{ "id": "R46231", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R46231", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, CRSReports.Congress.gov", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 617615, "date": "2020-02-14", "retrieved": "2020-02-21T23:18:21.489716", "title": "Electric Vehicles: A Primer on Technology and Selected Policy Issues", "summary": "The market for electrified light-duty vehicles (also called passenger vehicles; including passenger cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans) has grown since the 1990s. During this decade, the first contemporary hybrid-electric vehicle debuted on the global market, followed by the introduction of other types of electric vehicles (EVs). By 2018, electric vehicles made up 4.2% of the 16.9 million new light-duty vehicles sold in the United States that year. Meanwhile, charging infrastructure grew in response to rising electric vehicle ownership, increasing from 3,394 charging stations in 2011 to 78,301 in 2019. However, many locations have sparse or no public charging infrastructure.\nElectric motors and traction battery packs\u2014most commonly made up of lithium-ion battery cells\u2014set EVs apart from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). The battery pack provides power to the motor that drives the vehicle. At times, the motor acts as a generator, sending electricity back to the battery. The broad categories of EVs can be identified by whether they have an internal combustion engine (i.e., hybrid vehicles) and whether the battery pack can be charged by external electricity (i.e., plug-in electric vehicles). The numerous vehicle technologies further determine characteristics such as fuel economy rating, driving range, and greenhouse gas emissions. EVs can be separated into three broad categories:\nHybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs): The internal combustion engine primarily powers the wheels. The battery pack and electric motor provide supplemental power.\nPlug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs): The battery pack can be charged by an external source of electricity. Depending on the model, primary power to the wheels may be supplied by the battery pack and electric motor, the internal combustion engine, or a combination.\nAll-electric vehicles (AEVs; also called battery-electric vehicles or BEVs): The battery pack must be charged via an external source of electricity. The battery pack and electric motor power the wheels.\nCurrent technology offers three levels of charging for plug-in EVs. Level 1 and Level 2 are currently the most widely accessible with standardized vehicle connectors and charge ports that can be set up for at-home charging. Level 3 (also called DC fast charging) offers the fastest charging rates on the market but is not available for at-home installation due to high voltage. Vehicle connectors and corresponding charge ports for Level 3 are also not standardized, with three different systems currently in use by different vehicle manufacturers. Some research has raised concerns regarding the potential impact of fast charging on battery performance, resulting in technology development aimed at addressing potential capacity loss and decreased charging cycles.\nAs an emergent technology area, EVs present a number of issues for consideration. The fuel sources used to generate the electricity to charge PHEVs and AEVs are a major factor in determining EV greenhouse gas emissions relative to ICEVs. Per-mile EV emissions vary geographically and with the time of day and year that charging takes place. Growing demand for lithium-ion batteries also shifts the material requirements of the vehicle market from fuels for combustion to minerals and other materials for battery production. A growing EV market may encourage new strategies around the supply and refining of raw materials, ability to manufacture batteries, and end-of-life management for batteries that are no longer suitable for use in vehicles.\nSupport for EV deployment stems from, among other things, federal and state policies establishing manufacturing rebates, tax credits for purchases, funding for research and development, and standards for fuel economy and emissions. These policies include the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Tax Credit, and the coordinated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and emissions standards for vehicles. Over time, some federal incentives and grant programs have expired. Several bills pending in the 116th Congress would extend or repeal tax credits for EVs, establish highway usage fees on alternative fuel vehicles, fund grants for charging infrastructure, or establish a national zero-emissions vehicle standard.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R46231", "sha1": "0a43fdbc0df59394c93a387539964a1e459d30ee", "filename": "files/20200214_R46231_0a43fdbc0df59394c93a387539964a1e459d30ee.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/7.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_65e9884a76bacd7a9d818994ff8b9afd82cc2f6c.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/5.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_5d1036b2df2885743da39924d3249becf3b2fcba.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/9.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_26213627789187d0c7a7a7a3e56123e8339a2128.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/11.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_9901762c66d22557e6fff0b9e0a78bcf9c907acb.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/1.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_f993078c7bf4a1ebd3f0cd92a5499d86a9107715.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/6.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_f40b8ae0e51c83b9b2efcac4df0d5a7f0c286e39.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/2.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_3aa873b8d7b38b61fe38d64e5c58c27ac1849079.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/0.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_a92cf37f5041d29479f82cdd427660cd84ef19e9.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/3.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_e05d84b918500c580a14a0a6faf92eb07556746f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/8.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_65e9884a76bacd7a9d818994ff8b9afd82cc2f6c.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/12.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_2de948f63a6355600180132b150bdc9fd1aa6ab9.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/10.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_7f550b1521a26a3c2f36ee569b9a33953ace2708.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R46231_files&id=/4.png": "files/20200214_R46231_images_09ebe90ef8c38b3891ef81cc2eceef2c6f6f3cdb.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R46231", "sha1": "7ad363d95b696b0da7c61a7e6ecb5f6e3495b16b", "filename": "files/20200214_R46231_7ad363d95b696b0da7c61a7e6ecb5f6e3495b16b.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4840, "name": "Electricity" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4907, "name": "Energy Policy" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4927, "name": "Renewable Energy & Efficiency" } ] }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Electric Vehicles: A Primer on Technology and Selected Policy Issues", "retrieved": "2020-09-07T12:24:14.465215", "id": "R46231_1_2019-12-03", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2019-12-03_R46231_76895a21754eb5aced731facffbdd55987249aef.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46231/1", "sha1": "76895a21754eb5aced731facffbdd55987249aef" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2019-12-03_R46231_76895a21754eb5aced731facffbdd55987249aef.html" } ], "date": "2019-12-03", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R46231", "type": "CRS Report" } ], "topics": [ "Energy Policy" ] }