In this free online course, learn the basics of designing an electric vehicle and the technologies that drive them.

Several years ago, electric vehicles were seen as something that was far into the future. Today, technology has not only allowed us to make them, but they are safer, more reliable and more powerful than ever before. The biggest concern with electric vehicles is their having enough power and energy to journey from one place to another. How would one go about calculating such a feat? Matters to help calculate this include the vehicle’s weight, the passengers’ weight, road conditions, wind resistance and other forces that impact the vehicle’s performance, all of which are explored throughout this course. Understanding the physics of these forces will help you calculate the amount of torque and power an electric motor will need to overcome these forces and how much energy a battery needs to supply to achieve the power requirements specified for the vehicle.

Then you will investigate a vehicle's drive train’s role, including motors, controllers, batteries and gears. These are the elements that power the performance of the vehicle. Of course, the heart of an electric vehicle is the battery. You will discover the chemical make-up of different types of batteries and special attention will be given to the chemistry and properties of lithium-ion batteries, which is the battery of choice for electric vehicles. Afterwards, you will learn about different battery parameters and indicators. You will determine how to calculate the battery capacity, the state of charge of the battery or the percentage of charge still left in a battery so that the vehicle can inform the user how many more kilometres the vehicle can travel before it needs to recharge.

Finally, you will learn how to design a battery pack. You will explore the different types of battery cells and arrange them to form the battery pack. You will learn how to compute the amount of energy you can achieve by putting these cells together and how to build a strong and safe container for the cells. Electric Vehicles are the vehicles of the future. They are eco-friendly, less expensive to operate than conventional internal combustion vehicles and are more reliable. If you are in the automotive industry or are a mechanical or electrical engineer, or find yourself simply interested in learning how electric vehicles work, this course is for you. Enrol in this ‘Diploma in Electric Vehicle Technology’ course today and be part of an ever-changing future in this exciting field.