What Type of Electric Vehicles Are There?

As more people adopt electric vehicles (EVs), it's important to understand the different types available. Here are some of the most common ones.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

When people talk about EVs, they're usually referring to Battery Electric Vehicles. These vehicles rely solely on a rechargeable battery pack for power, and don't use gasoline engines. Because they don't emit harmful pollutants, BEVs are considered zero-emission vehicles.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Hybrid Electric Vehicles combine a gasoline engine and an electric motor. They use regenerative braking to recharge their battery. This means that instead of the braking energy being wasted as heat, it's repurposed to help the gasoline engine during acceleration.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles use both a gasoline engine and an electric motor, and they recharge their battery through regenerative braking. However, PHEVs have larger batteries and can be plugged into the grid to recharge. They can travel several dozen miles before relying on the gasoline engine. Once the all-electric range is depleted, PHEVs function like regular hybrids and can travel using gasoline.