5 facts about Electric Vehicles you probably didn't know
As the world continues to move towards Electric Vehicles to get us from A to B, and there are many things that some of us may not know about these vehicles, from their origins to exactly how far the EV revolution has truly reached.
1. The first practical Electric Vehicle was built in 1884
Although many of us associate Electric Vehicles with modern innovation, these types of vehicles have been developed for hundreds of years to get them to where they are today.
British inventor Thomas Parker invented the first functional Electric Vehicle in 1884, as well as being involved in several other electrical innovations, including being the consulting engineer for London Metropolitan Railway, which allowed the London rail network to use electric locomotives for the first time, including the London Underground.
2. Electric Vehicles have built in noise
One of the benefits of Electric Vehicles over their petrol and diesel counterparts is that they are quieter when in operation, especially at lower speeds, but in terms of safety, it was deemed to be of significant concern.
Therefore, in July 2019, an EU law was passed that meant that all electric and hybrid vehicles must emit a noise of at least 56 decibels (around the level of sound emitted by what is perceived to be a “normal conversation”) when travelling at a speed of below 20KMH/13MPH.
This is so that pedestrians and cyclists can still hear the vehicle to ensure that they can take the appropriate precautions, but the noise is only emitted outside of the vehicle, and will not effect the driver in any way.
3. There are Electric Vehicles on the moon
While they make look and operate very differently to the Electric Vehicles down here on earth, there are in fact electricity-powered vehicles on the moon.
The NASA Lunar Rovers, otherwise known as the Lunar Roving Vehicle or LRV, were used to explore the moons surface in the last three missions of the Apollo program orchestrated by NASA, and all three LRV’s are still on the moon to this day.
4. It would take 300 smartphones to produce an Electric Vehicle battery
Rechargeable batteries have become an essential part of the convenience of every day life, and that is thanks in part to the use of cobalt.
When portable devices such as laptops and smartphones fall in to disrepair, they are then recycled and the cobalt is then used to create the batteries used to power Electric Vehicles, in a process known as urban mining.
According to Volkswagen Financial Services: “For every 300 smartphones you collect, you’ll have enough cobalt for an EV battery.”¹
5. Norway owns the most Electric Vehicles per capita in the world
Not only does Norway have an impressive stock of approximately 647,000 units of light duty plug-in vehicles, their Electric Vehicles are among the world’s cleanest, with 99% of the entire fleet’s power coming from hydropower.
With more and more Electric Vehicles being purchased and registered across the world every day, being as knowledgeable as possible will always be the best course of action. There is a lot to learn on the topic of Electric Vehicles, from how much cheaper they are compared to petrol and diesel vehicles, the types of chargers you might need, and even how to protect your charger cables from theft, and if you’re looking to purchase EV Charging Units and Accessories, we can point you in the right direction.
