All about EV – 4

Truths about EVs

Anyone thinking of buying an electric vehicle? Here
are some interesting facts about them.
Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport show that the
accumulated number of registered EVs exceeded 72,800 last June 2019. The
number got almost doubled compared to the year before (36,835). EVs are indeed
gaining popularity as more and more people are giving them positive feedback.
Still, doubts remain. Here are some interesting facts about electric vehicles.
It’s no surprise that there are concerns about EVs in the rain or water exposure.
However, EVs are safe even charging outdoors in the rainiest days, thanks to the
charging port design that prevents water inflow, and various shock prevention
mechanisms.

4-stage Electric Shock Prevention Design in EVs

– The drain hole within the charging port dispels moisture inflow due to
precipitation conditions, preventing electric shock

– Once the charging gun and port are connected, a seal prevents any further inflow
of liquid

– Another shock prevention measure waits for a complete connection between the
vehicle and the charger before allowing a current to flow

– Pressing the charging gun button to cease charging immediately stops the
electric flow, preventing any damage to connector contact points
Are EV batteries explosive?
4-stage Safety Design in Battery of EVs

EVs powered by lithium-based batteries combine various safety designs to prevent

battery fire and explosion in cases of short circuit or high temperatures. Besides,
the main vehicle system effectively protects the battery from danger.

Rigid Battery Cell Architecture – EV batteries are designed to withstand an

external shock. They are built with ceramic-coated separators to improve strength,
and pouch-type lithium batteries with excellent heat-dissipation properties are used
to protect from external heat.

Vehicle Cooperative Control – the battery is a power supply that is linked to electric
motors and various electrical components, which can affect the battery if high
voltage components fail. Fail-safe features and integrated into the design to
prevent such failures from impacting the battery.

Active Protection – Battery Management System prevents accidents by managing

battery charge status, cell, balancing and various other fine-tuning. If an
abnormality is detected in the battery, the battery is automatically controlled (on/off)
through a relay (a device that operates under certain conditions to open/close
circuits).

Manual Protection – A fuse is designed to shut off currents if a short circuit is

detected in the car or the battery.

Are EV batteries explosive?

Battery Safety Testings

EV batteries undergo a wide array of safety testing and certification before being
put into EVs, with not only safety designs, but also crash safety, water tightness,
submersion, and combustion.

Crash Safety – 80km/h rear impact for testing battery explosion safety
Water Tightness – for water resistance
Submersion – salt water immersion testing
Combustion – test containing direct fire exposure

What about electromagnetic waves from EVs?

– EM wave strength in EVs while charging

Electromagnetic(EM) waves generated by EVs are lower than the World Health
Organization(WHO)’s recommended standards or the Korean government’s health
safety standards, which is 83.3μT (microtesla).

* Guidelines by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection,

and The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association
What about electromagnetic waves from EVs?
– EM wave strength in EVs while driven/parked

Measurements show that EM waves in EVs are minuscule. EM wave

measurements at the driver’s seat and passenger seats in the cabin at the stop or
operation states are all very low. To put that in perspective, it is similar to an
average lampstand at home(0.5-2.0μT ) or TV(0.35-2.00μT ) as recently
investigated.
Are they NOT Eco-friendly? EV VS ICE

Some skeptics say EVs are not always eco-friendly, since the electricity is usually
generated from fossil fuel. The results showed that the GHG emissions attributed
to ICEs that use fossil fuels were considerably higher than the emissions attributed
to EVs that use electricity generated by fossil fuel.
Better eco-friendliness of EVs by government policies

Developed economies around the world are taking policy directions for a carbon-
free society, and eco-friendly power generation is gaining traction. If the power
comes from various renewable sources, or even natural gas or nuclear power, the
average amount of CO2 produced per EV is driven even lower.
The lifespan of the batteries

For example, the recently released SOUL Booster EV has a 386km range on full
charge. A 20% charge gives it a 77.2km range. If the SOUL Booster EV is charged
20% daily for 77.2km trips, the battery will last 8,000 cycles, or 8,000 days, which
is about 22 years. The likelihood of battery life becoming the weak link is very slim.
Battery warranty for Korean EVs

The warranty covering the batteries in domestically available EVs should lay that
worry to rest – it’s at least 8 years / 160,000 km. Hyundai’s Ioniq Electric and the
KONA Electric, Kia’s Niro EV are all covered with lifetime warranties on batteries,
regardless of mileage or year of purchase.
Same model, different mileage – Why?

EVs with identical specifications may appear to have different mileage indications
depending on the intended country because mileage and range are calculated
differently by country.

*The MCT method: Alternates through city driving, high-speed driving, and
constant speed driving. Considers 70% of the distance as a single-charge range.
*Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP): Is a
supplementary update to the New European Driving Cycle, taking into
consideration realistic road conditions, including rapid acceleration, deceleration,
and very high-speed driving.
*Korean and North American standards are different in that constant speed values
are different (Korea is 88.5kph, North America is 104.6kph, or 65mph).