In the first lecture, we saw the main differences between Electric Vehicles (EVs) and conventional vehicles. cars.To begin with, there are two fundamental characteristics that all cars have.The first fundamental characteristic is the energy storage. The second is the motor. There are two types of motor, one is heat engine, and the second is the electric engine. We then saw the working principle of both the type of motors. Then we looked at the advantages and disadvantages of both the motors.

The second lecture was about working of an electric vehicle. It started with a recap of why we should eliminate the usage of internal combustion engine. Then the lecturer introduced the concept of biofuels and discussed whether it can be seen as an alternative. Finally in the lecture we compared the drivetrains, advantages and disadvantages of Full Electric Vehicle (FEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).

Third lecture dealt about major types of electric motors – induction motor, permanent magnet motor and synchronous reluctance motor. The lecturer first started with explaining classic and simple DC brushed motor. We then individually saw the working principle of all the three types of electric motors. It was followed by listing out advantages, disadvantages and real life examples of each of them. Finally the lecture concluded with an overview of requirements versus best suited motor for the purpose.

The fourth and final lecture of the module, dealt with the basics of power electronics. First, we looked at what is a power electronic converter and how power semiconductor switches play a key role in their operation. Then we saw the different converter types based on whether the power is AC and DC, direction of power flow and the presence of isolation. Finally, we looked at the converters in an electric car and the concept of four quadrant converter operation. The four key power converters in an electric car are the on- board charger, traction and auxiliary battery converter and the motor drive. The Motor drive facilitates in controlling the voltage, frequency, phase and current supplied to the motor resulting in four quadrant operation.