How Custom Software Solutions
Can Drive Electric Vehicle Tech

Clean Energy Vehicles Offer Consumer Options

The automotive industry responded to consumer demands for fuel efficient vehicles following the oil crisis by developing vehicles with fuel economy as a priority. Change was gradual and today, we see a heightened awareness of environmental initiatives and concerns, once again prompting the automotive industry to respond.

Electric vehicles are designed to lower emissions, promote green initiatives, and conserve fossil fuels. Consumers are offered more vehicle options than before and software developers have worked to enhance battery features by optimizing battery cell technology for better durability. Electric vehicle industry leaders, in partnership with software experts have worked to create battery cells that require less charging times and can still operate even if another cell is compromised. Software engineers are at the forefront of this pioneering technology and their expertise enables the electric vehicle industry the ability to expedite time to market for EV enhancements.

EV Battery Performance Remains Integral for Success

Electric vehicles remain reliant on software developers to design and implement optimized, battery cell features ultimately responsible for putting EV cars in motion. Battery durability and efficiency remains sharply debated so the industry continues partnerships with software providers to ensure EV batteries perform optimally.

Battery performance can be compromised by what is termed memory effect, when a battery is subjected to discharge/charge cycles that force a battery to ‘learn’ to operate at a lower capacity, which reduces durability and compromises performance. Li-ion batteries have a reduced self-discharge rate compared with traditional batteries and do not contain toxic chemicals, such as cadmium. Experts have worked to strengthen the battery cells, ultimately creating a more superior product in comparison to earlier EV batteries.

The mileage range and performance of EV models continues to improve, as software developers have optimized lithium-ion batteries to provide increased driving ranges of up to 300-500 miles before recharging. Lithium-ion batteries are capable of maintaining high voltage charges and storage, making lithium essential for an optimized EV battery.

The race to perfect EV battery technology has intensified thanks to continued trends of investments in start-up firms dedicated to EV. Software developers are integral to this development because software-driven features within the Battery Management System (BMS) are responsible for preventative maintenance. Additionally, software enables monitoring of EV performance and thus remains vital to optimized EV performance.

EV Charging Infrastructure: Demand Outpaces Access

One struggle of being an EV owner are charging limitations while on the road. As commuting needs have evolved, the overall EV charging infrastructure has yet to match these new consumer demands. How will the EV industry respond to charging access issues? Charging stations for commuters are not nearly as common as traditional gas stations. With the U.S. Department of Energy reporting only 44,000 charging stations across the country we can surmise there is an accessibility issue.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the basis for programs and initiatives including the distribution of federal funding for EV charging stations, including $7.5 billion to create a national network of EV charging resources among interstates. This commitment reinforces the value officials are placing on EV technology. Software developers can elevate charging stations to include critical features like reduced charging times and facilitate connectivity with smart devices to conveniently locate charging stations in real-time.

This significant financial commitment to EV reinforces the strong consumer demand for vehicles that can reduce emissions, conserve fossil fuels, and offer charging options for sustainability. The burgeoning EV market offers new avenues for software providers to create new revenue streams while also contributing to ongoing green initiatives.

EV and the Road Ahead

California officials have taken the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law a step further. An executive order has decreed that all vehicles sold in California must be electric or electric-hybrid by 2035. This ambitious measure reinforces the immediacy officials see in working to implement green initiatives by utilizing EVs to propel conservation efforts forward. This undeniably creates a sustainable market for EVs that software providers can utilize because EV technology relies on software to charge and monitor batteries and drive an EV Battery Management System.

With federally-funded programs designed to mitigate limited access to EV charging stations, tax credits to incentivize EV purchases, and California’s law calling for all vehicles to be electric or hybrid by 2035, we see compelling evidence leading to an upward trend in EV popularity and sales. Software development experts play an integral role in helping the trend of EVs come to fruition because EV technology is software-driven. This creates sustainable revenue opportunities and will not mark the first partnership between software developers and the automotive industry.