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What are the different kinds of EVs?
There are many different types of gas and diesel vehicles, to suit the needs of many different drivers, passengers, and types of cargo. Electric vehicles are no different. They come in many different shapes and with different sets of capabilities, and that’s expanding every year. Soon, you’ll be able to get everything from an electric scooter to a semi-truck, and everything in between.
When you go to choose an EV, you do need to know the different kinds of EV systems a car can have. By knowing a little about how each works, and what the pros and cons are to each, you’ll be able to make a more informed buying decision.
When you go to choose an EV, you do need to know the different kinds of EV systems a car can have. By knowing a little about how each works, and what the pros and cons are to each, you’ll be able to make a more informed buying decision.
Battery Electric, aka "Full EVs" (BEV)
The simplest kind of EV is one that run only on electric power. These vehicles have a battery pack, an electric motor, and the gearing to drive the car. They have a range, typically, from just a few miles to a few hundred miles, but once that range is low, the only way to drive further is to plug the car in.
The advantage to these is their longevity (in most cases). Without a complicated transmission, and with only a few moving parts in the motor, they can run for hundreds of thousands of miles before needing serious repairs.
The downside to BEVs, for now, is charging time. For daily use, most owners of BEVs charge their cars at night while they sleep. Plugging the car in when you get home and unplugging it in the morning takes hardly any time at all. When going for longer drives, it gets more complicated. Most BEVs now come with DCFC (like Tesla’s “Superchargers”, CCS and CHAdeMO), but charging times still range from 20-60 minutes. All but the newest EVs generally take 30-45 minutes to get enough range to get to the next charger on a road trip.
If your regularly take long road trips and can’t afford to wait for charging, you might want to consider one of the other types of EVs until the technology improves.
The advantage to these is their longevity (in most cases). Without a complicated transmission, and with only a few moving parts in the motor, they can run for hundreds of thousands of miles before needing serious repairs.
The downside to BEVs, for now, is charging time. For daily use, most owners of BEVs charge their cars at night while they sleep. Plugging the car in when you get home and unplugging it in the morning takes hardly any time at all. When going for longer drives, it gets more complicated. Most BEVs now come with DCFC (like Tesla’s “Superchargers”, CCS and CHAdeMO), but charging times still range from 20-60 minutes. All but the newest EVs generally take 30-45 minutes to get enough range to get to the next charger on a road trip.
If your regularly take long road trips and can’t afford to wait for charging, you might want to consider one of the other types of EVs until the technology improves.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)
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A Plugin hybrid vehicle is like a BEV, but can also use gas, diesel, or some other fuel, in order to operate. The vehicles have a smaller battery pack than most BEVs. For some models, pressing the accelerator harder kicks in the gas engine for better performance, while in others, the car runs strictly on battery power. It depends largely on the make or model of vehicle in question.
When the battery gets low on energy, the car can keep going on gasoline power for long trips. When the gas tank gets low, you can fill it at a gas station just like any gasoline car. With PHEVs, you get the advantages of a BEV driving around town, but with the convenience of a gas car for longer drives. |
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Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV, or “Hybrids”)
There are vehicles that don’t plug in at all. We call these hybrids. While they are sometimes included in the "electric vehicle" column, EV Resource doesn't consider these to be electric vehicles as they source their energy from gasoline.
A hybrid has a small battery pack and an electric motor, but these only serve as “helpers” for the car’s main gasoline engine. When the car slows down, it uses the electric motor as a generator to charge the pack, and sometimes uses the gas engine to generate electricity that gets stored in the battery as well.
There are some situations where the car drives like an EV, such as at low speeds or when sitting still at a light. On the highway, the car typically runs the gas engine continuously, just like any other non-electric car.
Hybrids get much better efficiency, especially in city driving, compared to regular gas or diesel vehicles, mostly because they benefit from their battery systems. Hybrids require gas or diesel in order to operate, and there is no such thing as a "self-charging hybrid."
A hybrid has a small battery pack and an electric motor, but these only serve as “helpers” for the car’s main gasoline engine. When the car slows down, it uses the electric motor as a generator to charge the pack, and sometimes uses the gas engine to generate electricity that gets stored in the battery as well.
There are some situations where the car drives like an EV, such as at low speeds or when sitting still at a light. On the highway, the car typically runs the gas engine continuously, just like any other non-electric car.
Hybrids get much better efficiency, especially in city driving, compared to regular gas or diesel vehicles, mostly because they benefit from their battery systems. Hybrids require gas or diesel in order to operate, and there is no such thing as a "self-charging hybrid."
