Know your engine.

EV.

Pure electric — instant torque, near silence, zero tailpipe.

How it works

An electric car stores energy in a large battery and sends it to one or more electric motors. There is no petrol engine, no gearbox in the usual sense, and no exhaust. Press the pedal and the motor delivers its full pull immediately.

What it feels like

Instant, silent acceleration and a calm, vibration-free cabin. Charging happens at home or at public chargers, and the driving range depends on the battery — check real-world range before choosing.

Good to know

  • No petrol, no oil changes, no exhaust pipe.
  • Charging time and public charger availability matter in daily use.
  • Regenerative braking recovers energy every time you slow down.

Exploded view.

Take the EV apart piece by piece and see how it works — in 3D, or as a static diagram if your browser can't show 3D.

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Cars with this engine (7)

Real cars from our database with this engine type. Figures are shown only where our sources record them — a blank means the figure is not on file, not that it is zero.

Built for heat.

Desert heat is the hardest test a car's cooling system faces. Here is how the system copes — and why it matters more for UAE drivers than for drivers in cooler climates.

The cooling loop

Coolant circulates through passages in the engine block and cylinder head, picks up heat, then passes through the radiator — a heat exchanger of thin tubes and fins — where the heat is given to the outside air before the coolant returns to the engine. A water pump keeps it moving, and a thermostat holds the engine at its best working temperature, opening to the radiator once the engine is warm. [1][2]

Fans: cooling when the car is barely moving

At speed, air rushing through the grille does much of the cooling. In slow traffic or at a standstill there is almost no airflow, so electric fans take over — they are switched on by a thermostat or the engine computer and give good cooling at low speed and when stationary, which is exactly the situation in a summer traffic jam. [1]

Oil cooling: the second cooling system

Engine oil does more than lubricate — it also carries heat away from parts the coolant cannot reach. Sustained heat makes oil break down faster: it loses viscosity, the protective film between moving parts gets thinner, and oxidation forms sludge that can clog oil passages. That is why oil condition and oil-change intervals matter more in hot climates, and why some cars add a separate oil cooler that works like a small radiator. [3]

EV batteries need cooling too

Lithium-ion batteries age faster when they run too hot or too cold — they work best in a comfortable middle range. Most modern EVs therefore use liquid cooling: coolant flows through plates or channels touching the cells and carries the heat away. In hot weather the cooling system uses some of the battery's own energy, which can trim driving range, and fast charging adds more heat for the system to remove. [4]

Why desert heat matters

A cooling system has to hold the engine at a steady temperature whatever the weather and the load — and hot weather plus heavy load is the hardest combination. [2] In the UAE that means long hot days, slow traffic with little airflow, and air conditioning adding load. Practical habits that follow from how the system works: keep the coolant at the right level, keep the radiator fins clear of dust and sand, and take the temperature gauge seriously — if it climbs, ease off and get the car checked rather than pushing on.

Keep learning.

How a V8 works

Eight cylinders firing in turn, so the pushes overlap into one smooth, deep pull. Read the full plain-language explanation on the V8 page.

How a V8 works →

Petrol vs EV engines

A petrol engine makes power by burning fuel in cylinders — hundreds of small explosions a minute, turned into spin by pistons and a crankshaft. An EV skips all of that: a battery feeds an electric motor that spins directly, so the pull is instant and silent and there is no exhaust at all. The trade-off is everyday life: petrol cars refuel in minutes anywhere, while EVs charge at home or at public chargers and need their batteries kept cool in desert heat. Neither is better for everyone — it depends on your driving, your charging options, and what you enjoy.

The everyday petrol engine →All guides →

Explore every engine — UAE & GCC — researched, not guessed — 3D showroom coming soon —