolution, there’s no better time to be working hard to get on the same page and using common terms and language.

Here are some terms you might have heard and the correct usage for them:

AC / DC: Electrical current can either flow in one direction – Direct Current (DC); or move back and forth – Alternating Current (AC). The electrical grid is AC, but batteries are DC. When charging an EV the conversion from AC to DC is performed either by the (small, low power) on-board charger or externally by a DC charging station. On-board chargers are typically limited to 3 – 7kW. Being outside the car, a DC charging station can be much more powerful, delivering from 50 – 350 kW.

Amp: An Amp or Amperage is the level of electric current that is available. The mathematical equation (if you are interested) is: Amp = watts/volts (an Amp equals watts divided by volts).

Battery: Batteries are exactly what you think they are. Batteries store electricity (measured in kilowatt hours or kWh) and deliver power to your motor (measured in kilowatts or kW) which makes your wheels turn. Very simple really.

BEV (battery electric vehicle): This is a fully electrically powered car. BEVs do not have range extender, hybrid or any combustion engine technology. BEVs in New Zealand include the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and Roadster, and the Mitsubishi iMiEV. You can also get a full electric BMW i3, however, most BMW i3s you see in New Zealand have a range extender (that means you can put petrol or diesel in and drive it like a normal hybrid or ICE vehicle).

Charging: The act of putting electricity into your car’s batteries. It is refuelling for EVs.

Charging station: The place where you plug in your car and replenish its store of electricity. There are fast and slow (or trickle) chargers.

Destination charging: When you hear people talking about destination charging, they are talking about the chance to charge at a custom-fitted charging station. There are hundreds of thousands of these chargers throughout the globe. Businesses can choose to offer destination charge points to customers and employees. Some of the most talked-about destination chargers in New Zealand are those at Sylvia Park mall in Auckland. You can also find charging facilities at several hotels, shopping malls, offices and parking facilities throughout New Zealand.

Fast charging: Fast charging simply refers to charging that delivers 20 or more kW to your vehicle. The Charge Net NZ fast charging units deliver 50 kW and will “fill up” an entry-level vehicle from empty to 80% battery capacity in around 20 minutes.
ICE: ICE is a term used widely in EV circles – it’s the acronym for internal combustion engine. Traditional cars have these.

Opportunity charging: This refers to EV drivers filling up their batteries in locations that do not have a custom-fit charging station. In a pinch, you can plug in an EV anywhere you can plug in a microwave or hairdryer (provided you have the appropriate cord). Opportunity charging locations can be campgrounds, offices or your friend’s kitchen if you safely hang the cord out the window to give your car a charge while you catch up over coffee.

PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle): PHEV, or P-HEV as some people pronounce it, have some full battery electric range and also have hybrid motors that can be referred to as range extenders. The most popular PHEV in New Zealand right now is the Mitsubishi Outlander. The BMW i8 and i3 are also well known PHEV vehicles in the New Zealand market.

Rapid charging: Just another term used to describe fast charging. Rapid charging is charging that delivers more than 20 kW to your batteries.

Slow charging: Also known as “trickle charging”, slow charging delivers anywhere from 7 to 20 kW of electricity to your vehicle’s batteries.

A slow (or trickle) charge will take several hours to fill up an entry level vehicle like a Nissan Leaf.

Supercharger: Tesla own rights to the term supercharger (it has trademarked the term) so when you hear the term supercharger or supercharging network, chances are they are talking about the Tesla network of superchargers.

Torque: Torque is the major factor in a car’s accelerative ability. A lot of torque (which is delivered cleanly through EV technology direct from the motor to the wheels) means the car’s acceleration is very fast. Petrol and diesel engines deliver torque over a curve as revs per minute increase, meaning they have peak power at a given RPM. Electric motors on the other hand deliver maximum torque with no engine revolutions, meaning acceleration from standstill is extremely powerful.

Range: The distance an EV can go on a charge.

Range anxiety: The fear of being caught short and running out of range.

There’s a lot more to cover but I think this is a great start.

Don’t get overwhelmed or bogged down by terminology. I hope that this article goes some way to helping us all get on the same page when we are talking amongst ourselves or the wider community or to anyone in the general public who might be interested in knowing more about EVs.