Free online courseIntroduction to Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Course Description

Introduction to Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles is a free online course on Swayam designed for learners who want a clear, engineering-oriented understanding of modern electrified mobility. Positioned within Professional Skills and Automotive Repair, it connects fundamentals with real-world vehicle technologies and the fast-changing EV ecosystem.

You will explore why vehicular electrification has returned to the forefront, along with its environmental, social, and economic implications. The course builds core intuition through vehicle dynamics and drivetrain concepts, then contrasts internal combustion approaches with electric and hybrid architectures to show how design choices affect performance, efficiency, and operating strategy.

As the course progresses, it focuses on key EV and HEV subsystems such as electric propulsion components, power electronics converters, and electronic control units. It also covers energy storage and power sources including battery technologies, battery management systems, ultracapacitors, flywheels, and fuel cells, helping you understand how these options are selected and managed in different vehicle platforms.

Motor types and control methods are addressed across common traction machines, supporting a practical grasp of how propulsion is implemented and regulated. You will also dive into charging infrastructure with emphasis on architectures, operational control, converter topologies, power factor correction, DC-DC conversion, renewable integration, and wireless charging concepts.

To round out a system-level perspective, the course includes thermal management topics spanning batteries, power converters, and motors, plus standards, safety, recycling, and charging guidelines relevant to industry practice. Finally, it examines policy, business models, economics, grid integration, and the emerging role of AI in electrified transportation, giving you context for both technical decisions and market realities.