The main characteristic of fully electric cars (Battery Electric Vehicle, BEV for short) is the electric drive. In short, they’re also called e-car. When the first automobiles appeared around 1900, this type of drive played a major role. The rapid development of the internal combustion engine, however, increasingly relegated electromobility to a niche. In the 1990s, the spread of electric cars increased again.
The heart of an electric car is the battery. Currently, lithium-ion batteries are mostly preferred due to their high energy density. In principle, the battery pack of an electric car can be charged at a household socket. However, due to the long charging time and the risk of cable fire, this should be done only in emergencies. Electric cars are usually charged at wall boxes or charging stations, which can be AC charging points (normal charging points with alternating current) or DC charging points (quick charging stations with direct current). The battery of the electric car can also recover energy back from braking (regenerative braking).
Electric cars do not have a minimum idle speed and therefore do not need a manual gearbox or clutch to start off. Electric motors are very quiet and there are no local emissions when driving.