Electric Vehicle Technology Course

Lesson 1 • EV Market Landscape and Segments

Examines BEV, PHEV, HEV, and FCEV categories and their market positioning. Provides the classification framework used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Regulatory and Safety Fundamentals

Covers global safety standards, homologation requirements, and emissions regulations affecting EV design. Grounds students in compliance constraints before technical deep dives.

Lesson 3 • Core EV System Architecture

Introduces the major subsystems: battery pack, motor, power electronics, and thermal management. Connects component roles to overall vehicle performance.

Lesson 1 • Battery Degradation and Lifetime

Analyses capacity fade, calendar aging, and cycle aging mechanisms. Prepares students to predict and mitigate battery degradation in real-world use.

Lesson 2 • Battery Thermal Management Systems

Details active and passive cooling strategies, heating requirements, and thermal runaway prevention. Connects thermal control to battery longevity and safety outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Battery Pack Design and Integration

Covers cell-to-module-to-pack architecture, mechanical housing, and electrical interconnects. Links cell-level properties to pack-level performance and safety.

Lesson 4 • Electrochemical Principles of Batteries

Explains oxidation-reduction reactions, electrode potentials, and ion transport in lithium-ion cells. Provides the chemical foundation for understanding all subsequent battery topics.

Lesson 1 • Fault Detection and Protection

Covers overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, and thermal fault detection logic and responses. Fault management is the primary safety function of the BMS.

Lesson 2 • Cell Balancing Techniques

Explains passive and active balancing topologies and their impact on pack capacity and efficiency. Balancing directly affects usable energy and pack longevity.

Lesson 3 • BMS Architecture and Hardware

Describes cell monitoring ICs, microcontrollers, isolation circuits, and sensor networks in a BMS. Establishes the hardware platform on which all BMS algorithms run.

Lesson 4 • BMS Communication Protocols

Examines CAN bus, LIN, and automotive Ethernet for BMS data exchange with vehicle systems. Communication reliability is essential for coordinated vehicle energy management.

Lesson 1 • Motor Control Strategies

Explains field-oriented control, direct torque control, and maximum torque per ampere strategies. Control strategy selection determines efficiency and dynamic response.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Electric Motor Operation

Reviews electromagnetic induction, torque production, and motor equivalent circuits. Provides the physics foundation for comparing motor technologies used in EVs.

Lesson 3 • Power Electronics for Motor Control

Covers inverter topology, IGBT and SiC switching devices, and gate driver design. Power electronics translate DC battery energy into controlled AC motor drive.

Lesson 4 • Regenerative Braking Systems

Details energy recovery during deceleration, blended braking coordination, and efficiency gains. Regenerative braking is a key EV efficiency advantage requiring careful system integration.

Lesson 1 • DC Fast Charging Architecture

Examines off-board charger power stages, dynamic current control, and battery communication during fast charging. Fast charging imposes the most demanding conditions on battery and thermal systems.

Lesson 2 • Charging Levels and Standards

Defines Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging and their associated connector and communication standards. Establishes the framework for all charging hardware and protocol discussions.

Lesson 3 • Wireless and Bidirectional Charging

Introduces inductive power transfer, resonant coupling, and V2G and V2H bidirectional power flow. These emerging technologies expand EV roles beyond transportation.

Lesson 4 • Charging Infrastructure Deployment

Addresses site selection, grid capacity assessment, load management, and network operations for public charging. Infrastructure planning is critical to EV adoption at scale.

Lesson 1 • Range Estimation and Prediction

Covers statistical, physics-based, and machine learning methods for real-time range prediction. Reliable range estimation directly affects driver confidence and charging behaviour.

Lesson 2 • Eco-Driving and Driver Assistance

Covers eco-driving coaching algorithms, one-pedal driving calibration, and adaptive cruise for efficiency. Driver behaviour and assistance systems together account for significant range variation.

Lesson 3 • Energy Management System Strategies

Examines rule-based, optimisation-based, and predictive EMS algorithms for hybrid and pure-electric vehicles. EMS strategy determines how efficiently stored energy is used across a trip.

Lesson 4 • Energy Consumption Modelling

Builds vehicle energy models incorporating aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, and auxiliary loads. Accurate modelling is the prerequisite for any range or efficiency optimisation.

Lesson 1 • Battery Pack Diagnostics

Details cell voltage deviation analysis, impedance spectroscopy, and capacity testing for pack health assessment. Battery diagnostics determine whether a pack requires balancing, repair, or replacement.

Lesson 2 • Preventive Maintenance Schedules

Defines EV-specific maintenance intervals for coolant, brake fluid, cabin air filters, and software updates. Preventive maintenance extends vehicle life and reduces unplanned downtime.

Lesson 3 • High-Voltage Safety Procedures

Establishes lockout-tagout protocols, personal protective equipment requirements, and HV system isolation steps. Safe HV work practices are mandatory before any hands-on EV service.

Lesson 4 • Motor and Inverter Diagnostics

Covers insulation resistance testing, phase current analysis, and inverter fault code interpretation. Motor and inverter faults are among the most costly EV repairs if misdiagnosed.

Lesson 1 • Integrated Autonomous Driving Systems

Explores sensor fusion, compute platform power demands, and energy management for autonomous EVs. Autonomy adds significant electrical load and new energy management complexity.

Lesson 2 • Second-Life Battery Applications

Analyses retired EV pack repurposing for stationary storage, grading criteria, and business models. Second-life use extends battery value and supports grid energy storage deployment.

Lesson 3 • High-Voltage 800V Architectures

Examines 800V system benefits, component redesign requirements, and ultra-fast charging enablement. Higher voltage architectures are the primary path to sub-20-minute fast charging.

Lesson 4 • Solid-State Battery Development

Covers solid electrolyte materials, manufacturing challenges, and performance projections for solid-state cells. Solid-state batteries represent the most anticipated step change in EV energy storage.