The electric car ABC.

Terms from electromobility, from AZ explained.

Accumulator:

An accumulator is a rechargeable energy storage device based on electrochemicals. In the true sense, the term "accumulator" or "battery" refers to a single storage cell. In common parlance, however, the interconnected storage elements used in electric cars are also referred to as "accumulators" or "battery". Historically or in technical terms, however, the term "battery" was and is used more in connection with non-rechargeable storage devices. Ultimately, the term "battery" can be viewed as a generic term that includes not only non-rechargeable but also rechargeable energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries. In many cases, the terms are used synonymously today, but when emphasis is placed on rechargeability, the more precise use of the term "battery" is recommended.

Amp:

Ampere (A) is the unit for electrical current. It describes how strong the electrical current flows through a conductor. You can imagine the current strength as the amount of water flowing through a pipe. The voltage (V) corresponds to the pressure of the water. Both factors together, current strength and voltage, determine how much electrical power is available to operate an electrical device, similar to a water wheel or motor.

Battery rental:

Some manufacturers offer the option of purchasing electric cars without a battery and renting the power storage unit instead. Rental prices are usually based on individual mileage. Although this model still meets with reservations in Germany, it can be financially worthwhile to calculate carefully: renting the battery is often cheaper than buying it, which often involves an additional four-figure sum.

Bidirectional charging:

Electric vehicles not only have the ability to refuel with electricity, but can also feed it back into the grid, which is known as bidirectional charging. This allows electric vehicles to be part of an intelligent power grid, also known as a smart grid, in the future. Electric vehicles can temporarily store excess electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar systems and feed it back into the grid when needed, which is known as Vehicle to Grid (V2G).

On-board charger:

The on-board charger in electric cars is used to charge alternating current, for example at wall boxes, normal charging stations or sockets. The speed of battery charging is determined by the power of the on-board charger. American and Asian vehicles often only have slow, single-phase chargers installed at the factory. If someone uses their car frequently and regularly charges it at sockets, it is advisable to choose a model with a multi-phase charger, as this works about two to four times faster.

CCS:

CCS stands for "Combined Charging System" and is the German version of the fast charging plug. It is based on the common Type 2 plug and adds two additional poles (Combo 2). The CCS plug has become established among German and European manufacturers, and the German charging station regulation (LSV) prescribes its use on new direct current fast charging stations. Tesla is now also equipping its vehicles in Europe with CCS sockets. An important competing standard is the Chademo system from a Japanese consortium, which is mainly supported by Japanese and French cars.

ChaoJi:

ChaoJi is a charging standard that was developed jointly by the Chinese and Japanese. It enables the rapid charging of electric cars, comparable to conventional vehicles with liquid fuel. However, there are currently no cars available that could use the high charging power of up to 900 kW. In the long term, this standard is intended to replace the Japanese Chademo plug as well as the Chinese GB/T technology.

Chademo:

Chademo is the abbreviation for "Charge de Move" and refers to the Japanese fast charging plug system. It was developed by Tepco and the car manufacturers Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Subaru. The typical charging power is 50 kW, but higher values are also possible. The Chademo plug competes with the German CCS system, and both plug types are not compatible. The German charging station regulation requires a CCS connection for direct current charging stations, but not a Chademo coupling.

Electric car:

In the narrower sense, "electric car" refers to a battery-powered vehicle with or without a range extender. In the broader sense, fuel cell vehicles are also electric cars. In relevant laws and regulations, the federal government defines an electric vehicle as a battery-electric vehicle in which all energy converters are exclusively electrical machines and all energy storage devices are exclusively electrically rechargeable energy storage devices.

Energy density:

Energy density refers to the amount of energy that can be stored in a battery per unit mass or per unit volume. It is often expressed in kJ or kWh per kilogram. The current average is 150 watt hours per kilogram. For comparison, the energy density of gasoline is 12,800 Wh/kg.

Solid-state battery:

The solid-state battery is a promising technology for electric car manufacturers. Compared to conventional lithium-ion technology, these batteries are cheaper, more powerful and safer. Instead of the previous liquid electrolyte, they use a solid material, which increases the energy density and thus enables a longer range in the same installation space. The solid-state battery also does not require cooling, which saves costs and weight. Renault-Nissan and Toyota are among the pioneers who are expected to introduce this technology in series from the middle of the decade.

Direct current (DC):

Direct current is the type of electricity that can be stored in an electric car battery. In order to run the electric motor, this direct current must be converted into alternating current. In household networks or normal charging stations, the available alternating current is converted into direct current for the battery, which requires a so-called voltage converter.

Induction charging:

Induction charging is intended to make charging electric cars easier. Instead of connecting the vehicle to a socket, all you have to do is park it over a magnetic coil. This coil charges the battery contactlessly via a counterpart in the vehicle floor. Theoretically, this process can also work while driving on appropriately equipped lanes. The charging power is theoretically up to 11 kW, comparable to normal AC charging stations.

Kilowatt hour:

The kilowatt hour is a unit of energy. For example, one kilowatt hour of electricity can be used to boil a bucket of water at room temperature. The batteries of conventional electric cars have capacities between 20 kWh and 60 kWh, sometimes even around 100 kWh. The power consumption depends heavily on the model and driving style, but is usually between 10 and 20 kWh per 100 kilometers. However, the theoretical range of electric cars cannot be derived directly from the battery capacity.

Charging power:

The charging power is the decisive criterion for how long an electric car needs to fully charge. A household socket usually provides a charging power of around 3.5 kW, a normal charging station or wall box usually offers 10 to 22 kW, while fast charging stations often provide 50 kW to 100 kW. Ultra-fast charging stations can even provide up to 350 kW. The actual charging times are longer, however, partly because not every car can use the full charging power and the charging speed decreases as the battery becomes fuller.

Charging point:

Many charging stations allow several cars to be charged at the same time in one place, which is referred to as multiple charging points. Statistics often count charging points, while the number of actual stations is lower. In many cases, several vehicles have to share the charging power, which can lead to longer waiting times.

Charging stations:

There are two main types of charging stations: slow and fast. Slow charging stations use normal alternating current (400 V, up to 63 A) with a charging power of typically 11 kW. Fast charging stations have a higher charging power, usually over 22 kW. There are also fast charging stations with direct current and charging powers starting at around 50 kW. The term "ultra-fast charging stations" is often used for systems with more than 100 kW. Private wallboxes for home use usually offer 11 kW or 22 kW.

Charging station regulation:

The LSV has regulated the minimum technical requirements for electric charging stations in Germany since March 2016. It prescribes the Type 2 plug for normal charging stations and the CCS system for direct current charging stations, which is used by German manufacturers. The regulation also contains comprehensive requirements for operators of public charging points, which include not only public traffic areas, but also customer and company parking spaces. Inductive and wireless charging systems are not covered by the LSV.

Lithium-ion battery:

The lithium-ion battery is the current standard for battery technology. Compared to previous lead and nickel-metal hydride batteries, it offers a higher energy density and no memory effect. Although the capacity is sufficient for cell phones and laptops, lithium-ion batteries in electric cars quickly reach their limits. Another problem is the high price, which has, however, fallen sharply in recent years.

Lithium-air battery:

The lithium-air battery is considered a promising successor technology to lithium-ion batteries. It offers a significant weight advantage due to the partial elimination of the heavy carrier material on the electrodes, which leads to a higher power density per kilogram. However, series production is not expected until after 2030.

Low-voltage hybrid system:

Low-voltage hybrid systems operate at a voltage of 48 volts instead of the usual up to 400 volts. These systems are more cost-effective and are particularly suitable for small and compact vehicles. Although they are less powerful than high-voltage systems, they can still offer double-digit consumption advantages compared to conventional drives.

One-pedal driving:

Newer electric cars can be controlled in everyday life using the accelerator pedal alone. If you press the accelerator pedal, the car accelerates; if you let go, there is a strong deceleration. This deceleration is not achieved via the brake discs, but by the on-board generator, which recovers braking power and stores it in the form of electricity in the battery. This type of driving is often perceived as very pleasant, although a brake pedal is still present and can be used for strong decelerations or emergencies.

Permanently excited synchronous machine (PSM):

The permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMM) is the common design of electric motors in cars and many household appliances. It uses permanent magnets in the motor, as opposed to the electrically excited synchronous machine (ESM), which uses electromagnets. The PMM is superior to the ESM in most aspects except efficiency. However, some manufacturers may consider the ESM as a strategic alternative because it contains fewer rare and foreign-sourced metals.

Plug-in hybrid:

A plug-in hybrid is a part-time electric car combined with a hybrid vehicle. It usually has a small rechargeable battery for a purely electric range of around 50 kilometers, after which it continues to operate as a hybrid. Plug-in hybrids are considered a bridging technology until more powerful batteries are available for purely electric cars. They enable good CO2 values in the NEDC consumption cycle by starting with a full battery, but do not take into account the emissions from electricity production.

Wheel hub motor:

A wheel hub motor is an electric motor that is located directly on the wheel, not centrally in the vehicle. This technology was already used at the beginning of the 20th century, but is less common in mass-produced cars today. Some advantages are the space saved in the body and the possibility of eliminating drive shafts. However, weight problems and driving comfort issues have not yet been completely resolved.

Recuperation:

The recovery of kinetic energy, which would otherwise be lost in the form of heat when braking, is not exclusive to electric cars. Conventional cars with start-stop systems have been using this technology for years. In conventional cars, the electricity generated is used to relieve the load on the generator or alternator. In contrast, in electric cars, this electricity generated is used directly for the drive. However, only a comparatively small part of the braking energy flows back into the battery as charging energy.

Range Extenders:

A range extender is usually a small combustion engine that does not drive the wheels, but rather a power generator to recharge the batteries while driving. This allows you to continue to travel even after the power supply charged from the socket has been exhausted. However, it is more of an emergency solution, as the engine is designed to be economical but ultimately works less efficiently. Although the BMW i3 used this technology in the past, many manufacturers have now dispensed with it as battery capacities have increased.

Unbalanced load:

Unbalanced load refers to the uneven load on the electricity grid. In Germany, this is regulated by the Unbalanced Load Ordinance, which severely restricts single-phase charging of electric cars. Affected vehicles can legally only draw 4.6 kW from the grid, although technically around 7 kW would be possible. Electric cars charging three-phase, on the other hand, can refuel at 22 kW, which is more than four times faster. Other countries may have different rules regarding unbalanced load.

Fast charging:

The term "fast charging" is used differently by different manufacturers. According to the legislation on electromobility, all charging processes with power over 22 kW could be considered fast charging. Alternatively, the distinction could be made between alternating current charging (AC, up to a maximum of 44 kW) and direct current charging (DC, from 50 kW). In practice, the choice of definition makes little difference, as there are practically no alternating current charging points in Germany with more than 22 kW power.

Plug types:

Almost any electric car can be charged using a normal household socket. The EU has set the so-called Mennekes Type 2 plug as the standard for public charging stations. This plug is already supplied with most electric cars. However, there are different types of plugs in use, including in other European countries. German manufacturers rely on the CCS system for direct current charging stations, while Japanese and French models use the Chademo standard.

Supercapacitors:

Unlike batteries, supercapacitors store energy electrically rather than electrochemically. They can be charged more quickly and release energy more quickly. While they are common in camera flashes, they are still relatively new in automobile manufacturing. Some car manufacturers use supercapacitors for braking energy recovery. In the future, they could serve as a supplement to conventional batteries, especially for braking energy recovery.

Superchargers:

Superchargers are free charging stations from Tesla for its own vehicles. Originally, Tesla used a modified Type 2 plug that enabled direct current charging at up to 250 kW. It is now switching to the CCS standard. Superchargers can charge the batteries of Tesla vehicles in just a few minutes. Depending on the model, billing is done by the minute or kilowatt hour. Vehicles from other brands cannot use Superchargers.

Ultra-fast charging:

Ultra-fast charging with up to 350 kW via the CCS plug is crucial to making electric cars suitable for long-distance travel. Ionity is building such a network along European motorways. However, there is still a lack of cars that can use the full charging power.

Temperature management:

Under sustained load, batteries heat up, which can negatively affect their performance and ability to store power. Some electric cars have a cooling system to keep the battery at an optimal temperature. Other manufacturers try to counteract the problem with intelligent charging software.

Consumption:

The power consumption of electric cars is determined in a laboratory similar to that of conventional cars. However, it is not given in liters per 100 kilometers, but in kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers. CO2 emissions are given as zero, and the emissions from electricity production are not taken into account.

Volt:

Volt is the unit of electrical voltage (V). It is equivalent to water pressure if you imagine the flow of electricity as water flowing through a pipe. The current (A) can be compared to the diameter of the pipe, and both factors determine the power.

Alternating current (AC):

Alternating current is normal household electricity. It comes into the building in a three-phase version and is used in the kitchen for the electric stove. Alternating current occurs in single phase at the Schuko socket. Both types can be charged by the electric car, but must be converted to direct current on board in order to be stored in the battery.