Electric Vehicles and Power Batteries

In retrospect of the historical development of Electric Vehicles (EV), the impact of battery technologies on the progress of EV was discussed. In consequence, it is concluded that the lack of advanced batteries was the main cause for the fluctuations of EV development and the sluggish commercialization of electric cars in the past century. After a brief introduction to the classification and the requirements of electric vehicles, the main issues of the batteries including safety, temperature range for operation and the cost as well as the effects of these factors on the applications of advanced batteries for electric vehicles were discussed. Finally, the hot areas for future development in EV battery technologies were discussed.