A Review on Electric and Fuel Cell Vehicle Anatomy, Technology Evolution and Policy Drivers towards EVs and FCEVs Market Propagation

The transportation sector is the largest consumer of fossil fuels; making it a major producer of greenhouse gases. Due to declining fossil fuel reserves and increasingly stringent vehicle emission regulations globally, it is essential to shift to alternative energy sources. Economic and eco-friendly fuel-efficient hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles are regarded as one of the best alternative solutions to cope with the government policies and to reduce the rise in global temperature caused by the automotive sector. Technological advancements in fuel cells, batteries, and chargers have further supported the development of electric vehicles. The major challenges of range and charging time in electric vehicles can be countered by range extension technology and developing all-electric hybrid vehicles. In this review, a comprehensive study of different type of vehicles and their architectures are presented. Insights on energy storage devices and converters of electric vehicles currently in use were also provided. Furthermore, various fuel cell advancements and the technical challenges faced during the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles were highlighted.

Automated summary

The transportation sector, being the largest consumer of fossil fuels, is a major producer of greenhouse gases. With declining fossil fuel reserves and stricter emission regulations globally, shifting to alternative energy sources is essential to combat rising global temperatures. Hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles are seen as the best alternative solution, though challenges like range and charging time still need to be addressed with technological advancements and innovations.