What Type of Electric Vehicles Are There?

The popularity of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is increasing nationwide, and shoppers have various options to choose from. We have provided a brief overview of some of the most common types of EVs below.

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

When people talk about EVs, they are typically referring to Battery Electric Vehicles. These vehicles do not rely on gasoline engines and instead use rechargeable battery packs for power. As a result, they are considered zero-emission vehicles since they do not emit harmful tailpipe emissions or contribute to air pollution like traditional gas-powered vehicles.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Hybrid Electric Vehicles use both a gas-powered engine and an electric motor. The battery can be charged through regenerative braking, which captures the energy generated during braking and repurposes it to assist the gas-powered engine during acceleration.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles also combine an engine and an electric motor. They are similar to regular hybrid vehicles in that they can partially recharge their batteries through regenerative braking. However, they differ in that they typically have larger batteries and can be plugged into a grid to recharge. A PHEV can travel several dozen miles on electric power alone before the gas engine takes over. Once the electric range is depleted, the vehicle can continue to travel on gasoline power like a regular hybrid.