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Electric car
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Electric car
Discover the impacts of electric vehicles on the electrical power grid and explore ways to reduce their carbon footprint
A light blue Nissan Leaf electric vehicle is displayed indoors on a platform, with zero emission text on the side and a modern backdrop of vertical lights. A photo of a white Tesla Model Y electric crossover parked on wet pavement. A blue G-Wiz electric vehicle is parked in a designated charging bay on a city street, with large yellow letters on the pavement reading electric. Diagram comparing the internal systems of a typical electric car and a hybrid gasoline-electric car, showing labeled components such as battery packs, electric motors, controllers, regenerative braking, and fuel tanks, with arrows and callouts highlighting differences in energy sources and efficiency features.
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Electric car
Electric car Battery-powered Citroën Berlingo Electrique vans.

Electric car

vehicle
Also known as: electric automobile
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

Electric car, vehicle powered by one or more electric motors in which electricity is supplied by rechargeable batteries or is generated by a fuel cell. In an electric car, the electric motor replaces the traditional internal-combustion engine, converting electrical energy provided by the battery or fuel cell into mechanical energy. Rotation of the motor results from interactions between magnetic fields in the motor’s stationary and rotating components; this energy is then transferred through the drivetrain...

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