What Type of Electric Vehicles Are There?

The ownership of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is growing across the nation. There are multiple choices shoppers may encounter when looking for a type of EV. Here we've summarized some of the most common ones.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

A Battery Electric Vehicle is what's usually referred to when talking about EVs. These fully electric vehicles don't utilize a gasoline engine. The energy utilized to run the vehicle comes from a rechargeable battery pack. BEVs are considered zero-emission vehicles as they don't generate harmful tailpipe emissions or air pollution hazards that are typically seen with gasoline-powered vehicles.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

A Hybrid Electric Vehicle uses both, a gas-powered engine and an electric motor. The energy for the battery can be gained through regenerative braking. With a traditional gas-powered engine, this braking energy is normally just lost as heat in the brake pads and rotors, but with a hybrid, the energy is repurposed to assist the gasoline engine during acceleration.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle also uses both, an engine and an electric motor. Like a regular hybrid vehicle, they can partially recharge their battery through regenerative braking. Where they differ from regular hybrids is typically by having a larger battery, as well as being able to plug into a grid to recharge. A PHEV can go several dozen miles before the gas engine provides assistance. When the all-electric range is depleted, a PHEV then acts like a regular hybrid and can travel a distance on a tank of gasoline.