EVsPaving the Way for Electric Vehicle Adoption
For many car owners, their next purchase will be an EV. But as many current EV owners know, the environmental benefits of battery-powered cars come with a tradeoff and that tradeoff is the driving distance existing battery technology can support. The problem is the battery, specifically how much energy they can store, their longevity, and how long they take to charge.
As automobile manufacturers continue their pivot to electric vehicles (EVs), the days of the internal combustible engine are ending — and sooner than you think. In Canada, the sale of new gas-powered vehicles will end in 2035. South of the border, the U.S. is set to end the sale of new gas-powered light vehicles as early as 2025.
For many car owners, their next purchase will be an EV. But as many current EV owners know, the environmental benefits of battery-powered cars come with a tradeoff.
Dr. Yverick Pascal Rangom, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Waterloo, identifies that tradeoff as the driving distance existing battery technology can support.
“Electric motors are fine,” he says. “They’re extremely small and powerful. The problem is the battery, specifically how much energy they can store, their longevity, and how long they take to charge.”
In conjunction with other researchers at Waterloo, Rangom is now working on innovations that target those limitations. In one initiative, he is leading a collaboration with fellow associate professor Dr. Michael Pope on a research project sanctioned by automotive parts manufacturer Magna.
“The last technical hurdle we have for lithium-ion batteries — at least for electric vehicles — is fast charging,” Rangom says. “The first group to achieve this will have the most leverage and opportunity in the industry. We still have a long way to go to get this technology to everyone. It’s a big role for researchers like me and others at the University.”
While many EVs can be plugged into a standard outlet for charging, they often take hours to reach a full charge. EV owners who forget to plug in overnight can wake up to find that their morning commute will be significantly delayed.
A dedicated fast EV charger at home is one option. Installing these dedicated chargers has become a widely available service that home electricians provide. But while the installation cost is affordable, most existing homes do not have the electrical capacity to power them.
Single-family homes built before the late 1980s typically have only 100-amp service. Dedicated EV chargers require additional capacity, and many homeowners must upgrade to 200-amp service. This type of upgrade can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000.
