The electric vehicle (EV) was at one point the stuff of science fiction; today, though, it is our lived reality. As far back as 2021, the number of light-duty EVs registered in the US breached 2 million. This is a highly significant figure in a nation dubbed the automobile capital of the world. These new vehicles, however, are reliant on new technology – and this technology itself heavily reliant on sensors. In what ways is this the case?
The EV Revolution
EVs have become a regular fixture on American roads, with large thanks to the success story of Tesla. Tesla was at one point the passion project of two inventors, today a household name after a buy-out and significant promotion courtesy of Elon Musk. Major innovation in the arenas of battery and motor technology has enabled a decade of ever-improving EVs, indicating a bright future for the transport alternative.
The increased prevalence of affordable and practical EVs in the US is occurring in spite of significant lobbying by oil and gas corporations and international vehicle manufacturers. Electricity is cleaner and cheaper to generate, not to mention the potential it has to be generated by sustainable resources. These boons have translated well for the American people.
EVs and Sensors
For decades now, vehicles have utilized sensors for a wide variety of systems and applications – from the most basic detecting devices to the most complex digitally-connected arrays. Given the importance of sensors to modern vehicle technology and to high-voltage electronic circuitry, it should come as no surprise that electric vehicles are rife with them.
Indeed, the ‘high voltage’ aspect of the above represents one of the core attributes that EV sensors are required to monitor. Battery contacts facilitate the delivery of charge through to the motor; any failures of the battery or contacts can cause inconsistencies in charge at best, and a mechanical short at worst, with the potential to damage components or even set the vehicle ablaze. Sensors read battery cell temperature and charge delivery, shutting off systems and alerting the driver in the event of failure.
Same But Different
EVs share a great deal of topology with conventional fossil-fueled vehicles, making for some commonalities in sensor usage. ABS, or Anti-Lock Braking, has been a standardized feature in vehicles since the 1970s, today using sensors to measure wheel speed and control a braking algorithm provided by an ECU.
In conventional vehicles, sensors would also be used to monitor the condition and performance of the engine. The complexities of the internal combustion engine are completely replaced by the simplicity of an electric motor. This simplicity belies a complex network of sensor arrays to enable performance improvements and driver information. For example, sensors are required for regenerative braking, a system wherein a vehicle’s inertia can charge the battery by running the vehicle’s motor in reverse – something facilitated by process sensors.
