Electric vehicle

Key people

• Fulgence BienvenüeFrench civil engineer (1852–1936)
• Vladimir VeklichUkrainian engineer
• Rajit GadhAmerican academic
• Bjørn NylandNorwegian YouTuber

Timeline

• 1960Although spacecraft have been propelled by electricity since the 1960s, non-rocket spacelaunch from Earth remains science fiction.
• 1996From 1996 to 1998 GM produced 1117 EV1s, 800 of which were made available through three-year leases.
• 2010Germany trialed overhead lines in three projects in the 2010s and 2020s and reported they are too expensive, difficult to maintain, and pose a safety risk.
• 2018In Germany, several Länder have ordered Alstom Coradia iLINT trainsets, in service since 2018, with France also planning to order trainsets.
• 2025As of 2025 practical electric aircraft are small and limited to a few hundred kilometres.

Read

• Hybrid electric vehiclesChris Mi · 2011Book
• AC Motor Control and Electrical Vehicle ApplicationsKwang Hee Nam · 2010Book
• Electric VehiclesJoao Vitor Fernandes Serra · 2013Book
• Electric vehicle technology explainedJames Larminie · 2003Book

Listen

• Everything Electric PodcastThe Fully Charged ShowPodcast
• Automotive News Daily DriveAutomotive NewsPodcast
• Electrek9to5MacPodcast
• Electric Vehicle Guide - Plug In For MoreEV UniversePodcast

Voices to follow

• Abdul Sadique Shaikh@MrAbdulSadique · XIndian entrepreneur and founder & CEO of Landster Automotive Pvt. Ltd.
• Bjørn NylandYouTubeNorwegian YouTuber

By the numbers

• 73.6Internet users (%) — global, 2025 (World Bank)
• 111.5Mobile subs / 100 — global, 2025 (World Bank)

Debates

• Is battery swapping or fast charging the superior solution for EV infrastructure?One view: Battery swapping allows for immediate full 'refuels,' eliminating charging wait times. · Another: Fast charging uses existing grid infrastructure and avoids the logistics of managing battery inventories.Open question
• Should governments offer substantial subsidies for EV purchases?One view: Subsidies accelerate EV adoption, helping to reduce emissions and develop charging infrastructure faster. · Another: Subsidies distort the market, can be costly, and may benefit wealthier buyers more than others.Open question
• Will hydrogen fuel cell vehicles eventually replace battery electric vehicles?One view: Hydrogen offers faster refueling and longer range, potentially making it better for heavy-duty transport. · Another: Battery EVs are more energy-efficient and their charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly.Open question

Glossary

• EVElectric Vehicle, a car powered by an electric motor and rechargeable battery.
• BEVBattery Electric Vehicle, an EV powered solely by electricity stored in a battery.
• PHEVPlug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, a car with both an electric motor and a gasoline engine, that can be charged externally.
• Charging StationA location equipped with hardware to recharge an electric vehicle's battery.
• Range AnxietyA driver's fear that an EV battery will run out of power before reaching a charging point.
• Regenerative BrakingA system that recovers kinetic energy during braking and converts it back into electricity.

Careers

Roles this can lead toward

Student research

Published policy papers by One Young India delegates — every delegate leaves published under their own name.

• The Plasticity Paradox: Technology’s Impact on The Adolescent BrainNeeti Singh
• Rethinking Education in the Digital Age: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and AccessGovind Mehra
• Untangling The Threads of the TikTok Ban's Impact On Global Trade via Trade, Technology, and DiplomacyAanya Menon
• Electricity: The backbone of an integrated energy systemPalakshi Singh

Threads 5

Where this connects to other fields — and why it's worth knowing.

• Political Economy Politics

  Ditching gas engines yanks power away from oil-rich countries and hands it to the few nations sitting on lithium, cobalt, and copper for batteries. Going electric doesn't just change cars; it changes which governments the whole world has to keep happy.

• Architecture & Urban Design Arts

  For a hundred years, towns were built around the gas station on the corner. Now that electric cars are killing the pump, thousands of those corner lots are left behind, their soil soaked with old fuel. Cities have to figure out what a neighborhood even looks like when nobody needs gas.

• Perception & Attention Psychology

  Electric cars are so quiet that the law forces them to play fake engine sounds through speakers. Why? Because people, especially those who can't see, cross the street by listening for a car, not just looking. Silence turned out to be dangerous, so we had to add noise back in on purpose.

• Environmental Justice Environment

  An electric car has no tailpipe, but it doesn't erase pollution so much as move it. The dirty part shifts to the mines where its battery metals are dug up. Clean air on a rich city street, poisoned ground near a poor mining town.

• Location Tracking and Surveillance Geography

  Gas taxes pay for a lot of our roads, but electric cars buy no gas. So governments are eyeing a charge for every mile you drive instead. To bill you per mile, they'd have to track every trip you take.