Electric vehicles · Free online course
Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals
How an electric vehicle works, from the road back to the cell: the drivetrain, India's EV market, the forces on a vehicle, drive cycles and energy per km, lithium-ion battery parameters, SoC and SoH, pack development, the BMS and thermal design, and motors and controllers. Built on NPTEL lectures from IIT Madras.
- 9 modules
- 6h 58m of video
- Beginner
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹3,999 by length and depth against classroom training. It has always been free; that is not a former price.
No card. Checkout takes a minute and gives you a receipt.
Overview
About Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals
How an electric vehicle works, from the road back to the cell: the drivetrain, India's EV market, the forces on a vehicle, drive cycles and energy per km, lithium-ion battery parameters, SoC and SoH, pack development, the BMS and thermal design, and motors and controllers. Built on NPTEL lectures from IIT Madras.
Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, automotive and electrical engineers moving into EVs. It has 9 modules and 6h 58m of video lessons by NPTEL IIT Madras, CNET, E-Mobility Trends and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
Who it is for: Engineering students, automotive and electrical engineers moving into EVs
This course includes
- 6h 58m of video lessons
- 9 modules with written notes and diagrams
- One final assessment: 15 questions, pass mark 60%
- Ask-an-engineer support from practising engineers
- Lifetime access, the course does not expire
- Optional verifiable certificate when you finish
- Step 1 of 3
Learn the 9 modules
6h 58m of video lessons, written notes and a practice task per module, at your own pace.
- Step 2 of 3
Pass the final assessment
15 questions drawn from every module, pass mark 60%, 3 attempts.
- Step 3 of 3
Take the certificate, if you want it
Optional, paid once, only if you choose it. The course stays free either way.
See the certificate and its price
A look inside
From the lessons
How an electric vehicle works
by CNET
Electric vehicles in India
by NPTEL-NOC IITM
EV subsystems and the forces on a vehicle
by NPTEL-NOC IITM
Drive cycles and energy per kilometre
by NPTEL-NOC IITM
Battery parameters, and why lithium-ion
by NPTEL-NOC IITM
State of charge, state of health, the battery pack and charging
by NPTEL-NOC IITM
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits and are shown from YouTube.
What you learn
What you will be able to do
Describe the parts of an electric drivetrain and how energy flows through it; explain why India's EV market is led by two- and three-wheelers; calculate the forces on a vehicle and the power it needs; estimate energy per km from a drive cycle; read battery parameters and choose a chemistry; estimate SoC and SoH; design a battery pack from cells; explain what a BMS does and why thermal design matters; and calculate motor torque, power and efficiency.
- Describe the parts of an electric drivetrain and how energy flows
- Explain why two- and three-wheelers lead India's EV market
- Calculate drag, rolling resistance, gradient force and power
- Estimate energy per km from a drive cycle, with regeneration
- Read battery parameters and calculate pack voltage, energy and C-rate
- Estimate SoC and SoH and design a pack's series and parallel arrangement
- Explain what a BMS does and calculate pack heat
- Calculate motor torque, power and speed through the drivetrain
Syllabus
Course content, module by module
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- Modules
- 9
- Video lessons
- 19
- Of video
- 6h 58m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
How an electric vehicle works
3 lessons · 13m - 02
Electric vehicles in India
2 lessons · 55m - 03
EV subsystems and the forces on a vehicle
2 lessons · 52m - 04
Drive cycles and energy per kilometre
2 lessons · 58m - 05
Battery parameters, and why lithium-ion
2 lessons · 52m - 06
State of charge, state of health, the battery pack and charging
2 lessons · 39m - 07
The BMS and thermal design
2 lessons · 1h 0m - 08
Motors and controllers
3 lessons · 1h 6m Final assessment · 15 questions, pass mark 60%
Project
The course project
Optional practice that ends in the kind of job the course prepares you for, with the documents that go with it.
About 10 hours
Specifying the battery pack for an electric cargo three-wheeler: energy study, pack bill of materials, FMEA and validation plan
Specify the battery pack for an electric cargo three-wheeler as the vehicle's electrical engineer: estimate energy per km from the vehicle's forces and a city duty, size the pack for the range target at end of life, build the pack bill of materials, carry out an FMEA of the pack, BMS and thermal design, and write the validation plan. The sample pack shows each document for a cargo three-wheeler maker in Cairo.
Sample document pack, 4 documents, filled in for the scenario
- ReportEnergy study and pack sizing: cargo three-wheeler
- BOMBill of materials: 51.2 V, 10.24 kWh LFP pack
- FMEAFMEA: cargo three-wheeler battery pack
- PlanValidation plan: cargo three-wheeler battery pack
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Tools
Software, hardware and lessons
Software
None required. A spreadsheet helps with the calculations.
Hardware
None.
Who it is for
Beginner. You should be comfortable with school physics (force, energy, power) and basic electrical terms (voltage, current, resistance). The course builds everything else step by step.
Video lessons by
- NPTEL IIT Madras
- CNET
- E-Mobility Trends
- NPTEL-NOC IITM
Independent creators, credited in full under Credits.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Nothing to install
Any spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc) is enough for the calculations.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 01Free
LibreOffice
The Document Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer (Intel or Apple silicon), Linux
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- up to 1.5 GB of disk space on Windows
LibreOffice is free, open-source software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, for any use including business. Calc is its spreadsheet.
Steps
- 1.Open the LibreOffice download page.
- 2.Check the page has picked your operating system, then select Download.
- 3.Run the installer (administrator rights are needed on Windows).
- 4.Start LibreOffice Calc for spreadsheet work.
- 5.Save as .xlsx if you need to share files with Excel users.
- Choose the latest main version unless your organisation asks for the older, more conservative release.
Official download pagelibreoffice.org
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales, company no. 15262249) through the EDWartens training portal, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold in India by Wartens Automation Private Limited. It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
FAQ
Common questions
Who is the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course for?
Engineering students, technicians and engineers from other fields who want to understand how an electric vehicle works. School physics and basic electrical terms are enough to start.
Is this an NPTEL course?
No. It is built on NPTEL's free public lectures from IIT Madras, credited on each module, but it is not the NPTEL programme and is not affiliated with NPTEL or IIT Madras. EDWartens wrote the notes, practice, project and assessment.
Does it cover charging stations?
Only briefly. This course is about the vehicle: drivetrain, battery, BMS and motor. Charging infrastructure is a subject of its own.
Is there a lot of maths?
Some, all at school level: force, power, energy and simple battery arithmetic. Every formula is worked through with an example.
Is the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
What certificate does the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course give?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a number anyone can verify on our site.
How long does the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course take?
About 10 hours of video lectures, plus time for the notes, worked problems and practice questions. Allow about 10 more hours if you do the optional project.
What is the project in the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course?
You specify the battery pack for an electric cargo three-wheeler: an energy study in Wh/km, pack sizing for the end-of-life range, a bill of materials, an FMEA and a validation plan. A worked sample pack for a company near Cairo, Egypt, shows what each document looks like.
Is the Electric Vehicle Technology Fundamentals course free in India, and what does the certificate cost?
Yes. Learning costs ₹0 in India: every module, the written notes, the practice tasks and the final assessment, with no card and no trial period. The only paid item is the optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 including GST for this beginner course, paid in rupees through Razorpay, and only if you want it after passing the final assessment.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- ₹0, free for good. No trial, no card. Comparable classroom training of this length costs about ₹3,999.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, automotive and electrical engineers moving into EVs
- Format
- 9 self-paced modules, 6h 58m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner. You should be comfortable with school physics (force, energy, power) and basic electrical terms (voltage, current, resistance). The course builds everything else step by step.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- None required. A spreadsheet helps with the calculations.
- Hardware
- None.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- NPTEL IIT Madras, CNET, E-Mobility Trends, NPTEL-NOC IITM (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- NPTEL IIT Madrasthe Fundamentals of Electric Vehicles lectures on EVs in India, EV subsystems, vehicle forces, drive cycles and energy per km, battery parameters, lithium-ion, SoC and SoH, pack development, BMS and thermal design, and motors and controllers
- CNETthe explainer on how an electric vehicle's battery, motor and charger work together
- E-Mobility Trendsthe introduction to how electric cars work
- NPTEL-NOC IITM17 lessons in "How an electric vehicle works", "Electric vehicles in India", "EV subsystems and the forces on a vehicle", "Drive cycles and energy per kilometre", "Battery parameters, and why lithium-ion", "State of charge, state of health, the battery pack and charging", "The BMS and thermal design", "Motors and controllers" and "Final Assessment"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.