What are the different types of electric vehicles and how do they work?

While all electric vehicles (EVs) use electricity to improve vehicle efficiency, there are three primary EV types:

• Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, which uses energy stored in a battery
  • HEVs are fueled with gasoline to operate the internal combustion engine, and the battery is charged through regenerative braking to offset fuel consumption
• Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are powered by the combination of an internal combustion engine and electric motor that relies on battery energy storage like HEVs
  • PHEVs can operate in all-electric mode due to a larger battery that can be plugged in to an electric power source
  • Most PHEVs have an electric range of 20 to 40 miles and can operate on gasoline once the battery is depleted
• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) or all-electric vehicles do not use gasoline at all
  • BEVs have a large battery that is charged by plugging the vehicle into charging equipment
  • BEVs offer a typical driving range of 150 to 300 miles

What are the differences between a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and a battery electric vehicle?

• Plug-in hybrid vehicles combine both gas and electric vehicle technology, incorporating both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor
• Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rely solely on battery energy storage
  

Understand your electric vehicle and charging options