Answer: An electric vehicle (EV) is one that operates on an electric motor, instead of an internal-combustion engine that generates power by burning a mix of fuel and gases.

Answer: Battery. An electric vehicle uses a battery to store electrical energy that is ready to use. A battery pack is made up of a number of cells that are grouped into modules. Once the battery has sufficient energy stored, the vehicle is ready to use.

Answer: We can charge at home and this is the easiest way to keep an EV charged. We can also charge at public places and in our offices too.

Answer: Yes, compared to gasoline, electricity is more cost effective. How much money you can save depends on the electricity rates offered by your local utility. In Delhi, the average electricity cost is Rs.4.50 per kilowatt hour.

Answer: Charging time depends on both the type of charge used and the vehicle. For completely empty batteries using a common 240-volt outlet and a Level 2 charging station an owner can expect a full charge in 8-12 hours. A Level 3 "Quick Charge" station can charge a fully depleted battery up to 80% fully charged in less than 30 minutes.

Answer: A Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) delivers all the features and safety of a regular petrol car with many additional benefits. With lower fuel costs (electricity vs. petrol) and lower maintenance costs, PEVs cost less to own over their lifetimes than comparable petrol vehicles. Also, PEV drivers get high performance, smooth acceleration, great torque and quiet comfort from their vehicles. With a PEV, your fuelling station is as close as the nearest electrical outlet and for fast charging as close as the many public charging stations now available nationwide and/or the charging station at your home and/or office. And, you get numerous other benefits well including purchase incentives, and how satisfying is it to know that your PEV is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on air pollution? Pretty satisfying indeed!

Answer: Yes! And it’s all good! Electric cars are really quiet, and at the same time, are capable of exhilarating acceleration and rapid braking, and the braking recharges the car! In addition, with a battery electric vehicle, there are no more trips to the gas/petrol station because you can charge at home, work, or in a public charging station. Plug-in electric vehicles are extremely efficient and are usually loaded with all fun high tech gadgetry. Most plug-in electric vehicles have a display screen which gives the driver tons of useful information. They are also equipped with regenerative deceleration, which captures kinetic energy during deceleration to recharge the battery while driving.

Answer: Exactly how much will vary depending on the vehicle and electricity rates. On average, it will be less than Rs 40 for an all-electric car or a scooter. Your overall energy bill will be lowered by driving with electricity. For example, the Mahindra Verito gives a mileage of 15kmpl. At Rs 90 per litre of Petrol, the car would need 4 litres to cover 60 km for a total cost of Rs 360 for the trip. The Mahindra e2o would need 10 units of power for a full charge of 100 km. At Rs 4 a unit that would be Rs 40. So there you go, a person driving an EV spends less than Rs 30 to cover 60kms while a gas/petrol-powered car would really drill a hole in the wallet. On the other hand, if you install Solar Panels, you can run your car on the power of the sun for free.

Answer: Lots of reasons actually -The manufacturing scale high-output, high-capacity cells is relatively small. There aren’t the same demands for lithium technology from shops, industries and the auto industry, as opposed to lead-acid batteries. This means higher costs. Then, the fact that you have to buy a Battery Management System, which is often expensive, to look after your lithium batteries puts the overall purchase price even higher. While a shortage of available lithium plays a part, it’s not a big problem. The amount of lithium inside each lithium battery is surprisingly small. Couple that with lithium being in great abundance – despite what you may have heard – the only thing hampering its supply is the limitations of the existing lithium mining industry.